FAQs

Apple Hill is an inclusive and diverse musical community. We accept participants ages 13 through adult. We accept all levels, from beginning-intermediate to professional. In order to be comfortable playing the chamber music repertoire, it is best that students are at least at a beginning-to-intermediate playing level and have a basic technical understanding of their instrument. The chamber ensembles are coached with the expectation that students arrive with their music assignments prepared and ready to rehearse. We accept these instruments: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, voice, piano, violin, viola, cello, and string bass.

All of our summer sessions are diverse in age, nationality, and playing level.

Abundant individualized feedback will be provided during group coachings while maintaining a focus on chamber music. Private lessons are not included in the SCMW schedule or fees, but may be available at the discretion and availability of the faculty. There will be a separate fee for this, to be negotiated between you and the faculty member with whom you will be taking lessons.

Yes, contact the Summer Workshop Administrative Director for information.

You may leave campus on the day off, Wednesday, if you return on Wednesday evening or by your first ensemble rehearsal on Thursday. Students under the age of 18 must be with their parents or have parental consent to leave campus unsupervised at any time.

Yes you may. However, we expect that everyone will be prepared to focus on their music performance skills and community-building. Apple Hill does not take responsibility for lost or stolen personal items. Internet and cell phone service is sometimes limited in our rural area. If you bring your cell phone, they must be turned off completely during rehearsals, meal times, announcements, and group activities.

Click here for information and the online application form.

No. But you will need to send a placement recording so that we can make the best possible music assignments and groups for you. Apple Hill is an inclusive and diverse musical community. We accept participants ages 13 through adult. We accept all levels, from beginning-intermediate to professional. In order to be comfortable playing the chamber music repertoire, it is best that students are at least at a beginning-to-intermediate playing level and have a basic technical understanding of their instrument.

Click here for information.

Yes. All applicants, new and returning, should submit a new recording with their application so that we can make appropriate music assignments.

After we’ve received your application form, $75 application fee (waived for applications received by December 17), and placement recordings, you can expect your acceptance letter within two weeks. If you are applying for a work-study position, you can expect to hear from us by early March. Once you’ve received your acceptance letter, you have two weeks to send your tuition deposit or, in the case of work-study participants, send in your signed contract.

Participants are each assigned two groups, although occasionally some participants may receive three depending on the needs of the groups.

Music assignments will be listed online here May 17.

The Summer Workshop Administrative Director will contact you shortly after music assignments are posted with information about how to get your music. Music assignments will be listed online here May 17.

Participants stay in small cabins and yurts scattered throughout our campus. All cabins and yurts have lighting and electric outlets; none have bathrooms/plumbing or air conditioning. Bathrooms and showers are located in two central bathhouses. The paths to housing can be hilly and on uneven terrain. Participants are assigned cabins based on age and gender. Participants under the age of 18 will be housed in cabins with a Counselor Worker (CW), a work-study participant over the age of 18. There will be approximately one CW for three to five underage participants. Participants over age 18 will be in cabins of 2-4 people. Adult participants have the option of off-campus housing; contact the Summer Workshop Administrative Director for more information.

At each session, there will be the Executive Director, the session Music Director, the Summer Workshop Administrative Director, three Camp Directors (CDs), and nine Counselor Workers (CWs). All off-campus trips will be supervised by a CD and/or CW.

No, we only have space on-campus for those participating in the Workshop. We recommend searching for hotels/inn/B&Bs in nearby Keene or the surrounding area.

We have an off-campus housing program for adult participants and faculty for an additional fee; contact the Summer Workshop Administrative Director for more information. Local adult participants are welcome to stay at home and commute. There is no discount available for staying off-campus. Younger participants should plan to stay on campus.

Our packing list is available here.

You can drive (see here for directions—make sure to double-check your routes before leaving, as many GPS devices are unreliable in this area). If you are out of driving distance, we recommend discussing your travel plans with the Summer Workshop Administrative Director before purchasing tickets. Options include bus (Concord Coachlines to Concord, NH or Greyhound to Keene, NH), train (Amtrak to Brattleboro, VT), or flights (to Manchester, NH, Boston Logan Airport, or Bradley Airport in Hartford, CT).
For a fee, we can pick up or drop off participants in Keene, Brattleboro, and Concord, NH after 8am and before 11pm. For ground transportation from the airport to AH, we recommend flying into Boston and taking Concord Coachlines to Concord, NH where we can pick you up. If you fly into Boston or Hartford, you will need to take a private taxi; we recommend Thomas Transportation or Barbara Lemay. Contact the Summer Workshop Administrative Director for information.

Yes. You can arrive the day before your session begins and leave the day after. You will just need to pay for the extra meals ($6 breakfast/$10 lunch/$15 breakfast).

No. All participants need to be at Apple Hill for the full duration of their session, from 5pm on the first day until 5pm on the last day.

Plan to arrive between 2-5pm on the first day and leave after 5pm on the last day.

If your music assignments for the following session are prepared, you are free to travel from Sunday after 5pm to no later than Friday morning of the next session. We are not staffed to provide transportation to airports and trains for this purpose, so you will need to make all travel arrangements. Participants under the age of 18 must have parental consent to leave campus unsupervised, or be in the company of a family member.

Our campus is closed to everyone besides participants, faculty, and staff during most of the session. Visitors are welcome during the Sunday evening special event (open rehearsal, etc), the Tuesday Summer Concert Series concert, the final participant concerts, and the meals directly preceding those three concerts.

The final Saturday of each session at 7pm and the final Sunday of the session at 1:30pm.

Half the groups play on Saturday and the other half on Sunday, so a student might play Saturday, Sunday, or one group on each concert. We determine the concert schedule in the latter half of the session; it’s the responsibility of the student to let their family and friends know when they will be playing. If you have family or friends who can only come one day or the other, let your coach know during the session. We’ll do our best to get at least one of your groups on that day.

Click here for information.

2019 Travel Form (PDF)

2019 Emergency Contact/Release Form (PDF)

2019 Medical Form (PDF)

2019 Packing List (PDF)

Summer Chamber Music Workshop Policies (PDF)