Opus 360
June 8 - June 15, 2025
Welcome to Opus 360: where the future of classical music meets entrepreneurship! For eight days, you will be immersed in the world of chamber music. As a member of a string quartet or other small ensemble, you will rehearse daily, play in masterclasses, and give public performances. You’ll also go further together: in addition to honing your artistry, you and your colleagues will embark on a week-long entrepreneurial simulation. Armed with an Opus 360 start-up grant, your ensemble will step into the shoes of chamber music impresarios, weighing and navigating real-world opportunities and obstacles to craft your very own organization from scratch.
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Program Highlights
Two 60-minute chamber music coachings every day
Daily chamber music rehearsals
Daily recreation time and team building activities
Masterclass performance with guest artist Brian Hong
Formal public performances
Outreach performance opportunities
Additional focuses may include:
Mental and physical wellness, performance fitness
Public presentation and outreach
Education and pedagogy
Topics in music history
About
Opus 360 offers violinists, violists, and cellists a week of chamber music immersion at Chapelwood UMC in day camp form. Through coaching and mentorship from Opus 1 faculty and guest artists within a small student body, students will experience the spectrum of a well-rounded musician, from artistry to entrepreneurship – whether or not they aspire to apply these skills in a music career. Placed in a string quartet or other small ensemble, students will rehearse daily, participate in masterclasses and Q&A’s, and give formal and informal performances.
In tandem with chamber music, students will spend time every day, guided by faculty and guest experts, studying and practicing other skills essential to musicians and in many other walks of life. During Opus 360 2024, students in small groups learned to develop marketing, fundraising, and artistic strategies to create their own non-profit business plans, then pitched their businesses to industry leaders John Mangum (CEO, Houston Symphony), Art Gottschaulk (Professor of Theory and Composition, Rice University), and Katie Hart (Founder, Monarch Chamber Players).
Returning and new Opus 360 students alike will find themselves challenged and comfortable in the simulation. At the start of the week, small groups will be assigned a fictional arts organization, which will become their identity for the duration of the camp. Armed with $10,000 “Opus Bucks” as start-up funding, students will plan their organization’s first season to be presented to our Board of Directors by the end of the week. Each day, students will be faced with daily opportunities and setbacks facing their organization, which will push them to collaborate through creative problem solving and goal setting.
Faculty and guest experts will give multiple simultaneous workshops on mission statements, fundraising pitches, non-profits, budgeting, and other skills that will guide students as they navigate the day’s opportunities and setbacks. Groups will have to be strategic to divide, conquer, and gather the information they need to succeed and adapt to their strengths and weaknesses! Veterans of Opus 360 may tackle more expansive topics, dive into advanced strategies, and explore the complexities of building and sustaining a music business. Meanwhile, new students will be guided through the fundamentals, learning the building blocks of entrepreneurship and how to turn musical passion into a thriving enterprise.
Daily Schedule
Opus 360 will take place from June 8 - 15, 2025, with all activities occurring at Chapelwood United Methodist Church.
Example Schedule:
9:00am - 11:00am: Chamber music and rehearsals
11:00am - 12:00pm: Entrepreneurship simulation
12:00pm - 1:00pm: Lunch (students may bring their own packed lunch, or opt in to the lunch package below)
1:00pm - 2:00pm: Recreation time and team building activities
2:00pm - 3:00pm: Entrepreneurship simulation
3:00pm - 5:00pm: Afternoon chamber music coachings and rehearsals
Select days will be reserved for guest masterclasses, faculty performances, outreach performances, and student concerts. These specific dates will be shared upon enrollment.
Tuition
Tuition for Opus 360 is $600. It is our mission to make Opus 360 accessible to students of all financial means. If tuition would prevent you from applying or participating, please indicate that you have financial need on your application.
Students may also opt in to be provided with catered lunch on each of the seven days when Opus 360 is in session during lunchtime. The cost of this meal plan is $150 in addition to tuition.
Eligibility
Students ages 13-22 are eligible to apply. Pre-formed groups are encouraged to apply. If you are applying as a pre-formed group, please complete an individual application and indicate the names of your other group members in the appropriate section.
Opus 360 is a day camp. We are not able to provide living accommodations for out-of-state students at this time.
Application Requirements
Admission to Opus 360 requires an audition, which will be conducted by submitting video recordings, and a recommendation from your private teacher. This audition will be used to assess the student’s skill level and personality in order to place them in a compatible ensemble. We encourage you to apply early for your best chance of admission.
Application deadline: March 1, 2025.
All students are required to submit an application to Opus 360. If you are currently a member of the Opus 1 Chamber Music School year-long program, we only require a candid video describing your interest in Opus 360.
For audition and introduction videos (3):
Submit as YouTube, Google Drive or Dropbox links. Make sure to select “UNLISTED” under “Visibility” if you want us to be the only ones able to view them.
Please introduce yourself and the piece you’re about to play at the beginning of both playing videos.
Your entire torso, bow, and violin must be visible in the frame at all times.
Obtain the highest possible audio quality.
Record in a space with as little ambient noise as possible.
Results
Applicants will be notified of their acceptance status by April 30th, 2025. Group Placements will be communicated by May 15th, 2025.