Summer Symposium 2026, The Performer/Composer

Monday, June 8th - Thursday, June 18th
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
early drop off from 8:30 am, late pick up until 4:45 pm

Recommended for ages 12-18 with intermediate to advanced musical proficiency.

In 2026, our symposium’s theme is The Performer/Composer. For centuries, the musicians who debuted pieces by leading composers like Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms were usually the composers themselves! Clara Schumann wrote her piano concerto when she was just 14, then premiered it herself with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. More recently, though, composition has largely been left out of musical training, and technical proficiency on an instrument has become the default measure of a student’s progress. Despite countless examples spanning every genre of music, the thought of a single person pursuing both performance and composition is viewed as a rarity. We’d like to change that.

Every student at LAM’s 2026 Summer Symposium will be a performer AND a composer. Our faculty will guide students through group rehearsals on their primary instrument and the creation of a brand new piece of music, shaped by students’ experience. A group of professional musicians will work with every student to bring their pieces to life through workshops and a recorded premiere performance. On Thursday of week two, LAM will host a reception concert to showcase the students’ work. Camp attendees will leave the symposium with new skills, new friends, and a finished composition with a professional recording - an incredible asset for any young musician’s resume. All instrument and voice types are welcome, and no composition experience is required.

$675 per student for 9-days of camp

Questions? Email Kent Klarer, Program Director HERE!