Heifetz Institute 2019 Season and
Festival of Concerts
Begin This Week
168 Students, 77 Teaching Faculty, and 38 Staff Members return to Staunton, VA for the 23rd season of the Heifetz Institute
STAUNTON, VA — June 24, 2019 — The Heifetz International Music Institute will begin its 23rd season, and eighth in Staunton, this week with the arrival of students, staff and faculty from around the world. 168 exceptional young musicians will attend the exclusive six-week program for classical string players (violin, viola, cello), consisting of three key elements: 1) Advanced musical training; 2) Multi-disciplinary Communication Training; and 3) Solo and chamber music performance opportunities, culminating in the Institute’s
Festival of Concerts. New initiatives for 2019 include the Heifetz Baroque Vocal Workshop, and the Institute's first ever program for double bassists. This season marks the first under new Artistic Director Nicholas Kitchen (
New England Conservatory, The Borromeo String Quartet).
With festival attendance expected to exceed 15,000 at 46 public events, students have the chance to not only to hone their craft under the tutelage of world-renowned faculty, but also to apply their developing skills in a myriad of performance settings that greatly enrich the local community. The vast majority of concerts are either free or less than $10, highlighted by the
Opening Concert & Convocation
on June 29.
Not a day goes by without a performance, ranging from the intensity of a high-level chamber music concert to the relaxed informality of a multi-genre
Heifetz Hootenanny. The Institute also makes a point of having its artists perform in local schools, churches, businesses, clubs, and community events large and small. The majority of programming takes place at Mary Baldwin University or downtown Staunton, with select concerts in
Richmond (July 21) and
Charlottesville (July 28).
