Instrumental Awards for Chamber Music
What is the Instrumental Awards for Chamber Music scheme?
The Instrumental Awards for Chamber Music Scheme was set up to enable gifted players to reach a high standard of performance in chamber music. Award-holders are expected to give priority to rehearsals (about six hours per week) with their ensembles. Successful applicants will be placed in an ensemble by the Scheme’s managers. Members of the ensembles may come from any College. In their second and third year, award-holders are able to express preferences about the type of ensemble in which they would like to play (for example, wind quintet, string quartet, piano trio), and the award-holders with whom they would like to be grouped.
Instrumental Award-holders receive a small financial award (currently £75), as well as a subsidy towards instrumental lessons, and free chamber music coaching from major professional coaches, including the Endellion and Fitzwilliam String Quartets, pianist Ian Brown, and oboist Celia Nicklin.
What instruments are eligible?
What instruments are eligible?
Only players of the following instruments are eligible to apply:
| Keyboard | Strings | Wind |
|---|---|---|
| Piano | Violin, Viola, Cello | Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, French horn |
A Distinction at Grade VIII of the Associated Board, or other equivalent qualification, should be considered a minimum standard for application for an Instrumental Award.
How do I apply?
How do I apply?
All 25 standard-age undergraduate Colleges participate in the Instrumental Awards for Chamber Music scheme. The application process for the Scheme takes place once applications for an academic place have been considered and offers have been made.
If you receive an offer of a place at Cambridge and are interested in applying for an Instrumental Award, you must download the application form and information sheet. The completed form must be submitted to your College by 28 February 2013.
If you meet the conditions of your Cambridge offer, you will be asked to attend an audition which will be held just before the start of the academic year. You will be notified of the date and time of your audition by 15 September.
You are strongly advised to complete your part of the Application Form and then to send it (together with your cheque, and a SAE addressed to the appropriate Admissions Office) to your referee by mid-February, so that s/he can ensure that it reaches the College by the closing date of the end of February. Late applications will not be accepted.
What happens at the audition?
What happens at the audition?
For the audition, you will be asked to play a set piece of chamber music (other instrumentalists will be provided to ‘accompany’ you as required in the audition). You will also be asked to do some sight-reading.
Set pieces list (for the September 2013 auditions)
- FLUTE Gaubert: Nocturne et Allegro scherzando
- OBOE Nielsen: Two Fantasistykke
- CLARINET Schumann: Fantasiestücke, op. 73, numbers 1 and 3
- BASSOON Elgar: Romance
- FRENCH HORN Saint-Saëns: Morceau de concert, op. 94
- PIANO The piano part of Beethoven: Sonata for violin and piano in G major, op.30 no.3, first movement (without repeat)
- VIOLIN Schumann: Sonata for violin and piano in A minor, op.105, first movement (without repeat)
- VIOLA Schumann: Märchenbilder, op. 113, numbers 3 and 4
- CELLO Beethoven: Sonata for cello and piano in C major, op. 102 no. 1, 'third movement' onwards (Adagio - Tempo d'Andante - Allegro)
How can I find out more about the Instrumental Award Scheme?
How can I find out more about the Instrumental Award Scheme?
More information can be found on College websites. Follow the links below:
Contact
If you still have some questions about the Scheme please contact:
Dr S J Barrett
Director of the Instrumental Awards for Chamber Music Scheme
Pembroke College
Cambridge
CB2 1RF
sjb59@cam.ac.uk