Senior Summer Chamber Music Academy
July 13 - August 3, 2025

Strings and Piano, Ages 13-19

Since 1987, Music at Port Milford has offered an immersive chamber music program for dedicated music students in historic Prince Edward County, Ontario. Students, who are admitted by audition, work together to produce weekly performances of chamber, orchestral and choral works. MPM’s outstanding faculty and resident ensembles serve as both coaches and mentors.

While putting together weekly performances, students work cooperatively and form lifelong friendships. The summer school is located on an historic thirty-five acre farm overlooking South Bay. The students are housed in charming cabins, complete with front porches and lake views.

"Without the home you provided me the experience would not have been nearly as great. By 'home' I don't mean just the wonderful house you shared, but more importantly, the comfort and warmth that I always felt." Student, age 17

Chamber Music

It was the founders’ great love of string quartet playing and their many happy years as students and teachers in summer music programs that led to the creation of MPM. As such, chamber music is at the heart of our program. Each student is assigned to a chamber group based on their experience and age. Groups are coached daily by MPM’s artist faculty, practice rehearsal skills by working independently, and perform at the end of each week.

Faculty Artists

Each week features a new group of outstanding teaching faculty. Faculty artists serve as coaches, mentors, and private teachers, and perform in MPM’s celebrated Artist Chamber Music Series. A bus ride and ticket to each concert is included in student tuition.

Individual Lessons

Each student receives weekly individual instruction with an assigned teacher, focusing on MPM chamber music repertoire. Our high student/teacher ratio optimizes opportunities for additional individual attention.

UNPLUGGED

Students and artist faculty are immersed in community and music-making without distraction, keeping their phones and tablets inside the main farmhouse. After dinner, students are free to stop by the house to check in with loved ones, but are otherwise present with their MPM collaborators. Students are encouraged to pack watches, tuners, metronomes, and alarm clocks for daily use.

Performances and Special Events

Each week culminates in a Saturday evening artist faculty performance, and a Sunday afternoon student performance, including chamber groups, orchestra, chorus, and madrigals. In addition, students participate in an annual “Port Milford Takes to the Streets” event. Student chamber ensembles play for shoppers along Main Street, Picton, reaching community members who may not otherwise get out to the MPM performances.

Chamber Orchestra

The chamber orchestra (all string players) rehearses each morning and performs weekly. Reading skills are emphasized. Repertoire spans from the Baroque Period to the present day.

singing

Everyone sings in the MPM chorus, which meets daily. Singing, besides being great fun, is one of the best ways to learn sight-reading and pitch-discrimination. We sing challenging rounds, folk songs, and 3-4 part motets and cantatas. Joining the Madrigal Singers group in the afternoon is an option for students who are strong readers and wish to sing more each day.

Recreation

Prior to breakfast, counselors are available to lead group runs, polar bear swims and yoga stretches. Afternoon recreation time allows for a bit of relaxation with swimming (certified lifeguard on duty at all times), pick up soccer games, frisbee, chess, reading in the hammock, and chatting with friends. On non-performance nights, evenings are set aside for movies, jam sessions, the famous MPM dances on the deck, and campfires on the shore of South Bay. Weeks 2 and 3 include a field trip to a Prince Edward County beach.

Typical Day

8:00 Breakfast
8:45 Chamber orchestra
10:15 Chamber coaching or individual practice
11:15 Snack break
11:30 Chamber coaching or individual practice
12:45 Lunch
1:30 Quiet time
2:15 Private Lessons, optional madrigal singing, and chamber rehearsals
3:30 Recreation time (Waterfront open)
5:00 Individual practice or Chamber rehearsals
5:45 Dinner
6:45 Chorus
8:00 Evening Activity

Facilities

Students are housed with their counselors in cabins and the converted 1800’s barn overlooking South Bay. All classes are held in the house and adjacent farm buildings. Our big country kitchen produces a variety of fine meals which we eat together on our wooden deck with a lovely view of the water. Click here for a walk-through video of campus.

Meals

Meals are prepared by a team of culinary professionals in our beautiful country kitchen. Each meal is eaten outside on the deck, overlooking Lake Ontario. Vegetarian options are available at every meal, and other dietary restrictions can be accommodated.