Students are housed at the charming French owned, Hotel St. Bernard in Taos Ski Valley. Located at 9600 ft (2900 m), the hotel is surrounded by beautiful forests and meadows making it an ideal setting for the school.
Closed to visitors, this quaint hotel is exclusive to the students and provides guest rooms, restaurant, rehearsal studios and a gathering area as well as the perfect intimate setting for some of the performances. Students fall in love with this wonderful lodge and form lasting friendships with the owner and staff.
Housing and Meals
Students are housed either in a single or double room at the hotel. Preference for single rooms is given to students returning for their second summer. Next preference goes to older students. Piano students will always be housed in a double room.
Meals are a highlight of the school and are often what the students enthusiastically talk about after they leave. The hotel’s French chefs take great care to make extraordinary food for the students and faculty on a daily basis. Meal times are a special time for students and faculty to gather and enjoy each other’s company.
School Format
Taos is unusual because music is not preassigned prior to student’s arrival. On day one, groups are formed usually consisting of three string quartets, one piano trio and one piano quartet. The faculty then chooses the repertoire, works unfamiliar to the musicians, with performances taking place 12 to 13 days later.
All string players play in a piano group and all violinists play both first and second violin. Groups are shuffled so no two people play together more than twice. Students perform four separate concerts every two weeks with Mondays being a day of rest allowing students to explore the mountains or the historic town of Taos.
Typical Daily Schedule
Breakfast
8am – 9am
Personal Practice
9am – 10am
Rehearsal / Coaching
10am -12pm
Lunch
12:15pm – 1pm
Rehearsal / Coaching
1:30pm – 3:30pm
Rehearsal / Coaching
4pm – 6pm
Dinner
6:15pm – 7pm
Daily schedules are flexible and each group sets a schedule that works for them and their coach. This may vary day to day. They are also able to schedule free time to get out and enjoy the mountains.
Evenings are often spent sight reading from the school’s extensive music library.
Off Time
Taos Ski Valley has a myriad of hiking trails. The tallest peak in New Mexico at 13,161 feet is located at Taos Ski Valley and is one of the more popular hikes. In addition to incredible hiking, there is a slew of amazing wildlife from the smallest mammals and birds to more exciting wildlife such as bighorn sheep and black bears.
Ideal student If you’re looking for a small, remote setting to study chamber music for eight weeks then Taos is the place for you.
Breakfast
8am – 9am
Personal Practice
9am – 10am
Rehearsal / Coaching
10am -12pm
Lunch
12:15pm – 1pm
Rehearsal / Coaching
1:30pm – 3:30pm
Rehearsal / Coaching
4pm – 6pm
Dinner
6:15pm – 7pm
Daily schedules are flexible and each group sets a schedule that works for them and their coach. This may vary day to day. They are also able to schedule free time to get out and enjoy the mountains.
Evenings are often spent sight reading from the school’s extensive music library.
Off Time
Taos Ski Valley has a myriad of hiking trails. The tallest peak in New Mexico at 13,161 feet is located at Taos Ski Valley and is one of the more popular hikes. In addition to incredible hiking, there is a slew of amazing wildlife from the smallest mammals and birds to more exciting wildlife such as bighorn sheep and black bears.
Ideal Student If you’re looking for a small, remote setting to study chamber music for eight weeks then Taos is the place for you.
“My time at Taos was truly a life changing experience. The extraordinarily high level of music-making and the intimacy of the environment inspired tremendous growth in me, both as a musician and as a person. In my career now, not a day goes by where I don’t draw upon the knowledge and wisdom gained from my two summers there. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Robert Anemone
Violinist with the Larchmere String Quartet • Concertmaster of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra • Artist-in-residence at the University of Evansville
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Take advantage of discounted early bird fee! Submit your application before January 4, 2020.
