Chamber Music Camp
August 18 to August 22, 2025
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
This chamber music camp promises to be a rewarding experience for those seeking to elevate their chamber music skills and explore performing in smaller ensembles. The program welcomes musicians of all instruments. Participants will be grouped into instrumental duos, trios, and/or quartets. Repertoire will align with RCM Level 5 and Suzuki Book 5 proficiency. Repertoire will be assigned based on instrument and level, and will be distributed to participants in advance of the program start date.
Under the guidance of seasoned instructors, students will refine their ensemble techniques and collaborative skills. Daily activities will feature sectional coachings, masterclasses, rehearsal time, and daily enrichment activities. Enrichment topics will include music theory, piano basics, effective practice techniques, leadership skills for section leads, non-verbal communication, and body awareness. The week will conclude with a pizza party lunch on Friday and a final performance for family and friends on Friday afternoon. Any questions regarding required skill level can be directed to Joy Schuster.
Camp programming will run from 9:00am to 4:00pm each day. Students will have the opportunity to book a private lesson between the hours of 4:00 and 5:00pm. Students may be dropped off early between 8:30am and 9:00am, and picked up between the hours of 4:00pm and 5:00pm. Participants must bring their own snacks, water bottle, and lunch each day.
The deadline to register for Chamber Intensive is Monday, June 30, 2025.
Cost: $395
To inquire about financial assistance, please email office@gymc.ca
Lead Instructors
Joy Schuster
Joy Schuster graduated, with honours, from Michigan State University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Music Education. Joy then went on to teach in the beautiful state of Maine where she was a full time ‘String Specialist” in grades 3-8. In 1989, after immigrating to Canada, she taught with the Hamilton School board and the Hamilton Suzuki String School of Music. Joy also played with the Niagara Symphony during her years in Hamilton. In 1993, Joy moved to Denver, Colorado where she completed a Master of Arts in Suzuki Pedagogy and played with quartet L’Inverno and the Lamont School of Music Symphony Orchestra. In 1996, Joy moved back to her hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan where she taught with the Grand Rapids Community College Suzuki Program and started and directed a Music Together Program. In 2000, Joy moved back to Canada and began teaching at the Guelph Suzuki String School. In 2019, Joy was appointed conductor of the Guelph Youth Music Center String Orchestras. In 2023, Joy received the Bernice Adams Memorial Award for her contributions to the artistic and cultural life of Cambridge. Most recently, Joy was a recipient of the King Charles the III, Coronation Medal for the City of Guelph. Joy’s remarkable contributions to Canada can be heard in the music of our community and beyond.
Margaret Zak
Margaret is Assistant Concert Master with the Guelph Symphony Orchestra, and a principle violin with the University of Guelph Choir and chamber orchestra. Margaret has taught violin and piano to students of all ages at the Guelph School of Music since its founding in 1997. Margaret has a Masters in the Musical Arts and Pedagogy with a specialization in the violin and piano from the University of Wroclaw, Poland. Over the years, Margaret has worked professionally with various orchestras in Poland, Switzerland, Germany, and Russia. She was recently a member of the Kitchener Waterloo Chamber Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra of Nations. Her teaching philosophy involves a living relationship of give-and-take, and of mutual support and learning. To Margaret, music is an amazing blend of discipline and imagination brought to life by the strings of the violin and the keys of the piano.
Guest Instructors
Body Mapping with Kimberly Barber
In demand as a guest lecturer, panellist, consultant and pedagogue, Canadian mezzo-soprano Kimberly Barber gives master classes and workshops around the world at universities, conservatories and Young Artist Programs. Professor of Voice at Wilfrid Laurier University since 2002, she is Administrative Coordinator for their Opera Program, and was appointed Associate Dean, External for Laurier’s Faculty of Music in July 2017. Her research interests are centred on the Art of Practice and effective use of the body in vocal pedagogy. Licensed as a Body Mapping Educator® since 2015, she teaches Body Mapping for Musicians in workshop settings, privately, and as a cornerstone of her pedagogical model in the voice studio. Her Body Mapping teaching is tailored to all musicians and she presents regularly for pianists, orchestral musicians and conductors as well as singers and other voice users.
Acting Improv with The Acting Centre
Founded in 2011, The Acting Center is a premier studio offering performance classes in film, television and stage. Children and teen classes study technique in a safe and fun environment. From the Beginner looking to bolster confidence through public speech and performance to the Professional looking to hone their auditions skills, there is something for everyone at The Acting Center!
