Chamber Music

Student string quartet performing onstage in Baldwin Auditorium
Audition Information

Please fill out this form if you are interested in participating in Chamber Music. Information and a link for new students to audition will be sent prior to the next auditions. The audition will consist of one solo selection (about 5 minutes) and a short sight-reading passage.

Teaching and Rehearsal Schedule

One hour / week with faculty, to be determined individually for each chamber music group.
Two hours of rehearsal without faculty, to be determined individually for each group.

Booking a Room for Rehearsal

Use this link for Room Reservations for Rehearsals

Staying Connected

Follow Chamber Music at Duke on Instagram 
Chamber Music at Duke Videos on YouTube

Chamber Music at Duke, directed by Cellist Caroline Stinson, is a vibrant program of ca. 20 groups and 75 students spanning from Duets to Octets and open to all instruments. Groups are coached by the Ciompi Quartet, pianist Ieva Jokubaviciute, saxophonist Susan Fancher, and Faculty in Strings, Winds and Piano.

With 10 events per semester to choose from, groups perform a minimum of two times in off- and on-campus events, in masterclasses for visiting artists through Duke Arts and the Music Department, and present 2 final concerts in Baldwin Auditorium. Recent masterclasses have been led by the Imani Winds, Quatuor Danel, Rolston Quartet, Poulenc Trio, Mari Sato of the Cavani Quartet and Joel Krosnick of the Juilliard Quartet. 

Chamber Music at Duke is designed to allow advanced students to study repertoire in-depth and perform multiple times, but also to introduce instrumentalists of all levels to the joys and skills of ensemble playing. In a world more polarized than ever, chamber music builds skills in deep listening and collaboration; musicians at all levels of proficiency are encouraged to audition. 

Chamber Music at Duke can be explored through:
  1. Any ensemble of instruments one-to-a-part with no conductor; traditional or non-traditional groupings and instruments (MUS 211-2)

  2. Piano Duo: Four-hand piano repertoire includes a wide range of masterpieces spanning from Mozart to Rachmaninoff. Workshops, master classes and piano duet concerts will explore the subtleties of collaboration, balance and expressive nuances when sharing the same instrument. Coached by piano faculty as assigned. (MUS 211-2)
     
  3. Collaborative Piano (Piano Ensemble): A chamber music class addressing collaborative piano skills, giving students the chance to work with vocalists and other instrumentalists in a variety of instrumentations and genres. Students will present prepared selections with student partners for in-class coaching in a master class setting. Contact David Heid directly. (MUS 211-3)
     
  4. Improvisation Ensemble (101-5 OR MUS 211-2): No improv experience necessary. Will include thorough grounding in solo and group improvisation techniques in varied styles; with short flash performances and a final concert. Contact  Andrew Waggoner directly YouTube Playlist
     
  5. Performance-based courses (1.0 credit, except where noted):
  • Music Entrepreneurship (MUS 296S Fall) - For performers (any style, instrument/voice, soloists /chamber music ensembles) interested in learning how to get their music out into the world. Course topics include bios, promo photos, demo recordings, press releases, and websites. Students will organize and present an off-campus benefit concert as a final class project. Contact Susan Fancher directly susan.fancher@duke.edu
     
  • Meeting the World Through Chamber Music - Advanced Chamber Music Performance involves an intense focus on multiple complete works, presentation of a final recital, and the opportunity to coach at the New England Conservatory of Music over Fall Break. (MUS 398S Fall)
     
  • Sonata Duo – Art of the Performance: For instrumentalists and for pianists which includes sonata duo repertoire. Duos will be assigned at the start of the semester, and the course will offer a mix of lectures, visits by guest performers, individual coaching, discussions, and culminating in student performances. Contact Ieva Jokubaviciute and Larry Todd directly (MUS 326-S) 
     
  • Community Connections – Teaching Through Music, in collaboration with Kidznotes after-school music program and the Duke University String School (MUS 399 Spring 0.5 credit)
     
  • Reading Between the Notes – Co-taught by Professors in Performance and History, the class brings together historical and practical dimensions of 17th and 18th century music to provide holistic and dynamic engagement with music of the past; how music was conceived, heard, and felt; and experience it in practice, including with historical instruments from Duke’s collection. (MUS 399S Spring, alternating years)

Chamber Music Videos

Photo Galleries

Wave Trio performs at the Duke Arts Block Party to kickoff the 2023-2024 academic year

Wave Trio (​Jaewon Jung, violin; Sophia Urbom, viola; Jacob Egol, cello) from the Advanced Chamber Music class (MUS398S) performed the first movement of Giardini's String Trio in F Major, Op. 20 in front of the Rubenstein Arts Center on September 5, 2023.
 

The Duke University Saxophone Quartet performed on April 23, 2023, in the Duke Chapel morning worship service.

They played two movements of Bach's Italian Concerto arranged for saxophone quartet by Katsuki Tochio, and a movement from Maurice and Faustin Jeanjean's beautiful Quatuor for saxophones.

Left to right: Gavin Puckett, alto saxophone; Susan Fancher,  baritone saxophone and coach; Minjun Kwak, tenor saxophone; Eddie Chen, soprano saxophone (a graduating senior and recipient of a Ciompi chamber music award)

View the recording of the service. The quartet plays at 13:50, 1:07:55 and 1:32:40.

Advanced Chamber Music groups perform for first year students in Pegram Dorm

On September 12, 2022, two groups from Music 490S (Meeting the World Through Chamber Music) performed a concert for first year students in Pegram Dorm on East Campus. The Daphnis, Chloé et Aram Piano Trio (Aram Lindroth, piano; Joie Jamison, violin; Lauren Simmoms, cello) performed Haydn's Piano Trio No. 44 in E Major and Larkspur Quartet (Myles Bell and Lewis Zhu, violins; Alicia Yang, viola; Jacob Egol, cello) played Mozart's String Quartet No. 19.

Taught by violinist Hsiao-mei Ku, faculty in residence in Pegram Dorm, and Caroline Stinson, cellist and director of the Chamber Music Program, the advanced chamber music class has a service learning component. Later this semester, they will teach and share their love of music at KidzNotes, a Durham non-profit, music for social change program based on the El Sistema model of youth orchestras.

Chamber music master class with Attacca Quartet

On November 5, three groups of students in the Chamber Music Program participated in a virtual master class with Attacca Quartet. The students were socially-distanced in Baldwin Auditorium and interacted with the members of Attacca through Zoom. 

Jacques Quartet: Allen Zhang and Claire Li, violins; Karina Ng, viola; Jean-Luc Rabideau, cello
Dvorak: String Quartet No. 13 in G major, Op. 106: Allegro moderato

Unprecedented Quartet: Charlie Todd and Megan Rabe, violins; Steven Oh, viola; Holly Kim, cello
Smetana: String Quartet No. 1 ("From My Life”): Allegro vivo appassionato

Lamentation Trio: Jaewon Jung, violin; Lauren Simmons, cello; Crystal Chiu, piano
Dvorak: Piano Trio No. 3 in f minor, Op. 65: Allegro ma non troppo

Other students and faculty participated as online observers. The master class was presented by Duke Performances and Duke Music. (Photo Credit: Hsiao-mei Ku)

Chamber music students: October 2020

On October 20, 2020, students in the Chamber Music Program performed for their peers and faculty in the Nelson Music Room. The Ciompi Quartet also performed a short program. Chamber music students practice social-distancing and wear masks as they continue making music in small groups this semester. (Photo Credit: Hsiao-mei Ku)

Woodwind quartet's socially distanced, outdoor rehearsal

A student woodwind quartet in the Chamber Music program practices outside Baldwin Auditorium under a tent set up to give wind players the opportunity to rehearse safely together during Covid-19 social distancing.

Priscilla La and Joy Bao-Dai, flutists
Michael Wang, clarinet
Michael Manns, bassoon

(Photo Credit: Hsiao-mei Ku)

Ciompi Quartet presents socially distanced concert for students

On September 1, 2020 the Ciompi Quartet performed a socially-distanced concert outside Baldwin Auditorium to an appreciative audience of mostly first-year students in the Chamber Music program. (Photo Credit: Hsiao-mei Ku)

Chamber Music master class with Harlem Quartet

On November 15, Harlem Quartet conducted a master class for students in the Duke Chamber Music Program. Three groups performed for Harlem Quartet, receiving feedback and advice about their performance. This master class was made possible with the support of Duke Performances, which presented a concert with Harlem Quartet and Imani Winds on November 16. (Photo Credit: Brian Valentyn)

Joel Krosnick Cello Master class 2019

Joel Krosnick (Cellist, Juilliard Quartet 1974-2016) conducted a cello master class on November 8, 2019 in Bone Hall in the Mary Duke Biddle Music Building. Three Duke student cellists participated: Holly Kim, Justin Koga, and Caroline Wang.

Joel Krosnick has performed the great quartet literature throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, and recorded it for the Sony Classical, Wergo, and CRI labels. He has also performed as a soloist and recitalist around the world. In 2011, as a member of the Juilliard String Quartet, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. (Photo Credit: Rodrigo Dorfman)

Joel Krosnick Chamber Music Master class 2019

Joel Krosnick (Cellist, Juilliard Quartet 1974-2016) conducted a chamber music master class on November 7, 2019. Three groups in the Chamber Music program participated:

  • Onomenos Quartet (Megan Rabe and Riya Shankar, violins; Charles Zhang, viola; Bryan Tong, cello)
  • Stretto Quartet (Neha Vangipurapu and Joie Jamison, violins; Gabrielle Lee, viola; Lauren Simmons, cello)
  • Quarlitté (Haoyang Yu and Ann Chang, violins; Celina Zhou, viola; Prateek Khandelwal, cello)

Joel Krosnick has performed the great quartet literature throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, and recorded it for the Sony Classical, Wergo, and CRI labels. He has also performed as a soloist and recitalist around the world. In 2011, as a member of the Juilliard String Quartet, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. (Photo Credit: Rodrigo Dorfman)

Concert at The Forest at Duke

On Monday, October 28, 2019, students in the Chamber Music program performed at The Forest at Duke, a retirement community near campus. (Photo Credit: Caroline Stinson)

An afternoon of chamber music at the home of Michael and Elizabeth Schoenfeld

(Photo Credit: Michael Schoenfeld and Andrew Waggoner)