Mason High School Summer Strings Institute
Ages 13-18
Overview
The Mason High School Summer Strings Institute is a week-long intensive for advanced high school violin, viola, cello, and bass players. Participants will have the opportunity to work with faculty from the Dewberry School of Music at George Mason University. Activities will focus on developing musicianship and communication skills that are necessary for small and large ensemble participation. The Institute Orchestra and all chamber ensembles will present a final concert at the end of the week.
Sample Schedule
9:00 – 9:15 Welcome and announcements
9:15 – 10:45 Orchestra rehearsal
11:00 – 12:00 Chamber ensemble 1
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 1:30 Sight reading
1:40 – 2:40 Chamber ensemble 2
2:50 – 3:50 Orchestra rehearsal
3:50 – 4:00 Dismissal
(Participants may elect to take a private lesson during camp week.)
Ages: 13-18 (rising 9th through 12th grade)
Dates: June 26 – June 30, 2023
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Final Showcase: Friday, June 30 at 2:15 pm in Harris Theater
Tuition: $595
Location: Mason Fairfax Campus, de Laski Performing Arts Building
Audition Required
Students must submit 1 audition video performing 3-octave C major scale (2-octaves for double bass), 3-octave d minor scale (2-octaves for double bass), and 2 contrasting excerpts from solo repertoire that best demonstrate your ability (no longer than 5 minutes total). Please make sure both hands are visible at all times.
Application Deadline is May 15, 2023. All Admission Decisions will be sent by May 20, 2023.
Covid Safety Information
- Mason Community Arts Academy follows all safety protocols required by George Mason University. Visit our COVID Safety Guidelines for more information.
- Mask & PPE Requirements—Masks are optional, but strongly recommended, for students and faculty in all programming. *See University Policy on Face Coverings for full details.
- George Mason Offers Covid Vaccine Appointments
Program Faculty
June Huang
Director
Mason Dewberry School of Music Professor
Prof. June Huang is the Director of Strings and Assistant Professor of Violin at the Dewberry School of Music. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in applied violin, chamber music, pedagogy, and string methods. Prof. Huang has a Master of Arts from the University of California at Santa Barbara where she was a member of the Young Artist String Quartet. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory and attended the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music as an undergraduate. Prof. Huang studied at the Meadowmount School of Music, Aspen Music Festival, Banff Centre for the Arts, and Kneisel Hall. Her primary teachers include Stephen Clapp and Ronald Copes.
Prof. Huang has performed with the National Philharmonic, Harrisburg Symphony, Richmond Symphony, Wolf Trap Orchestra, Washington Ballet Orchestra, and Amadeus Orchestra. She is a frequent chamber music collaborator and has appeared at the Staunton Music Festival, Red Lodge Music Festival, and Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia. A specialist on the baroque violin, Ms. Huang plays and records with Opera Lafayette, Four Nations, and REBEL Baroque Orchestra. Leadership positions have included concertmaster of the Washington Bach Consort and the Washington National Cathedral Baroque Orchestra.
Prof. Huang is certified by the Suzuki Association of the America and is a member of the initial cohort of Communicating Honor for Diversity. As a grant recipient from the Levine School of Music, she visited Matsumoto and studied violin pedagogy with Dr. Suzuki. Prof. Huang is an active clinician and was the Founder and Director of String Camp and Strings Plus at Levine Music in Washington DC for 27 seasons. She currently directs the Mason Community Arts Academy Strings Camp and High School String Intensive.
Professor Huang is a member of the Editorial Committee of the American String Teachers Association and a presenter at the ASTA National Conference for 2022 and 2023. Additionally, she will perform and present at the Midwest Clinic and at the state conferences of the Virginia Music Teachers Association and the Virginia Music Educators Association this season. Prof. Huang is studying the intersection of music education and citizenship, and she intends to complete a Masters Certificate in Contemporary Dispute Resolution at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution next May.
Term Assistant Professor of Music
- Director of Strings
- Applied Violin
- String Pedagogy
- Chamber Music
Degrees
- MA, Music Performance, University of California at Santa Barbara
- BM, Music, Oberlin Conservatory
Dr. Soo Han
Co-Director/Orchestra Conductor
Director of Orchestral Studies, Dewberry School of Music, CVPA
Dr. Soo Han is the newly appointed Director of Orchestral Studies at the Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music at George Mason University. He is also the Music Director of the Elkhart County Symphony Orchestra and a member of the Board of Directors of the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. In addition, he is a contributing editor for Hal Leonard’s Essential Elements for Strings, a D’Addario Orchestral Strings Artist, a Conn-Selmer Educational Clinician, and a program coordinator/faculty member with the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s summer Youth Orchestra program.
Prior to his appointment at George Mason University, Dr. Han served as the Director of Orchestral Studies at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music in Berea, Ohio. He conducted the Baldwin Wallace (BW) Symphony Orchestra, the BW Opera Theatre, and led a successful performance tour with the BW Symphony Orchestra in addition to maintaining an active conducting studio.
An active conductor, Dr. Soo Han has appeared with professional orchestras throughout the country in addition to directing university orchestras. He is a frequent conductor for All-State, Regional, and Honor Orchestras throughout the U.S., appearing in over 30 states. He has also conducted internationally with orchestras in Austria, China, Thailand, and Australia. Dr. Han has collaborated with numerous artists, groups, and conductors such as Lynn Harrell, David Kim, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He has produced multiple recordings of complete symphonies and has premiered several commissioned works for strings and full orchestras. He has presented workshops and clinics internationally and for national and state music conferences including the Australian String Teachers Conference, Maryborough National Australia Conference, Midwest Clinic, American String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Conference, NAfME National Conference, and the Ohio University Summer String Teacher Workshop.
Dr. Soo Han is a co-author, contributor, and managing editor for Teaching Music through Performance in Orchestra, Vol. 4, one of the leading orchestra pedagogical resources published by GIA. He is the past president of the Indiana chapter of the American String Teachers Association; the Indiana chapter was awarded the ‘Most Improved Chapter’ during his time as president. Having taught music in public schools for fifteen years, he is a passionate supporter of public school music programs and continues to remain active in instrumental classrooms throughout the country.
Dr. Soo Han received his Bachelor of Instrumental Music Education degree from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and studied piano with Edward Auer. He received his Master of Science in Education from Indiana University School of Education, and his Doctorate in Orchestral Conducting from the Michigan State University – College of Music where he studied with Kevin Noe.
Associate Professor of Music
- Director of Orchestral Studies
Degrees
- B.M. Instrumental Music Education, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
- M.S. Education, Indiana University School of Education
- D.M.A., Orchestral Conducting, Michigan State University
Notes
- Please note that group classes are subject to cancellation if minimum enrollment is not reached.
- Be sure to check our policies and procedures regarding registration, withdrawals, refunds, and more for summer group classes.
- All students will receive a Welcome Letter via email at least 1 week before the class starts with all necessary details.
- Online registration closes 2 business days before the first class, however space may still be available. Please contact academy@gmu.edu for more information. A $10 late registration fee may apply.
- For additional information, please contact the Academy at academy@gmu.edu.
