Piano League is happy to announce the Luzerne Music Center, a prestigious summer music camp in Lake Luzerne, NY, USA, will be sponsoring over $12,000 in scholarships for the 2023 Piano Star International Competition.
Distributed in three separate awards, the scholarships include room and board for four- and two-week scholarships to Luzerne’s 2024 summer camp – the applicable competition groups and specifications of award breakdowns can be found here.
“We are thrilled to once again be partnering with Piano League as a scholarship sponsor for their 2023 Piano Star Competition! We loved having Piano League students participate in both our Junior and Senior Session last summer,” says Emily Dobmeier, Vice President of Operations and Artistic Planning at Luzerne Music Center. “We are excited to continue to fulfill our shared mission with Piano League – to provide musical enrichment to students of all backgrounds, from countries all around the world.”
About Luzerne
Founded in 1980 by Philadelphia Orchestra cellist Bert Phillips and Steinway pianist Toby Blumenthal, Luzerne Music Center aims to provide world-class music instruction for gifted young musicians in a summer camp environment regardless of their financial circumstance. Musicians ages 9 to 18 come from all over the world to train at LMC’s campus located in the foothills of New York’s Adirondack Park.
At LMC, we pride ourselves on creating an environment that blends a high-intensity music festival with that of a traditional summer camp. We value courage and resilience, empathy and compassion. We value teamwork and we value kindness. We value diversity. We believe in supporting and uplifting others.
The 20-acre wooded campus consists of recreational facilities, student cabins, a charming Adirondack performance lodge, an outdoor performance shed, practice buildings, dining hall and a natural sandy beachfront on Lake Luzerne.
“[My daughter’s] work with the world-class faculty, especially her piano instructor, elevated her performance to a whole new level. She had a multitude of opportunities to perform in solo recitals, chamber ensemble concerts, and even as a featured concerto soloist with the LMC Orchestra. The natural camp setting was secluded but beautiful, and it allowed her to focus on all the rewarding musical challenges she faced.” – Mario Ajero, ’21, ’22, ’23 LMC parent
Classes and faculty
At LMC, piano students receive weekly private lessons and participate in daily piano topics classes. In addition, they also participate in choice-based elective classes on a wide variety of music topics and are assigned chamber ensembles that receive daily coachings. Optional lessons are also available in composition, conducting, voice, jazz, and secondary instruments.
Led by our team of piano faculty members, the piano program at LMC is regarded for both the personal attention provided by our faculty members, as well as an enriching group experience.
LMC piano faculty include:
- Emiko Edwards (Junior Session)
- Marko Stuparevic (Junior Session & Senior Session)
- Anikó Szokody (Senior Session)
In addition to our full-time faculty, Luzerne Music Center invites guest artists from around the world to perform for and teach our students. Distinguished guest composers and musicians have included Leonard Slatkin, Midori, George Crumb, John Corigliano, and Joan Tower. During the session, students also enjoy visits to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center featuring performances by Opera Saratoga, the New York City Ballet, and the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Performance opportunities
Our students perform on and off campus throughout the summer, with many of our concerts open to the public and livestreamed. While at LMC, students have the opportunity to perform as soloists and in duos through our weekly Piano Prelude concerts. We also offer audition-based solo opportunities as well, including a concerto competition during each four-week session.
“The use of chamber music and weekly concerts pushed me to constantly break new limits and challenge myself with repertoire I never would have thought I could learn in a week.” – 2021 LMC student
Camp life
While training at Luzerne Music Center, you will have the opportunity to take in the great outdoors of New York’s Adirondack Park. LMC offers daily recreational activities and our private beachfront gives students a place to swim, kayak, canoe, and paddleboard.
Matched with peers of similar age, students stay in new wooden cabins equipped with bunk beds, electricity, storage shelves, bathrooms, and air conditioning. Counselors live in a room within the camper cabin and work around the clock to keep steady supervision at all times.
This year’s camp
Information on LMC’s 2024 summer program date and the application process can be found below:
Applications open: October 1-March 15
Official website: www.luzernemusic.org
Application fee: $50 for early applicants who apply by January 1; $80 regular application fee after this date
Audition information: www.luzernemusic.org/admissions
Contact email: in**@lu**********.org
Contact phone: (518) 696-2771
2024 program dates:
Junior Session (ages 9-15): Sunday, June 23 – Friday, July 19
Junior A: Sunday, June 23 – Saturday, July 6
Junior B: Sunday, July 7 – Friday, July 19
Senior Session (ages 13-18): Monday, July 23 – Sunday, August 18
Location: 203 Lake Tour Rd. Lake Luzerne, NY 12846
