Scholarships for STRINGWOOD students

The Stringwood Summer Chamber Music Festival is an intensive, transformative 16-day summer music residency designed for passionate young string musicians ages 12–25 coming from Artaria's ACMS program, greater Minnesota, and as far away as Hawaii. Co-founded in 2001 by the Twin Cities-based Artaria String Quartet, the festival provides an immersive environment where young violinists, violists, and cellists learn the intricacies of small-ensemble playing. The next session is scheduled for August 7–22, 2027, with a comprehensive tuition of $3,000 that covers all instruction, housing, and meals. To support traveling participants, Stringwood provides an Airline Voucher Program for students with financial need and guarantees free airport pickup from both the Minneapolis–St. Paul (MSP) and Rochester (RST) airports. This specialized transport, which utilizes faculty SUVs, is essential for safely shuttling incoming students alongside their luggage and bulky instruments like cellos.

The festival operates with a unique philosophy where music and nature thrive side by side, hosting its residency at the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center in Lanesboro, Minnesota. Nestled amidst 250 acres of pristine hardwood forests and dramatic limestone bluffs, the daily routine is carefully structured to balance high-level musical study with outdoor recreation. Mornings are dedicated to intensive private lessons, personal practice, and chamber coachings led by the Artaria String Quartet and distinguished international faculty. In the afternoons, students trade their bows for outdoor adventures, participating in high-ropes courses, canoeing on the Root River, or biking the scenic Root River Trail.

Stringwood is also deeply integrated into the local culture, with a strong focus on community impact and performance experience. In addition to professional faculty showcases, the young artists embark on regional tours to perform at local churches, coffee shops, and concert halls across Southeast Minnesota and Northeast Iowa. These annual community concerts and student recitals are hosted in intimate venues such as the Sons of Norway Lodge in Lanesboro and at beloved composer Antonin Dvorak's 1893 summer home in Spillville, IA. Aspiring participants can apply via the Stringwood Acceptd Portal, which requires a letter of recommendation from a private instructor to complete the process.