February 28-March 1, 2025
Deadline: February 20, 2025
The Spring Strings Honors Orchestra is offered at no cost to students who are invited or nominated. To nominate a student to participate, please contact Dr. Karen Becker: kbecker2@unl.edu
GKSOM Spring Strings Honors Orchestra
String teachers are invited to nominate their high school string students to participated in the thirteenth Annual Honors Spring Strings Festival hosted by the Glenn Korff School of Music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will take place on February 28-March 1, 2025 for high school students.
Our guest conductor this year is Dr. Rebecca MacLeod is past President of ASTA (American String Teachers Association) and the author of “Teaching Strings in Today’s Classroom.” She is in her first year as a distinguished member of the music education faculty at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign). Prior to her appointment at Illinois, Dr. MacLeod was Professor of Music Education at the University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG), where she directed the string education program and conducted the UNCG Sinfonia.
About Spring Strings
The Spring Strings Festival will be held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Students will work directly with UNL’s award-winning string faculty including violinist and Albany Records recording artist David Neely, Lincoln's Symphony Orchestra Principal Violist Clark Potter, cellist with the Trio Nuovo, and Concordia String Trio Dr. Karen Becker, and EMI and Innova recording artist Dr. Hans Sturm. Students attending the festival will have the opportunity to perform in the Honors String Orchestra and perform in solo masterclasses with the UNL string faculty.
Activities include:
- Breakout sessions by instrument to include technique tips, repertoire ideas, and masterclasses with the Glenn Korff School of Music's award-winning faculty.
- Chat about topics including college auditions, creative careers in music, Q&A, and more.
- Faculty recital
- String Orchestra rehearsals with Maestro Laurie Scott.
- Final Honors Spring Strings orchestra performance on Saturday afternoon at 3PM!
Applications/Festival Acceptance
To attend the Spring Strings Festival, students must either be invited or nominated by their private teacher or orchestra conductor. Students must complete the online registration form by the application deadline: February 20, 2025.
Are you interested in majoring or minoring in music? If so, check out the audition requirements for the Glenn Korff School of Music.
Schedule
Tentative Festival Schedule (subject to change)
Friday, February 28, 2025 (also an undergraduate audition day for music majors and minors entering Fall 2025) * | ||
|---|---|---|
| 9 AM | Festival Registration - Room 130 | |
| 9:30 AM | Orchestra Rehearsal – Room 130 | |
| 11 a.m. | Audition Day Recital - Room 119 | |
| NOON | Lunch Break | |
| 1 PM | Orchestra Rehearsal – WMB 130 | |
| 3:15 PM | Break | |
| 3:30 PM | Master Classes – Violins (WMB 130), Violas (WMB 104), Celli (WMB 105), Basses (WMB 109) | |
| 6:30 PM | Faculty Recital – WMB 119 | |
Saturday, March 1, 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 9 AM | Practice on your own (WMB 3rd floor) | |
| 9:30 AM | Orchestra Rehearsal – Room 130 | |
| 11 AM | College Talk – Room 130 | |
| NOON | Lunch Break | |
| 1 PM | Masterclasses – Violins (WMB 130), Violas (WMB 104), Celli (WMB 105), Basses (WMB 109) | |
| 2:15 PM | Break | |
| 2:30 PM | Orchestra rehearsal – Room 130 | |
| 3:30 PM | Orchestra concert - Room 130 | |
Faculty
- Dr. Karen Becker – Cello
- David Neely – Violin
- Clark Potter – Viola
- Dr. Hans Sturm - Bass
- Dr. Tyler White – Director of Orchestras
Questions? Contact Dr. Karen Becker, 234 Westbrook Music Building, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0100 kbecker2@unl.edu