Honors Chamber Ensembles

Chamber Music at the Highest Level

Honors Chamber Ensembles

Applications Are Open

Honors Chamber Ensemble Application 2026-27

Honors Chamber Ensembles

EYSO’s Honors Chamber Ensembles (HCE) offer advanced high school and college-aged musicians the opportunity to perform chamber music at the highest artistic level.

As premier honors ensembles within the Chamber Music Institute (CMI), HCE musicians collaborate closely with distinguished professional artist-educators and chamber music coaches while representing the highest level of chamber music achievement at EYSO.

Current Honors Chamber Ensembles include:

Maud Powell String Quartet
Hanson String Quartet
Sterling Brass Quintet
Earl Clemens Wind Quintet

These flagship ensembles serve as ambassadors of both CMI and EYSO, maintaining active, high-profile performance schedules that include mainstage concerts, community engagements, and special events.

Participation is designed for students ready to engage in a rigorous, collaborative, and pre-professional chamber music environment.

Schedule

HCE participation runs concurrently with the Youth Symphony season August through May.

Because chamber music depends on consistency and collaboration, students should expect a meaningful weekly commitment in addition to their Youth Symphony responsibilities.

Weekly Components
Students participate in three core components each week:

• Independent Ensemble Rehearsal — Ensembles rehearse weekly to prepare repertoire, refine ensemble communication, and implement coaching feedback.
• Faculty Coaching Session — Each ensemble receives an extended weekly coaching with their primary artist-coach, focusing on interpretation, rehearsal technique, and professional chamber music practices.
• Individual Practice & Preparation — Members are expected to arrive fully prepared, having thoroughly learned and refined their parts in advance.

Additional Commitments

• Youth Symphony weekly rehearsals
• Dress rehearsals prior to concerts
• Fall Camp participation
• Chamber Music Institute concerts
• Ambassador and community performances

Detailed calendars are provided prior to the start of the season.

View the Full Season Calendar

Audition for An Honors Chamber Ensembles

Ready to take your chamber music experience to the highest level?

Apply to audition for EYSO’s Honors Chamber Ensembles and join a community of dedicated, advanced musicians committed to collaboration, artistry, and performance excellence.

Submit Your Application for the 2026-2027 Season

Audition Info

Admission to Honors Chamber Ensembles is highly selective and open exclusively to Youth Symphony members, including students accepted into Youth Symphony for the upcoming season. Students must re-audition annually for placement.

HCE APPLICATION PROCESS

Step 1 — Youth Symphony Eligibility
If you are not already a Youth Symphony member, complete the Youth Symphony audition application.
(Students who have already applied for the upcoming season do not need to reapply.)

Step 2 — HCE Application
All applicants must complete the dedicated Honors Chamber Ensemble Application.

The application includes:
• Summer and school-year schedule review
• Short essay responses
• Optional résumé
• Optional reference letter

Estimated completion time: 30–60 minutes. Applicants are encouraged to draft longer responses offline before submitting.

Application Deadline: Sunday, June 7 at 11:59 PM

Auditions & Interviews

Audition Dates: June 9 & 11, 2026

Auditions include:
• Same playing requirements as Youth Symphony auditions
• Brief interview component

Interview times are scheduled after application submission.

Ensembles are formed through a comprehensive evaluation of musicianship, preparation, artistic maturity, and collaborative readiness.

Apply for an HCE

Community Engagement
& Donor Events

Community Engagement Events
Honors Chamber Ensembles perform at select community events throughout the season, bringing chamber music into intimate and meaningful spaces. These performances may include outreach concerts, educational collaborations, and special appearances designed to share the impact of EYSO beyond the concert hall.

Through these events, students develop confidence, adaptability, and a deeper understanding of music’s role in strengthening community connection.

Donor & Sponsor Recognition Events
As premier ensembles within EYSO, HCE groups are occasionally invited to perform at donor and sponsor recognition events. These performances celebrate the individuals and organizations whose generosity makes tuition-free chamber music training possible.

Students gain valuable experience performing in professional settings while representing EYSO’s highest artistic standards.

Interested in booking an Honors Chamber Ensemble?

Community performances are a core part of the Honors Chamber Ensemble experience. HCEs regularly perform at community events, nonprofit functions, senior centers, schools, and more.

Learn More

Email office@eyso.org for more information!

Tuition Information

All Honors Chamber Ensembles are tuition-free.

Through the generosity of dedicated sponsors, EYSO is able to provide this advanced chamber music training without additional cost to participating students.

Accepted musicians receive:
• Weekly professional coaching
• Performance opportunities
• Ambassador engagements
• Program resources and ensemble materials
• Mentorship from leading professional musicians

This sponsorship model ensures that financial barriers do not limit access to high-level chamber music training.

Frequently Asked Questions

1Who is eligible to apply?

Only current Youth Symphony members and students accepted into Youth Symphony for the upcoming season may apply.

2How many students are accepted?

HCE ensembles are intentionally small to preserve the integrity of the chamber music experience. Placement varies based on instrumentation needs and ensemble balance each year.

3What is the tuition?

The cost of being in an HCE is completely covered through generous sponsors. HCE students receive all the music, equipment, and coachings for free. The only cost to the student is travel. Students are responsible for Youth Symphony tuition, with payment plans and need-based tuition assistance available upon request.

4What does the time commitment look like?

The HCE retreat kicks off the year in August one week before Fall Camp (6 hours on a Saturday, followed by dinner). HCEs rehearse twice a week for 90 minutes, once with a coach and once on their own. Each Sunday will have a 15-minute business meeting with Anaka to discuss upcoming and pertinent information. They play through the holidays in November and December and continue after the season ends, through June (and potentially some summer gigs as well). All in addition to Youth Symphony commitments, gigs

5Where are the rehearsals held?

On Sundays, HCEs rehearse at ECC, or if they have a guest coach, they may travel to that coach’s area. During the week, they rehearse at one of the group member’s houses for the self-led rehearsal. Midweek coachings may take place at ECC or at a venue agreed upon with the coach.

6I heard there are performance opportunities. When are they and what do they look like?

EYSO’s community partners can request an HCE for their events. Gigs happen around once a month. We have played at ECC graduations, community performances, background music for dinners, and many more events! HCEs perform at both CMI concerts and get the chance to play in the Blizzard for large ensemble concerts in November, March, and May. Anaka will coordinate among the HCEs their availability and schedule with the venue.

7I am very busy with schoolwork and extra curriculars. Will I have time to be in an HCE?

You might be surprised with how busy all our HCE students are! We have many high achieving students with different interests, specialties, and priorities. We maintain that the HCE is the #1 priority outside of school, but students each and every year find a balance that works for them.

8How will keeping track of my HCE commitments work?

At the HCE retreat, students will receive an eyso.org email address that comes with Outlook & Outlook’s calendar. Students are expected to keep on top of emails and make use of the calendar. Some students use the Outlook calendar, some share it to their personal calendar, some copy it onto paper. We give out the resources and it’s each individual student’s responsibility make it work.

9How is repertoire chosen?

Each student will work with their group and coach to choose repertoire. The HCE coaches will choose the piece to start with, and then it’s largely up to you! Part of the joy of being in an HCE is the agency to choose what repertoire to study. Whether Beethoven, Price, or a new composer, as long as your coach agrees it’s an appropriate piece, you’ll get to learn it.

10When are auditions and what do I need to prepare?

Auditions are on June 9 and 11, 2026 at ECC. Auditions are on June 9 and 11, 2026 at Elgin Community College (ECC). You will use your Youth Symphony audition materials — there is no need to learn new repertoire. To be considered, please complete the Honors Chamber Ensemble Application prior to your audition date.

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