2019 marked the 10-year anniversary of the PRIZM Music Camp and International Chamber Music Festival! For 10 years, this one-of-a-kind event has provided youth across Memphis and throughout the Mid-South access to high-quality music education – regardless of race, gender or socioeconomic status. As we began planning for this year, we knew this camp and festival would be our biggest yet, so we wanted to do something special.

This was the first year PRIZM hosted an artist-in-residence. We were thrilled to have Harlem Quartet as our inaugural group. The ensemble served as the strings faculty during Week 2 of the camp, and they performed a special concert with an eclectic repertoire, from Brahms to Dizzy Gillespie. Founded in 2006 with a mission to advance diversity in classical music while engaging new audiences with varied repertoire, the Harlem Quartet was a natural fit into PRIZM’s lineup of world-renowned artists and musicians. 

This year’s camp had 65 students ages 12 and up from 29 different schools and one university throughout the Greater Memphis Area. These students dove into extensive workshops on audience etiquette, audition preparation, and music arranging in between practicing and rehearsing for the concert performances. Collaborating with their peers in chamber groups and full orchestras, our students were afforded the opportunity to perform alongside faculty members who served as mentors for the week.

Throughout our two weeks of concerts, 1,285 attendees were treated to a variety of different compositions. From Waltz from Sleeping Beauty by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to Quintet in d minor, Op. 20, no. 4 Fugue by Luigi Boccherini, our students showcased the week’s worth of hard work and determination.

Be on the lookout in the coming weeks as we begin planning for next year’s festival!