Education
THE DEL SOL LEARNING PROJECT
Cultivating Curiosity & Joy Through Hands-On Engagement in the Artistic Process
We believe by bringing people into the artistic process - regardless of age or background - we create community, share joy, and deepen an understanding of art.
We conduct a variety of activities for all ages - from short residencies at institutions, master classes, quartet programs, lectures, concerts, coaching and collaborations with faculty and new music festivals at universities and schools throughout the United States.
Download offerings from the Del Sol Learning Project
Residencies & Lectures
University residencies give Del Sol the opportunity to introduce new audiences to our repertoire, share our knowledge as performers, and interact with young musicians. We enjoy tailoring our university residencies into individualized programs, based on the interested and needs of students and faculty. Activities range from lectures on just intonation to student composer readings to collaborating with the school jazz band using Braxton improv principles.
We have served as faculty, artists-in-residence and visiting artists at music festivals, symposia, and educational institutions. Del Sol regularly invites its audiences to pre-concert lectures, explaining and illuminating the music being performed. The Quartet’s Home Season concert series always includes additional, free outreach events at local schools or other public venues.
Chamberfest
ChamberFest is an exciting, intensive weekend chamber music workshop for adult non-professional string players. Held in the intimate setting of an Ashbury Heights residence in San Francisco, this dynamic program features two days of hands-on coaching by the Del Sol String Quartet.
Composer Incubator
The Del Sol Composer Incubator offers early and mid-career composers the chance to work in-depth with Del Sol over the course of 6 months on unique musical projects. By providing ample collaborative time, the quartet will work with these composers to think critically about the role of activism, performance venue and formats, and push beyond their comfort zones more while writing a work for string quartet.
K-12 School Programs
Del Sol maintains its commitment to education and outreach through a variety of programs offered to elementary, middle, and high schools, both public and private.
Past Programs
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Del Sol’s unique QuartetFest program is a nationally regarded model for coaching of young string players in chamber music performance. As one of the Bay Area’s premier training workshops offered to serious young musicians, QuartetFest has served hundreds of students, ages 11-18, in the last 20 years. The program provides a superb opportunity for young string players to immerse themselves in the art of rehearsal and performance of the string quartet repertoire.
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In the time of COVID-19 lockdowns, we are all missing playing chamber music. This fun workshop will involve being both composer and performer as a way of making music together and for each other.
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This summer, after 25 fantastic years of Quartetfest, Del Sol is proud to announce a new program for young musicians who are looking to explore their creativity and share socially-distanced music with their friends! Zoomey Tunes is a two week program where students will compose a short piece of music for their solo instrument, and then be given a piece written by their peers to perform. Along with esteemed guest artists Danny Clay and Carla Kihlstedt, we hope to foster an environment for creating, sharing, and interpreting our own music.