Questions about OSI?

-Bring your instrument (basses and pianos provided!), music, notebook, pencils, rock stop, cello chair, other accessories.

-Water bottle

-A nice outfit for performances (orchestra, chamber, recitals, final day of concerts)

-For those staying on campus, cooking and eating utensils, soap, hangers, etc.

-Snacks for between meals.

-A book to read, or a ball to kick around during your downtime. Everyone has breaks at different times, so there are no organized activities during classes (8:15am-5:15pm).

The Institute is a living, breathing enactment of the Suzuki triangle, so we want you to be a part of the institute magic!

Students 11 and under attend with an adult who can join them for classes, concerts, and meals. It doesn’t have to be the same adult every day. One adult can be the supervising adult for several kids- find a friend and collaborate to make it work for you! We have a buddy system where students can sign up with a friend so that they take all their classes together, making scheduling easier for the adult, and possibly more fun for the students!

If this is going to be a challenge for you, reach out. We’d love to collaborate with you to make it work.

Students 12 and older can attend on their own both during the day and overnight.

You will receive an email at the end of May with your individual schedule for the week and will get your final, detailed schedule at check-in on Sunday.

We have done our best to anticipate conflicts and provide each student with a schedule which will work for their age and level.

Check-in on Sunday is from 11:00-1:00pm with our welcome gathering and play-in at 1:15pm. Everyone will need to check in on Sunday. Students taking orchestra, fiddling for all, and chamber music will have rehearsals Sunday afternoon and evening. Other students will just have the check-in (between 11 and 1pm) and welcome event at 1:15pm.

Monday-Friday classes begin at 8:15am and end at 3:50pm, with an afternoon recital at 4:30pm. Depending upon how many classes you sign up for, you can take between 4 and 6 hours of class each day. Some kids will not start until 9:15am, if they did not fill their schedules.

The Chamber Music program begins on Saturday at 1pm, please arrive on campus at 12:30pm to check in.

On Sunday there will be a check-in process from 11 am to 1:00 pm followed by an open convocation for all participants at 1:15 p.m.  The afternoon will include orchestra and parent talks, as well as a welcome time for new families.

On Friday we have three final concerts at 11:15am, 1:15pm, and 4:30pm. Friday will have enrichment and group classes, but no master classes. This gives students a little more time to prepare, perform, and celebrate all their work!

For student institute, your 4-6 classes are scheduled between 8:15 am and 4:00 pm with a break for lunch form 12:00-1:00. Daily recitals, parents talks, and faculty performances (attendance is optional) are at 11:15 am and 4:30 pm. Free hours can be used for practicing, exploring the campus or town!

For teachers participating in training courses, your daily schedule fits in with the above hours (8:15am to 4:00pm) with 3 hours of daily lecture and 2 hours of daily observation. All Teacher Workshop Participants are welcome and encouraged to come to play ins, parent talks, recitals and evening special events!Item description

Daily camp attire should be casual and comfortable. All buildings have AC, but it can be hot in Portland at the end of June!

-Students participating in Solo Recitals and Chamber Music Performances should dress for a special occasion. Many chamber ensembles choose to wear black, but that is not required.

-Concert attire for all performances on Friday, June 29 will be whatever makes your child feel good! Many kids choose to dress up a bit, others like to wear their OSI camp shirt.

The intro and advanced chamber programs follow the same schedule and students are placed in groups that fit their age and ability level best.

The difference between doing the chamber music program and the regular program is that doing chamber music means students don’t have much space in their schedule to do other fun classes, like Dalcroze, improvisation, Orff, etc. Some kids love those classes, so you are welcome to choose either program!

Chamber music starts on Saturday afternoon at 1pm, the regular program starts on Sunday at 1pm. Students in chamber music will have rehearsals on Saturday from 1-5pm and Sunday from 9am-5pm.

Ages 13-18, 7:00-10:00pm each night

There is a teen evening option for students to participate in as well. Each night, Saturday-Friday, teens get to play games, watch movies, eat snacks, and hang out with their new (and old!) friends at camp.

It’s a great way for kids to connect with one another outside of classes and do fun non-music things! The fee for the teen activities (for those not staying on campus) is $125.Item description

We ask all students (any level) to prepare a polished piece for their masterclass lessons, as this will be the focus of the institute. Dr. Suzuki says:  “When the notes, rhythms, and bowings are learned, the lesson can begin!”  Total comfort with notes and bowings will pave the way for the next level of musical learning. 

You will also want to review pieces from the previous books so that you will have more fun and learn more in group classes.

Advanced program students will be expected to arrive with a piece or movement ready to work on with their teachers. The Advanced Group repertoire class teachers choose repertoire to be worked on prior to institute- this will be emailed to you in mid-May.Item description

We do not issue a review list for our Institute.  As Suzuki students, we hope you are reviewing your pieces on a regular basis and can come to Institute ready to play most any piece you have learned!  

Each group teacher will evaluate the levels of students in each class on the first day and we find this gives students a much better experience because they are working on pieces that make sense for each individual group, rather than something selected ahead of time.

Solo recitals are an opportunity for us to share in performances of the highest level of artistry, at all levels of the repertoire.  This is a chance for our Institute community to be inspired by players of all ages with balanced posture, beautiful tone, musicality and phrasing.

Auditions are adjudicated by three Suzuki teachers outside of the Oregon Suzuki Institute. We want students to have the most fair and unbiased experience and will be evaluated by teachers who do not know them.

Students (including Advanced Program) interested in performing on a recital should submit an application and recording by May 30, 2025 Piano accompaniment is not necessary for this recording. Everyone will be notified by June 10. 

If you need to change any contact information, or if you’re concerned about incorrect information on your registration, please reach out to OregonSuzukiRecordings@gmail.com.

Please do not worry about updating current pieces past the date of registration, as we account for forward progress when we schedule students. 

We provide partial refunds (50%, not including the registration fees) through May 15th. After May 15th, we will no longer award refunds, this is due to the fact that all our faculty are contracted, as well as the University of Portland. If you think you might cancel, please add the payment protection through Regpacks so that you can get a full refund through them.

Master Class: Your daily institute lesson, shared with 2-4 other students at a similar level of playing. Each student will get an individual lesson in front of their peers and will watch the other students take their lessons, too. Much can be learned from watching others learn and incredible magic happens when you can work with a teacher and your peers for five days in a row.

Group Class: Daily group class with one teacher, but Institute-style! For student Institute-goers, this means class with peers at the same level with focus on review repertoire in preparation of the Final Concert. While it is expected that students have their Suzuki repertoire memorized, we know they will not have everything prepared at 100%. Teachers evaluate each class on the first day to see what music will work best for the students.

For advanced students (Books 6+), this means non-Suzuki repertoire.

Repertoire Class: This is an ensemble class for students in Books 6+. They will learn music outside of the Suzuki books. Music will be sent 3-4 weeks prior to the start of the institute so that students can prepare ahead of time.

Play-In: Super fun group class led by different teachers Monday and Wednesday at 11:15am! Come play games and meet new friends in these larger-ranged, optional classes.

Enrichment: Only applicable to non chamber music students, enrichment class is in a group setting focusing on something other than your personal musical study.  2025 enrichment classes include choir, Dalcroze, Jazz improv for all instruments, origami, orchestra, and early childhood music.

Polished Piece: A piece completely learned (notes, bowings, rhythms, musicality- preferably a piece already performed) that is performance-ready.

Chamber Coaching: A rehearsal with the chamber ensemble led by a faculty member.

Chamber Rehearsal: A rehearsal with the chamber ensemble without a faculty member. Each chamber coach/faculty will give specific assignments to each group so that they can work on their own without an adult. Learning to practice on our own is an important part of music education, as our goal is to help students practice without their teacher present. We want our chamber students to learn how to work together on their own, in addition to their work with faculty members.