Hope College
Music Department
Strings Chamber Music Syllabus Adopted Fall 2015
Faculty responsible for assigning and maintaining chamber ensembles: -Professor Mihai Craioveanu – Head of the Strings Area. * Please note – all string players must be assigned ensembles via Professor
Craioveanu.
Any students outside strings area (i.e. voice, keyboard, winds, etc) that are interested in
chamber music must notify professor Craioveanu by email. Based on student availability
and/or performance level compatibility a chamber group will be formed and coached by
him or other string faculty as needed.
Meeting Times (total 2 hours per week) Coachings will generally occur once a week for one hour – schedule to be determined
by the faculty coach in mutual agreement with the students' academic schedule.
Rehearsals will generally occur once a week – schedule to be determined by students.
Extra coaching or rehearsals may be called if absolutely necessary, but not excessively.
Course Objectives The main objective of chamber music is to explore the repertoire written for specific
ensembles through rehearsals, coaching, and performances. Ideally, ensembles will be
formed with the intention of staying together for 2-4 years (i.e. string quartets), however
less traditional groups may be formed for a semester with the permission of the
appropriate area head.
Required Materials Members of each chamber ensemble are required to come to each coaching with their
instruments/reeds in working order, music, metronome, tuner, and pencil!
Grading Students will be graded on the following criteria:
Attendance/Attitude: 40% .
Preparation/Participation: 40%.
Performances:
20%.
All Chamber Ensembles will play a chamber jury at the end of each semester unless the
ensemble performs at least a concert per semester (i.e. departmental student recital,
student chamber recital, DeVos Musical Showcase, Brown Bag) - programs must be
submitted.
Attendance Due to the limited number of classes, attendance at each rehearsal is expected. All
absences, with the exception of extreme illness and absences that have been preapproved by the instructor will lower the attendance portion of your evaluation.
MEMBERS OF ANY CHAMBER ENSEMBLE MUST BE CONCURRENTLY ENROLLED
IN LESSONS AND/OR A MAJOR ENSEMBLE (i.e. Orchestra, Symphonette).
If you are interested in participating in a chamber group, you must contact by email, and
audition (if a new student) for professor Craioveanu during the first week of classes. He
will then form groups as appropriate, based on
instrumentation availability and playing level compatibility. !
*Please note – not everyone interested in chamber music will be assigned to an
ensemble.