Solo Coaching and Participant Concerts
Participant concerts at Cormont Horn Camp include soloists from all backgrounds and ability levels in a supportive and enthusiastic environment. To perform on a participant concert, request a performance slot by April 15. (A form for making this request will be available on the Cormont Horn Camp Portal sometime in January.) If you do not request a slot, we cannot guarantee one. Programs will be finalized by early May.
Choosing your solo
Choose music that matters to you. Solos from every tradition and every level are welcome, including music by living composers, music from outside the Western concert tradition, your own compositions, and improvisation. Everyone who performs names an unaccompanied piece on the form.
Performing with piano
We have one faculty pianist each week, so piano is available for a limited number of performers. If you would like to perform with piano, request it on the form and send your piano part by April 15. Spots are assigned by lottery, and any piece is eligible. Our pianist will do their best to learn your piece, but has the final say on whether it can be prepared in the time available.
Whether or not you perform with piano, you will perform on a participant concert. If you do not play with piano, you will perform your unaccompanied piece.
Send your piano part as a clear PDF with minimal pencil markings to Mikayla McCommas at [email protected]. If the file is too large to email, share it through Google Drive. Photographs of piano parts will not be accepted.
If you register after April 15, you are still welcome to perform. Piano is offered as availability allows.
Coaching
Every participant has access to solo coaching during camp. Times are scheduled around the camp schedule and our pianist’s availability. If you are not performing, you are welcome to use your coaching time on any solo repertoire you are working on, or to skip it.
Guidelines for performers
Arrive with your solo well prepared, ideally after at least a month of practice. Choose music well within your abilities. A well-executed performance is more rewarding than an overly ambitious one.
If your solo needs a cadenza, prepare it in advance.
Plan for about 7 minutes of music or less. We may suggest cuts.
If you choose a multi-movement work, tell us which movement(s) you are prepared to play. We may share movements among performers.
Well-known pieces are often chosen by several campers. Consider whether another piece would excite you just as much.
If you attend both weeks, choose different solos for each week. You will have time for one solo per week.
Looking for ideas?
Start with what draws you in. These are places to look:
LIFT: Solos for Horn by Black Composers
Brass Music by Black Composers and Artists