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Founded in 2016, the Summer Chamber Music Intensive (SCMI) is a week-long intensive chamber music program for serious young pianists and string/woodwind players. Students receive daily coachings with faculty and perform at the culminating concert at the end of the week. Since it's first summer, the program has served more than 200 students and features a dedicated faculty including Eileen Buck, Quan Ge, Nathan Vickery and Cong Wu. Each summer, students have come from across many states, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Georgia, and pre-college programs such as Juilliard, Mannes, MSM, SMS and SFS in New York City. Alumni of SCMI have gone on to attend institutions including, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Juilliard, and MSM, and have become top laureates in prestigious music competitions such as the Fischoff, Banff and Concours de Genève Music Competition, among others.
Meet Our Faculty
Eileen Buck, Artistic Director and Piano Faculty Artist
Pianist EILEEN BUCK has performed as a recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist in North America and Europe. She has won several competitions, including taking First Prize at the Josef Hofmann Piano Competition in 1996. She has appeared as soloist with the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, Etherridge Chamber Orchestra, Collegium Westchester Orchestra, and the Mannes Orchestra. Ms. Buck is a frequent chamber music collaborator with other instrumentalists, including cellist Wendy Warner, with whom she recorded Paul Hindemith’s complete works for cello and piano for Bridge Records and Popper and Piatigorsky’s works for cello and piano for Cedille Records, to universally high critical acclaim. She has also performed with current and former members from the Guarneri and Brentano Quartets, the MET Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic, among others. Ms. Buck received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and the Mannes College of Music, where her teachers were Vladimir and Eleanor Sokoloff and Edward Aldwell, respectively. She also studied with Carl Schachter at the City University of New York Graduate Center, Adolph Baller and Maria Curcio. She studied chamber music with Felix Galimir, Karen Tuttle, Julius Levine, and Robert McDonald. Ms. Buck has taught piano at Vassar College and chamber music at Queens College. Currently, she serves on the faculty at the Mannes School of Music Preparatory Division, teaching piano and chamber music, and coaches chamber music for the New York Youth Symphony Chamber Music Program and the Mannes Summer Chamber Intensive.
Quan Ge, Violin
Faculty Artist
https://www.nyphil.org/about-us/artists/quan-ge/
Violinist QUAN GE joined the New York Philharmonic in June 2009. She is a top prize winner at the China National Violin Competition and Jeunesses International Music Competition in Romania, and has served as guest concertmaster with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, Ge is a regular performer at the New York Philharmonic Ensembles series at Merkin Hall, and has appeared at SubCulture, National Sawdust, the Bravo! Vail Music Festival, Taos School of Music, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, New York String Orchestra Seminar, and Encore School for Strings. Born in Huainan, China, Ge went to Shanghai Conservatory of Music before coming to the United States. She received her bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and a master’s degree from The Juilliard School. Her teachers include Lei Fang, Ida Kavafian, Pamela Frank, Jaime Laredo, Yumi Scott, and David Chan.
Violinist QUAN GE joined the New York Philharmonic in June 2009. She is a top prize winner at the China National Violin Competition and Jeunesses International Music Competition in Romania, and has served as guest concertmaster with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, Ge is a regular performer at the New York Philharmonic Ensembles series at Merkin Hall, and has appeared at SubCulture, National Sawdust, the Bravo! Vail Music Festival, Taos School of Music, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, New York String Orchestra Seminar, and Encore School for Strings. Born in Huainan, China, Ge went to Shanghai Conservatory of Music before coming to the United States. She received her bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and a master’s degree from The Juilliard School. Her teachers include Lei Fang, Ida Kavafian, Pamela Frank, Jaime Laredo, Yumi Scott, and David Chan.
Nathan Vickery, Cello
Faculty Artist
https://www.nyphil.org/about-us/artists/nathan-vickery/
Lauded as a “formidable cello soloist” (New York Times), cellist NATHAN VICKERY appears regularly in solo and chamber music recitals and music festivals around the country. In a recent performance of the Dvorak Cello Concerto, he was celebrated for his “talent and artistry... a fresh and appealing account” of the work (New York Times). Mr. Vickery joined the New York Philharmonic in September 2013 as its youngest member, performing and touring with the orchestra at home in New York and throughout the world. He performs frequently on the New York Philharmonic chamber music series Ensembles at Merkin Hall, and on the Philharmonic's CONTACT! series of contemporary chamber music. He has appeared as a soloist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and as a recitalist and chamber musician at festivals including the Marlboro Chamber Music Festival, the Steans Institute at Ravinia, and the Chamber Music Workshop at the Perlman Music Festival. As a chamber musician he has collaborated with Joshua Bell, Jonathan Biss, Miriam Fried, Pamela Frank, and contemporary music ensemble Eighth Blackbird, among others. He is a prize winner in numerous competitions, including the Second International David Popper Cello Competition in Hungary and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Maurer Young Musician's Contest. Mr. Vickery received his bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, under the tutelage of Peter Wiley. He has served on the faculty of the Indiana University Summer String Academy, teaches privately in New York City, and enjoys presenting master classes.
Lauded as a “formidable cello soloist” (New York Times), cellist NATHAN VICKERY appears regularly in solo and chamber music recitals and music festivals around the country. In a recent performance of the Dvorak Cello Concerto, he was celebrated for his “talent and artistry... a fresh and appealing account” of the work (New York Times). Mr. Vickery joined the New York Philharmonic in September 2013 as its youngest member, performing and touring with the orchestra at home in New York and throughout the world. He performs frequently on the New York Philharmonic chamber music series Ensembles at Merkin Hall, and on the Philharmonic's CONTACT! series of contemporary chamber music. He has appeared as a soloist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and as a recitalist and chamber musician at festivals including the Marlboro Chamber Music Festival, the Steans Institute at Ravinia, and the Chamber Music Workshop at the Perlman Music Festival. As a chamber musician he has collaborated with Joshua Bell, Jonathan Biss, Miriam Fried, Pamela Frank, and contemporary music ensemble Eighth Blackbird, among others. He is a prize winner in numerous competitions, including the Second International David Popper Cello Competition in Hungary and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra's Maurer Young Musician's Contest. Mr. Vickery received his bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, under the tutelage of Peter Wiley. He has served on the faculty of the Indiana University Summer String Academy, teaches privately in New York City, and enjoys presenting master classes.
Cong Wu, Viola
Faculty Artist
https://www.nyphil.org/about-us/artists/cong-wu/
Violist CONG WU joined the New York Philharmonic as Assistant Principal Viola in September 2018. He is the winner of the Third Prize and the Chamber Music Prize in the Fourteenth Primrose International Viola Competition, and the Special Prize in the Twelfth Tertis International Viola Competition. His performances throughout North America and Asia include solo appearances with the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, New York Classical Players, and the Long Island Concert Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, Wu has collaborated with renowned artists such as Christoph Eschenbach, David Finckel, Hilary Hahn, Itzhak Perlman, Peter Wiley, Pinchas Zukerman, the American String Quartet, and many New York Philharmonic musicians. His festival engagements have included the Marlboro Music Festival, the Perlman Music Program, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Encounters, Music@Menlo, the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, Chestnut Hill Concerts, the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, and the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Germany. He also appears regularly with the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, East Coast Chamber Orchestra, and New York Classical Players.
Passionate about teaching, Wu is on the viola faculties of the Manhattan School of Music and Mannes School of Music, and has taught at the Shanghai Orchestra Academy. He formerly served on the faculties of SUNY Purchase College Conservatory of Music and the National Arts Centre Summer Music Institute in Canada. He has been invited to give masterclasses at the Mead Witter School of Music (University of Wisconsin-Madison), China Conservatory of Music, and Hong Kong Baptist University. Born in Jinan, China, Cong (pronounced “Ts’ong”) Wu moved to New York in 2010 after graduating from the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music. He holds a master’s degree from The Juilliard School and a doctoral degree with the Helen Cohn Award from the Manhattan School of Music. His teachers have included Wing Ho, Heidi Castleman, Hsin-Yun Huang, Patinka Kopec, and Pinchas Zukerman.
Violist CONG WU joined the New York Philharmonic as Assistant Principal Viola in September 2018. He is the winner of the Third Prize and the Chamber Music Prize in the Fourteenth Primrose International Viola Competition, and the Special Prize in the Twelfth Tertis International Viola Competition. His performances throughout North America and Asia include solo appearances with the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, New York Classical Players, and the Long Island Concert Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, Wu has collaborated with renowned artists such as Christoph Eschenbach, David Finckel, Hilary Hahn, Itzhak Perlman, Peter Wiley, Pinchas Zukerman, the American String Quartet, and many New York Philharmonic musicians. His festival engagements have included the Marlboro Music Festival, the Perlman Music Program, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Encounters, Music@Menlo, the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, Chestnut Hill Concerts, the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, and the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Germany. He also appears regularly with the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, East Coast Chamber Orchestra, and New York Classical Players.
Passionate about teaching, Wu is on the viola faculties of the Manhattan School of Music and Mannes School of Music, and has taught at the Shanghai Orchestra Academy. He formerly served on the faculties of SUNY Purchase College Conservatory of Music and the National Arts Centre Summer Music Institute in Canada. He has been invited to give masterclasses at the Mead Witter School of Music (University of Wisconsin-Madison), China Conservatory of Music, and Hong Kong Baptist University. Born in Jinan, China, Cong (pronounced “Ts’ong”) Wu moved to New York in 2010 after graduating from the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music. He holds a master’s degree from The Juilliard School and a doctoral degree with the Helen Cohn Award from the Manhattan School of Music. His teachers have included Wing Ho, Heidi Castleman, Hsin-Yun Huang, Patinka Kopec, and Pinchas Zukerman.
Chamber music brings delight to those who are performing as well as to the listener.
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