The Heifetz Institute is pleased to announce the resumption of our Heifetz Ensemble-in-Residence Program, or HEIR program, to take place in five sessions in 2022-23, with each session capped off by a concert performance alongside legendary Heifetz faculty members.

I: October 23 – Nov. 6, 2022: (Nov. 6 “Hear & Now” with Ani Kavafian)
II: Nov. 28 – Dec. 17, 2022: (Dec. 4 “Hear & Now” with Nicholas Kitchen & Yeesun Kim; Heifetz Holiday Concert Dec. 16)
III. Feb. 27 – March 19, 2023 (Mar. 5 “Hear & Now” with Ilya Kaler; Bach Around the Clock Mar. 18)
IV. April 3 – 16, 2023 (Apr. 9 “Hear & Now” with Steve Doane & Rosemary Elliott)
V. May 1 – 14. 2023 (May 7 “Hear & Now” with the Borromeo Quartet)

Each of these residencies in Staunton will feature:

• Weekly intensive coaching sessions with Artistic Director Nicholas Kitchen
• A public concert series in and around Staunton and Shenandoah Valley
• Continuation of our “HeartStrings” program with Augusta Health, offering both virtual “bedside performances” and in-person performances. “This program has been made possible by Project: Music Heals Us through a PMHU Vital Sounds Initiative Grant.
• Private lesson and chamber-coaching opportunities via the new Crescendo program with Stuart Hall School
• Educational partnerships with the Shenandoah Valley Governor’s School and Mary Baldwin University
• Outreach, house concerts, run-out concerts, and other public and private events on behalf of the Heifetz Institute.
• Opportunities to record high-quality music videos in both a concert and studio setting

Selected Heifetz alumni participants will be formed into chamber ensembles for both solo and chamber-ensemble performances. They will live and work in our home city of Staunton, VA for an extended multi-week period. Housing, meals, and salaries will be provided for the duration of the residency. Intensive weekly rehearsal, performance, and production schedules will be prepared for the ensembles, augmented by the educational and outreach elements outlined above.

The artists will work under the direct supervision of the Institute’s Artistic Director Nicholas Kitchen, exploring and performing both familiar and new repertory with an emphasis on underrepresented composers and artists of color, and the Institute’s management team led by President & CEO Benjamin K Roe, gaining valuable insight into the business side of the music world and a first hand view of arts administration. Live streamed performances will be arranged with cultural and educational partners, both regionally and further afield abetted by the Institute’s vast experience with professional quality live concert streaming. The HEIR participants will also work closely with our Multimedia Producers to prepare, curate, and assemble recorded performances that will broadcast via the Institute’s industry leading video platforms, including its YouTube channel with over 53,000 subscribers and more than 13 million views.

2022 Session Artists in Residence:

Violin: Nigel Armstrong; Liana Branscome; Strauss Shi; Yezu Woo
Viola: Steven Baloue
Cello: Juan-Salvador Carrasco; Ben Fried; Noémie Raymond-Friset
Piano: Michel-Alexandre Broekaert; Connie Kim-Sheng Fried