2026 Daily Schedule & Events
Sunday Afternoon, July 12th:
Registration, Group Lessons, RCMS Concert, Picnic Supper on the Green
Registration for all students:
Please arrive sometime between 12 noon and 1:00 pm at the Rochester School, 222 South Main Street in Rochester, Vermont; to be welcomed, receive schedules, booklets and t-shirts, hand in waiver forms, etc.
At 1:15 pm we all meet for Orientation and staff introductions.
From 2:00-3:00 pm, all instrument group lessons have their first class in assigned classrooms. The Sunday classrooms are different than the Monday ones!
At 4:00 there is a GMSI Faculty Concert (!!!) in collaboration with the Rochester Chamber Music Society, at the Rochester Federated Church. The concert will include flute, Voice, piano, violin, viola and cello, all played and sung by your teachers! Please donate at the door if you can.
At 6:00 our own fiddle teacher, Oliver Scanlon & Alex Fortier (the trad piano player who is also spending the week on the GMSi FAculty) will perform on the Rochester Town Green, in the gazebo! Bring a picnic and we can all eat and meet and enjoy being together for our opening night celebration!
Monday through Thursday, July 13th to July 16th Daily Timing & Events:
Classes will begin Monday morning at 8:30 a.m. Please check the lobby every morning for announcements and other information. Remember that Parents are required to be on campus, ready to assist their children in any moment, throughout the day. Students have 5 class hours a day, including mini-private lesson, group class and a then three more electives, choosing between (orchestra, fiddle, composition, piano duets, chamber music, mindfulness or art).
Class 1 meets from 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m.
Class 2 meets from 9:45 a.m. until 10:45 a.m.
Class 3 meets from 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
LUNCH from 12:00 p.m. until 1:00 p.m.
Class 4 meets from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Class 5 meets from 2:15 p.m. until 3:15 p.m.
Monday and Tuesday from 3:30 to 4:30, we will have read-ins for more advanced students (Book 4 and up) with faculty. Monday will be devoted to playing concertos from the Suzuki repertoire; Tuesday, we will have a mass string quartet read-in.
Wednesday, July 15th: GMSI 2026 T-shirt & Photo Day + Piano Recital + Piano Concertos with strings!
All students, staff, and teachers should plan to wear their t-shirts on Wednesday (one t-shirt per child is included in your registration fee). We will take our official institute photos after lunch!
Piano students solo concert is at 3:30 pm. Sign-up with your mini-private teacher on the first day of classes. All pianists will perform!
At the end of the piano recital, advanced pianists will have the opportunity to perform a movement of a polished piece (Kuhlau, Clementi, or Beethoven) with a string ensemble accompaniment. Advanced string players can play!
Thursday, July 16th: 3:30 Orchestra Performances and more; 6:30 CONTRA DANCE!!!
On Thursday afternoon, beginning at 3:30 p.m., the electives classes will be given the opportunity to do demonstrations or performances of their work from the week. 5:00 bring your own picnic on the green! 6:30pm the GMSI Fiddlers will perform as part of the GMSI Contra Dance!
Friday, July 17th: Our Last day
Only these classes meet on Friday: mini-private lesson, group lessons, chamber groups, and piano duets. These meet for 30 minutes each, finishing up at noon. Lunch is at noon as usual, followed by a 1:15 to 2:45 pm concert of chamber music and piano duets in the church. Then back at the school at 3:15p.m. Suzuki groups perform play-downs for cello, flute, viola and violin. Institute will be completed by 5:00 on Friday.
Enjoy the Rochester Friday Farmer’s Market on the Town Green from 3:00 to 6:00!
