About the Program

The Olympic Music Festival partners with YEA Music! to present an educational initiative that brings together the highly gifted participants of the Olympic Chamber Music Fellowship with talented Olympic Peninsula young musicians in high school.

Who are the OMF Fellows? The Olympic Chamber Music Fellows are a small group of exceptionally talented emerging artists from across the world selected after highly competitive auditions to perform alongside world-renowned chamber musicians for two weeks during the Olympic Music Festival’s summer season.

Who are the Junior Fellows? Selected local high school musicians—Junior Fellows—will be paired with OMF Fellows by instrument, and shadow OMF musicians through a week of rehearsals and concerts. We are thrilled to create an opportunity for our local youth to meet and learn from these incredible artists, who are often graduates of Juilliard and other major music conservatories.

Junior Fellows Masterclass

Four talented high school music students will be selected to work with the OMF Fellows in a public masterclass with input from mentoring artists. The Junior Fellows Masterclass will take place in front of an audience at the Wheeler Theater and is open for the public to attend.

Junior Fellows will also have exclusive access to closed-door rehearsals, free tickets to weekend concerts, and many opportunities to ask questions of any OMF artist about what they observe.

Application Details

APPLICATION DEADLINE: MAY 31, 2024

REQUIREMENTS: High school music students ages 15-18 who live on the Olympic Peninsula in Jefferson or Clallam Counties are encouraged to apply. We are currently seeking violin, viola, and cello applicants.

DATES: Students who want to apply should have general availability from August 13 through August 18. The Junior Fellows Masterclass on August 15 at 7 PM is a mandatory date for the program. Junior Fellows are expected to perform a short selection during the masterclass, and the masterclass is the only part of the program that will require students to bring their instrument.

For all questions about the Olympic Junior Fellows Program, please e-mail us:

Space in the Junior Fellows Program is limited, but you can attend these other FREE educational events this summer!

Spread the word, share this flyer with your local high school music student.

Port Townsend & Fort Worden State Park

The Olympic Music Festival takes place at Fort Worden Historical State Park in the victorian waterfront town of Port Townsend, WA, approximately 55 miles from downtown Seattle. Participants are housed at a bed & breakfast inn 10 minutes away from the main performing venue.

Once a critical military outpost during World War II, Fort Worden is now a popular destination in the Pacific Northwest with hiking trails, beaches, and other amenities. Performances take place at the 275 seat Wheeler Theater. Fellows and mentoring artists typically dine together at the conclusion of rehearsal days.

Port Townsend is a busy summer tourist spot with many art festivals, unique small businesses, and diverse range of restaurants. With just under 10,000 residents, the city has also become well-known for a number of renowned bow makers including Charles Espey, Ole Kanestrom, Cody Kowalski, and the late Paul Siefried.

2015

JENNIFER LIU violin
The Juilliard School

DJ CHEEK viola
New England Conservatory

ERIN KIRBY viola
Hochschule für Musik und
Darstellende Künste Frankfurt am Main

ALEXANDER HERSH cello
New England Conservatory

RIEKO TSUCHIDA piano
Peabody Conservatory

2016

HANNAH TARLEY violin
The Juilliard School

MEREDITH KUFCHAK viola
San Francisco Conservatory of Music

YI QUN XU cello
The Juilliard School

RIEKO TSUCHIDA piano
Peabody Conservatory

2018

EUNAE KOH violin
Manhattan School of Music

SUNG JIN LEE viola
The Juilliard School

THE MERZ TRIO:

BRIGID COLERIDGE violin
City University of New York Graduate Center

JULIA YANG cello
Ensemble Connect

LEE DIONNE piano
Yale School of Music

2022

GREGORY LEWIS violin
Yale School of Music

ANGELA WEE violin
The Juilliard School

BETHANY HARGREAVES viola
Yale School of Music

AUDREY CHEN cello
City University of New York Graduate Center

AMALIA RINEHART piano
Stony Brook University