Center for Gifted Young Musicians

The Center for Gifted Young Musicians (CGYM) provides a challenging package of musical training at the highest level and performance opportunities for gifted young instrumentalists during the fall and spring semesters of the University’s academic calendar. All string ensembles meet on Saturday afternoons.

Our distinguished CGYM faculty/artists are notated on the Music Prep faculty page.

Come and Be Heard

Established in 1986, the CGYM program is focused on providing string students with a professional yet nurturing atmosphere to develop both their technical skills and their love of music. While not every student may be working towards a career in performance, they are all serious about their commitment to music. This program helps shape their understanding of all that is needed to surpass the challenges of such an advanced art form and enjoy a fulfilling musical life.

Working on notable chamber music repertoire with some of Philadelphia’s finest professional musicians, our young musicians are guided and motivated to achieve the highest level of performance. Participating in the CGYM chamber orchestras develops the skills required for orchestral playing in a group small enough to be individually heard. The feeling of community generated by an intimate group of like-minded students is invaluable.

Ensembles and Opportunities

Youth Chamber Orchestra

Aaron Picht, music director and conductor
Luis Biava, music director and conductor emeritus in memoriam

The Youth Chamber Orchestra is an advanced, pre-collegiate/pre-professional, level orchestra. Students in this orchestra will participate in intense chamber music studies in addition to chamber orchestra as well as opportunities to perform in weekly Master Classes with world-renowned artists.
Time commitment: Training in both chamber orchestra and small ensembles will be on Saturday afternoons.
All students have the opportunity to participate in monthly recitals.
We encourage interested students to visit the Temple Music Prep YouTube channel and browse the videos to get a feel for the level of playing and past repertoire.
Discounted tuition is available for Music Prep individual lesson students.

Chamber Players Orchestra

Davyd Booth, conductor

The Chamber Players Orchestra has historically been the mid-level on our ensemble roster.* Students in this orchestra will participate in intense chamber music studies in addition to chamber orchestra.
Students will have the opportunity to observe weekly Master Classes with world renowned artists working with their colleagues in the Youth Chamber Orchestra.
Time commitment: Training in both chamber orchestra and small ensembles will be on Saturday afternoons.
All students have the opportunity to participate in monthly recitals.
We encourage interested students to visit the Temple Music Prep YouTube channel and browse the videos to get a feel for the level of playing and past repertoire.
Discounted tuition is available for Music Prep individual lesson students

* exact configurations for non-YCO ensembles are based on accepted applicants and cannot be announced until after all auditions have been heard.

Baroque Players Orchestra

Aaron Picht, conductor

The Baroque Players Orchestra has historically been our first level of accelerated string chamber orchestra.*
Students will have the opportunity to observe weekly Master Classes with world renowned artists working with their colleagues in the Youth Chamber Orchestra.
Time commitment: Saturday afternoons
All students have the opportunity to participate in monthly recitals.
We encourage interested students to visit the Temple Music Prep YouTube channel and browse the videos to get a feel for the level of playing and past repertoire.
Discounted tuition is available for Music Prep individual lesson students

* exact configurations for non-YCO ensembles are based on accepted applicants and cannot be announced until after all auditions have been heard.

Master Class Series

The Center for Gifted Young Musicians Master Class series provides the unique opportunity for students within the CGYM to work with world-class artists from around the world. These weekly sessions are held in a hybrid format, with the students participating in person and the Master Artists appearing either in person or virtually.

Recent Master Artists include: Kim Kashkashian, Pamela Frank, Ida Kavafian, Steven Tenenbom, Soovin Kim, Robert Chen, Marcy Rosen, Peter Wiley, Philip Setzer, Daniel Phillips, and musicians from The Philadelphia Orchestra, among other world-class artists.

The master classes are live streamed and retained on the Temple Music Prep YouTube channel, we encourage interested families to browse the recordings of past classes.

Group shot of students with string instruments standing on risers

CGYM Students in Reykjavík, Iceland

Icelandic Cultural Exchange

The Youth Chamber Orchestra participates in a cultural exchange with the Tónskóli Sigursveins D. Kristinssonar in Reykjavík, Iceland and has traveled there in 2015, 2017, 2019 and most recently in June of 2023.  A return of the YCO to Iceland will take place in June 2025. The Icelandic students have visited Philadelphia in 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2023.

Quartet-In-Residence

The Jasper String Quartet, recipient of Chamber Music America’s prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award, is our professional quartet-in-residence and provides the CGYM students with valuable insights into career building and performance.

Boyer College of Music and Dance
Temple Music Prep
Music Prep Faculty
Programs
CMSP
CGYM

Jasper String Quartet

Audition Information

The audition dates for the Center for Gifted Young Musicians 2025-2026 season are announced!

In-person auditions are being heard at Temple University Center City on May 10th and September 6th.

Application and audition sign-up/submission for the 2025-26 season is available now. Submit your application today on the Temple Noncredit Registration site.

All students (current and new) are required to submit an application and re-audition for the 2025-2026 season.

Tuition for the 2025-2026 season will range from $595 to $1,095 depending upon placement.

Important Dates

2025-2026 Rehearsals, Recitals, and Master Classes will take place on Saturday afternoons from September 27, 2025 through May 2, 2026. There will be no rehearsals or master classes on November 29, December 20 (please note this is a concert date), December 27, January 3, January 10, and April 4.

Concerts and Dress Rehearsals

2025-2026 Season

Performances
Friday, December 12 at Rock Hall Auditorium (1715 N. Broad St.)
5:00-7:00pm Mandatory Dress Rehearsals
7:30pm Chamber Music Recital featuring members of the Baroque Players and Chamber Players Orchestra

Friday, December 19 at Rock Hall Auditorium (1715 N. Broad St.)
5:00-7:00pm Mandatory Dress Rehearsals
7:30pm Chamber Music Recital featuring members of the Youth Chamber Orchestra

Saturday, December 20 at Temple Performing Arts Center (1837 N. Broad St.)
4:00-6:30pm Mandatory Dress Rehearsals
7:30pm Winter Ensembles Concert featuring the Baroque Players directed by Aaron Picht, Chamber Players Orchestra directed by Mitchell Newman, and the Youth Chamber Orchestra directed by Aaron Picht

Friday, May 8 at Rock Hall Auditorium (1715 N. Broad St.)
5:00-7:00pm Mandatory Dress Rehearsals
7:30pm Chamber Music Recital featuring members of the CGYM CPO and BP

Saturday, May 9 at Temple Performing Arts Center (1837 N. Broad St.)
11:30a-1:30p Mandatory Dress Rehearsals
2:00pm Singular Strings Concert featuring the Baroque Players directed by Aaron Picht and the Chamber Players Orchestra directed by Mitchell Newman

Friday, May 15 at Rock Hall Auditorium (1715 N. Broad St.)
5:00-7:00pm Mandatory Dress Rehearsals
7:30pm Chamber Music Recital featuring members of the CGYM YCO

Saturday, May 16 at Temple Performing Arts Center (1837 N. Broad St.)
5:00-7:00pm Mandatory Dress Rehearsals
7:30pm Gala Concert featuring the Youth Chamber Orchestra directed by Aaron Picht

Supported By

The CGYM Chamber Music component was made possible, in part, through the support of Associated Chamber Music Players (www.acmp.net). The mission of ACMP is to stimulate and expand the playing of chamber music for pleasure among musicians worldwide, of all backgrounds, ages and skill levels, by connecting people and supporting chamber music activities for individuals, groups and institutions. Join ACMP - Membership is FREE!