The WSMA High School Honors Summer Camp is a unique and essential component to the High School Honors Project experience. Held in June, this is the first opportunity the selected students have to see their music, meet the conductor and rehearse as a newly formed ensemble.
2025 Camp Dates
- June 14 – 17, 2025: Orchestra, Treble Choir & Jazz Ensemble
- June 18 – 21, 2025: Band & Mixed Choir
Location
The 2025 WSMA Honors Camps is held on the beautiful University of Wisconsin Eau Claire campus. Sectionals and rehearsals are held in the Haas Fine Arts Center (121 Water St, Eau Claire, WI 54703) and students will be dining in the Hilltop Dining Center and housed in college dorms on campus. UW-Eau Claire’s commitment to students and excellence has made the university a leader in the Midwest, the U.S. and is one of the reasons UWEC received global recognition as one of the top universities in the world from the Accreditation Council for Engaged Universities in 2023. UWEC music faculty and staff are very excited to welcome the WSMA High School Honors Camp back to UW-Eau Claire!
Camp Schedule
Rehearsals, sectionals, meals and social activities will be scheduled from 8:30 am-9:00 pm each day.* All students are expected to attend all camp rehearsals and activities.
*Note regarding Sunday during Honors Camp*
Due to our very tight schedule, members of the Orchestra, Treble Choir and Jazz Ensemble will be attending rehearsals and sectionals on Sunday morning during camp. Attendance is mandatory. We respect everyone’s religious affiliations, but request that students attend worship services before or after summer camp to ensure that all summer camp rehearsals are productive for the entire Honors ensemble. We appreciate your efforts and consideration in this matter.
Session I: Orchestra, Treble Choir and Jazz Ensemble Camp Schedule
Saturday, June 14 (Please note, lunch is not provided on Saturday)
Registration is in the Haas Fine Arts Center Lobby
7:30 am – 11:30 am – Orchestra Check-In and Chair Placement Auditions
(Students will receive their chair placement audition times prior to camp)
10:00 am -11:30 am – Treble Choir and Jazz Ensemble Check-In
11:30 am – 1:00 pm – Lunch on your own/with parents; settle into dorm.
1:00 pm-9:00 pm – Orientation, Rehearsals, Dinner and Social Activities
Sunday, June 15 and Monday, June 16
8:30 am-9:00 pm Rehearsals, Sectionals, Meals and Social Activities
Tuesday, June 18
7:30 am-1:00 pm Dorm Check-Out, Final Rehearsals and Work-In-Progress Concerts
Work-In-Progress Concert Schedule
9:00 am Orchestra
11:00 am Jazz Ensemble
12:30 pm Treble Choir
Session II: Band and Mixed Choir Camp Schedule
Wednesday, June 18 (Please note, lunch is not provided on Wednesday)
Registration is in the Haas Fine Arts Center Lobby
8:00 am-11:30 am – Band Check-In and Chair Placement Auditions
(Students will receive their chair placement audition times prior to camp)
10:00 am-11:30 am – Mixed Choir Check-In
11:30 am – 1:00 pm – Lunch on your own/with parents; settle into dorm.
1:00 pm-9:00 pm – Orientation, Rehearsals, Dinner and Social Activities
Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20
8:30 am-9:00 pm Rehearsals, Sectionals, Meals and Social Activities
Saturday, June 21
7:30 am-1:00 pm Dorm Check-Out, Final Rehearsals and Work-In-Progress Concerts
Work-In-Progress Concert Schedule
10:00 am Band:
12:00 pm Mixed Choir
- Please Note: The WSMA High School State Honors Project Camp is an intense immersion in creating music alongside fellow students with the guidance of a nationally recognized conductor and a team of teachers acting as section coaches. There is free time and time to relax but the bulk of the time at camp is spent in rehearsal or sectionals preparing the music for the October Concerts.
Work-In-Progress Concerts
The Work-In-Progress concert is an open rehearsal for the parents and family of students. This is an opportunity for the student musicians to perform what they have learned during camp to assess the strengths and weaknesses in the performance at this point. Not only does this give the student clear objectives to work on until the October rehearsals, but it also allows them to hear the great progress that the ensemble has made together in four short days.
For the audience members, this free and informal concert gives them a chance to see what their child has been working on and allows them a “sneak peek” at what is to come during the final concert in October. This is not a final concert where you can expect to hear a finished performance. Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend. Students are finished with the summer camp portion of their High School State Honors experience at the conclusion of their concert.
