At First Sight

At First Sight is an intensive five-day chamber music program designed for advanced students, typically of high-school age. Students above age 18 are encouraged to apply for the A Prima Vista work-study program and/or Chamber Music Weekend.

At First Sight (the advanced track)
Being accepted into At First Sight (advanced) means you are a strong player, very capable of sight-reading and ready to dig deeply into the joys of chamber playing. In your lessons, you are already studying sonatas and concerti, you have a background that includes orchestral playing. You are a confident leader, able to hold your own on unique parts in an ensemble setting. AFS students engage in chamber and orchestral playing, as well as deep-dives through classwork into other aspects of music.

AFS devotes a significant amount of time to sight-reading, in addition to technique training and performance skills, vital to developing fine musicianship. During the workshop each student participates in different chamber groups and the AFS Chamber Orchestra. In the evenings both At First Sight, and the intermediate group, EnCounter, join for HausMusik–a delightful mix of students and staff playing chamber music together informally.

At First Sight focuses on God, the source of the gift of music.  Our morning begins with Descant, which includes worship and hymn singing, sets the tone for each day. In order for students to share their gifts with others, community service concerts are part of the AFS schedule.  AFS is non-denominational.  Students of all faiths and backgrounds are welcome. At First Sight believes strongly that music at its heart should be cooperative, and thus the atmosphere is intentionally non-competitive.