Student Life
Five weeks · In residence · Guilford College, Greensboro, NC
EFM students spend the five-week season living on campus at Guilford College. They share residence hall rooms and meals, and fill their days with rehearsals, lessons and practice.
A Week at EFM
Rehearse
Orchestra rehearsals run six days a week, and each Young Artists orchestra gives a full concert every week. Seats rotate weekly, so every player works through a range of orchestral roles over the summer.
Study
Every student works privately with a member of the faculty, and joins the master classes, seminars and workshops that run alongside rehearsals.
Perform
Student chamber groups give recitals as each ensemble is ready, pianists perform in weekly piano recitals, and soloists are chosen through the Concerto Competition.
On Stage
Both Young Artists orchestras give full-length, ticketed concerts every week in Dana Auditorium on the Guilford College campus, and student chamber recitals fill the Carnegie Room in Hege Library. Some students also perform with the Eastern Festival Orchestra, the professional orchestra in residence.
Concerts are open to the public, so family and friends are welcome in the audience.
Master Classes and Guest Artists
The faculty perform chamber concerts twice a week, and visiting artists give master classes throughout the season. In 2026 they included Pinchas Zukerman, Misha Dichter, Herbert Greenberg, Julian Schwarz, Jeff Multer, William Wolfram, and Leonidas Kavakos.
Beyond the Practice Room
Neighborhood concerts and outreach performances take EFM into Greensboro itself, a partnership between the musicians and the city that hosts them. Guilford College is located in an active and vibrant part of Greensboro, with shopping, restaurants, parks and nature walks, hiking, bicycling trails, and much more either within walking distance or a short car ride away.
Students may also enroll in Alexander Technique lessons with Dr. Shawn Copeland, a certified teacher and Body Mapping educator, who teaches musicians to notice and release tension in their playing. Enrollment is separate and places are limited.
Living on Campus
Students share double rooms in Guilford College residence halls, and meals are included in room and board. Practice rooms are open on campus during set hours. Students keep their instruments in their rooms, with secure storage for large instruments such as basses, harps and percussion.
Students who live nearby can attend as commuters, paying the same tuition without room and board. The full cost breakdown is on our applications page.
Safety and Supervision
Residential staff live in the halls with students, and there is a nightly check-in and curfew. Students under 18 are housed separately from older students, and need to sign out, with a parent's permission, to leave campus.
On-call medical care is available throughout the season. After acceptance, families complete a health form, emergency contacts and insurance details and, for students under 18, consent to treatment.
Getting Here
Guilford College is at 5800 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27410. The nearest airport is Piedmont Triad International (GSO), and we meet flights there on the first and last days of the season for students that complete their travel plan documents. A full packing list comes with your acceptance.
Questions About the Summer?
Housing, cost, auditions and travel are answered in the FAQ.
When you are ready, check out your instrument’s audition requirements below and apply through Acceptd.