NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS for the 2026-2027 season

Gradus Ad Parnassum Music Academy is excited to announce a new and upgraded season of our chamber music program “Chamber Music at Gradus”. The program is designed for string players and pianists ages 10-18 and offers weekly coaching with the Gradus faculty, members of the San Francisco Symphony, faculty of C’est Bon Music Academy as well as best local Bay Area musicians. 

This year we are going to offer 90 minut coachings for groups 13 and up and 60 minut coachings for younger participamts. Students applying for the chamber music program should be committed and willing to put in many hours of personal practice in addition to the weekly rehearsal and coachings.

Audition requirements:

  1. Two contrasting pieces that best represent your current playing level

  2. Private teacher’s letter of recommendation 

  3. Commitment to rehearse with the group between coachings

  4. Commitment to work hard and be a responsible team player

Commitment to attendance is extremely important when playing chamber music. It is impossible to have meaningful coaching sessions when players are missing.

There will be a formal public performance at the end of each semester as well as additional performance opportunities throughout the semester.


Weekly coaching will take place on Sunday or Monday evenings between 5 and 9pm at Gradus ad Parnassum Music Academy which is located at 1529 S B St. San Mateo CA 94402.

Each weekly meeting will consist of rehearsal time and coaching session with a faculty member. There will be ten coaching sessions per semester. Students are allowed 1 absence each semester.

Fall semester: *September 14 to December 6, 2026

Sunday Groups: 9/13, 9/20, 9/27, 10/4, 10/18, 10/25, 11/1, 11/8, 11/15, 11/29

Monday Groups: 9/14, 9/21, 9/28, 10/5, 10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/09, 11/16, 11/30

Includes 2 holiday weeks

*Winter Concert December 6

Spring semester: January 26 to April 19, 2026

Sunday Groups: 1/24, 1/31, 2/7, 2/21, 2/28, 3/7, 3/14, 3/21, 3/28, 4/11

Monday Groups: 1/25, 2/1, 2/8, 2/22, 3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/22, 3/29, 4/12

Includes 2 holiday weeks disbursed throughout the semester

*Finale Concert April 18

*subject to change until September 2025

The tuition is $1250 per semester for 90 min coaching and $850 for younger groups with 60 min coachings.

Participation is by audition. Please submit a link to a recent unedited recording (with or without accompaniment) to demonstrate your current level of playing with the application here. For competitive track applicants, please remember to forward this link to your private teacher to fill out.

New application deadline is June 30!

If you have any questions, please contact
David Chernyavsky, administrator of the program at
gradusmusic1529@gmail.com
or at (718) 9387922