CMPI’s 2025-26 program year is officially underway! This year, the program has evolved in several significant ways to provide even better support to CMPI’s fellows and parents. Let’s take a look at the highlights of what’s planned so far.
The Year of Parent Engagement and Connection
A major priority for the 2025/26 school year is making stronger, intentional connections between the parents of our fellows. Collectively, CMPI’s parent community has far more knowledge and resources than anything that any one organization could ever provide.
With the help of CMPI’s parent engagement committee and CMPI consultant Adrienne Thompson, each of CMPI’s families has been matched in a discussion group that met in person for the first time at CMPI’s annual kick-off event at Ravinia in August, and again and CMPI’s family orientation on September 11. As you can see by these photos, the connections have already begun to form!
What will come of these connections? A future iteration of CMPI’s parent book club is already planned, as well as another convening of the parent groups at CMPI’s October community meeting. From there, the possibilities are limitless. Check your inboxes for updates on this exciting initiative, as well as reflections from one of CMPI’s alumni parent volunteers next month.
As a special treat, CMPI will be jointly presenting – alongside PMAY and WMPI – a parent-focused workshop featuring the parents of violin concert artist Randall Goosby on December 3.
Support for CMPI’s Seniors
CMPI will be piloting a virtual College Application Study Hall, led by a volunteer music school admissions expert. This project will comprise six workshops over the course of the school year, in which CMPI’s senior fellows will gather on Zoom to learn about and work together on every aspect of their college applications, from filling out the Common App, to preparing pre-screening audition videos. This crucial work will be supported by CMPI’s roster of professional musician mentors, who will check in with the seniors and their parents between workshops. The music school admissions process is notoriously challenging and time-consuming, but this project will provide individualized support along every step of the way.
In addition to this project, CMPI’s seniors will participate in studio class in September, during which they will perform for each other and exchange peer feedback. In November, CMPI is providing access to professional video and audio recording for pre-screening auditions. In December, the seniors will have the opportunity to perform in mock auditions for CSO musician faculty, including Emma Gerstein, Miles Maner, Tage Larsen, Wei-Ting Kuo, and Brant Taylor.
Masterclasses and Recitals
CMPI is thrilled to once again have an amazing roster of masterclass faculty including Esteban Batallan, Rachel Barton Pine, James Ehnes, Callum Smart, Gabriel Cabezas, John Yeh, and many more to come.
We’re also thrilled to have a full recital schedule at a variety of wonderful venues for the 2025/26 season. Please mark these dates in your calendar – these are wonderful opportunities to see CMPI’s amazing fellows in action:
- Oct. 7, 6pm – Kehrein Center for the Arts
- Nov. 20, 6pm – Bennett Gordon Hall
- Dec. 13, 7pm – Bryn Mawr Community Church
- Feb. 25, 7pm – Nichols Concert Hall
- Mar. 11, 7pm – Symphony Center (Buntrock Hall)
- May 18, 7pm – St. Paul and the Redeemer Church
Images
Pictures from 2025-6 CMPI Orientation