Camps, Festivals, and Workshops

• 10:00am vendors booths open
• 10:30am check-in

Brass Day Registration

Registration fee includes masterclasses, lunch, and name tag lanyard.

Join some of the finest jazz musicians and educators in the country for jazz camp June 2-7, 2024. The jazz camp will focus on improvisation, small group performance, jazz theory and many other related skills associated with the Jazz idiom. This camp is open to middle school and high school students (grades 7 – 12). 

• Jazz combos
• Faculty Performances 
• Master classes 
• Jazz history 
• Student jam sessions 
• Artist lectures 

Campers have the option to stay on or off the Washburn University campus and will be provided with housing, all meals, and a summer jazz camp t-shirt. Register now.

The tuition fees outlined below should be paid in full by May 17, 2024. A $50.00 non-refundable deposit is included in the total fee.

• $490.00 - Camper, single occupancy - Includes all meals, housing, and a t-shirt.
• $450.00 - Campers, double occupancy - Includes all meals, housing, and a t-shirt.
• $300.00 - Non-Camper - Includes all meals and a t-shirt.

Jazz Camp Registration

Jazz Camp Handbook

After submitting the registration form, you will be directed to pay the tuition fee online by credit or debit card. You will also have the option to send a check or money order (payable to Washburn University Music Department) to:

Washburn Summer Jazz Camp

1700 SW College Avenue

Topeka, KS 66621

July 15-20, 2024

The 19th Annual Washburn University Total Percussion. The WUTPC is unlike any other camp in the area, providing students with concerts and clinics in multiple areas of percussion. Students will engage in hands on instruction covering marching percussion, drumset, concert percussion, samba band and more. They will experience professional concerts (open to the public) in the evenings. On the final day students will perform a concert featuring the WUTPC student drumlines, percussion ensembles, and Mass Percussion Ensemble (all students, and camp instructors).

Campers have the option to stay four nights in the Living Learning Center on the Washburn University campus and eat in Lincoln dining hall. Camp fees include room, all meals, all instructional materials, all camp activities and a t-shirt!

On Saturday, parents can join the camp for a concert featuring all the campers performing in the various ensembles they have been working in all week.

Registration Deadline & Fees:

Registration form

Payment portal (complete registration form first)

The cost of this camp is $400 for residents and $275 for commuters, including a minimum  $100 non-refundable deposit  that must be paid with the registration form. The full balance can be paid at the time of registration or the remaining balance can be paid at check-in on July 15. There is also a small fee for online payments.

Group discount rates are available. Contact Von Hansen for more details. 

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL!!!

Campers registering before April 1, 2024 will receive a $50 reduction in the total cost of the camp ($350 for residents and $225 for commuters. $100 registration fee is still required).

Registration deadline is June 1, 2024.  If you register after June 1, 2024, you will be charged a late processing fee of $25. No applications will be accepted after July 3, 2024. Register early to reserve your spot!

If you have questions, contact Dr. Von Hansen, camp director, at 785.670.1847, von.hansen@washburn.edu.

Dates: July 22-26, 2024
Location: Washburn University—Garvey Fine Arts Center and White Concert Hall

Join the fine Washburn University faculty and guest artists for Washburn Summer Keyboard Academy (WSKA)! Washburn Summer Keyboard Academy is a camp that focuses on the study and performance of piano and organ. Students entering grades 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and college are eligible to participate. Eligible students must have taken at least two (2) years of consecutive private lessons and must be able to read music. Along with daily lessons, students participate in keyboard workshops, recreational activities, music history/literature classes, performance classes, and have designated practice time. They have opportunities to listen to artist-level performances, and they will perform a student gala concert in White Concert Hall!

Students have access to beautiful instruments including two Steinway concert grands in White Concert Hall and one in the Choral Room. All piano lessons and classes will be taught on Steinways. Organ students will have the luxury of playing and practicing on the magnificent Reuter organ in White Concert Hall, which is an electro-pneumatic organ with 50 ranks, 2,844 pipes, 4 divisions, 3 manuals, 41 stops, and 55 registers. Other practice organs include a studio organ and an organ in the Choral Room. Garvey Fine Arts Center has ample access to practice rooms as well as a modern piano lab that houses sixteen (16) Yamaha Clavinovas. Additionally, in the dormitory lobby, there is a historic Steinway that can be used for performances and social gatherings.

Students have the option to join as overnight campers or as commuter day students. Housing, meals, and resident supervision are provided in a state-of-the-art dormitory and dining hall. The dormitory is located right across the lawn from the music facilities. Commuters will be served lunches and dinners, which is included in their camp tuition. All students receive a new WSKA t-shirt!

Register now! (The registration portal will open by March 22, 2024.)

Featured faculty:

Dr. Lucy Tan, WSKA Director/Piano

Dr.. Junyi Nie, Piano

Dr. Cynthia Neufeld Smith, Organ

Dr. Kristi Baker-Lampe, Piano

Mr. Joseph Piontek, Piano and Composition

Dr. Kelly Huff, Music History and Music Theory

View the 2024 Washburn Summer Keyboard Academy Handbook. 

Tuition costs for WSKA:

• Tuition for campers, single occupancy in shared suite, all meals included, annual t-shirt: $485.00
• Tuition for campers, double occupancy in shared suite, all meals, annual t-shirt: $440.00
• Tuition for commuters, lunches and dinners included, annual t-shirt: $300.00
• A registration deposit of $100.00 is included in the above tuition rates. This deposit is only non-refundable if the student withdraws on the registration deadline or later.

Special note: Tuition includes three (3) 25-minute private lessons with our faculty. If students would like additional lesson time, they can sign up for extra lessons after check-in. Please read the WSKA Handbook for more information.

Registration deadline is July 1, 2024. Late registrations will be subject to a $25.00 late processing fee. 

Refund Policy: If you withdraw from the camp before July 1, all paid tuition and registration deposits will be refunded. If you withdraw on July 1 or later, all paid tuition will be refunded except the $100 and any accrued late processing fees. Withdrawal requests should be emailed to the WSKA Director.

Ways to pay tuition:

• The tuition can be conveniently paid in full via credit card at online registration.
• We are only accepting tuition payments online at this point.
• Register now online (registration portal will be open by March 22, 2024)

If you have any questions, feel free to email Dr. Lucy Tan (WSKA Director) or call 785.670.1517.

We look forward to you joining us in an inspiring, exciting, music-filled week at Washburn Summer Keyboard Academy!

“The piano keys are black and white but they sound like a million colors in your mind.”

-Maria Cristina Mena, Author

Free Concerts at Washburn Summer Keyboard Academy 2024

Please save and share the dates for the following free WSKA concerts in White Concert Hall! Each concert will be approximately 50-60 minutes in length. (Additional guest artist performances TBA.)

• July 22, 2024, White Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.: WSKA Faculty Recital.
• July 26, 2024, White Concert Hall, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.: WSKA Gala Concert, featuring the talented student participants of Washburn Summer Keyboard Academy; reception to follow in the lobby.

The Coleman Hawkins Jazz Festival is April 5, 2024.

The enrollment deadline is March 15, 2024.

Jazz Festival Registration 

Date: October 26, 2024
All-day event with grades K-5 in the morning and grades 6-12 in the afternoon. (See schedule below for details.) 
Location: Washburn University (Topeka, Kan.)
Garvey Fine Arts Complex and White Concert Hall

Priority registration deadline: Extended to October 7, 2024
Late registration deadline: October 15, 2024
Register for PianoFest

PianoFest is a piano festival in Topeka that celebrates group learning and offers students a chance to perform and receive feedback during informal masterclasses! It is open to piano students from grades K-12. Examples of our activities include keyboard workshops, music classes, piano literature topics, yoga and wellness classes, and masterclasses. Activities are tailored to three student age groups: grades K-2, grades 3-5, or grades 6 and up. This is an all-day event, but the morning is scheduled for grades K-5 and the afternoon is scheduled for grades 6 and up. Students are not required to perform in the masterclasses, and there will be an option to select your choice during online registration. Students of all age groups will work with the Washburn University piano faculty Dr. Lucy Tan and Dr. Junyi Nie, Washburn University alumna Mary Dredger, and yoga instructor Carolyn Jones.

Additionally, this year's clinician for our grade 6 and up group is Dr. Kowoon Lee, a pianist and educator from Tennessee State University. Dr. Lee will also be performing a short piano recital in White Concert Hall at 5 p.m. The recital will include works by diverse and female composers including Jungyoon Wie, Graciela Agudelo, Gabriela Ortiz, and Margaret Bonds. The recital is free and open to the public.

Three age groups and schedule

Group 1: Grades K-2

• 8:50 a.m. Check-in (White Concert Hall Lobby)
• 9:00 a.m. Masterclass and workshop with Dr. Lucy Tan
• 9:50 a.m. Workshop with Mary Dredger
• 10:20 a.m. Check-out

Group 2: Grades 3-5 (6th graders with less experience may join)

• 10:20 a.m. Check-in (WCH Lobby)
• 10:30 a.m. Workshop with Mary Dredger
• 11:00 a.m. Masterclass and workshop with Dr. Lucy Tan
• 11:50 a.m. Check-out

Group 3: Grades 6-12

• 12:50 p.m. Check-in (WCH Lobby)
• 1:00 p.m. Yoga and Mindfulness for Pianists with Carolyn Jones
• 2:00 p.m. Masterclass and workshop with Dr. Lucy Tan
• 3:00 p.m. Masterclass with Dr. Kowoon Lee
• 4:00 p.m. Class/workshop with Dr. Junyi Nie
• 5:00 p.m. Dr. Kowoon Lee, Piano Recital. Free and open to the public in White Concert Hall.
• 5:40 p.m. Check-out

Registration information

Priority registrations extended: now due October 7, 2024 by 11:59 p.m.

• Group 1: $15 per student
• Group 2: $15 per student
• Group 3: $30 per student

Late registrations are due October 15, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. and will incur an extra $15.

Register for PianoFest

If you missed the registration period and would still like to enroll, please email Dr. Lucy Tan, PianoFest Director, at lucy.tan@washburn.edu.

Important notes: 

• For students of any age group: when you register, please remember to indicate if you would be interested in performing a piece at one of the masterclasses. You will have to type in your repertoire selection. We will do our best to accommodate as many students as possible.
• For students in Group 3, please wear stretchy, comfortable clothing that you would be able to move freely in. It is also recommended yet optional to bring your own yoga mat if you desire.
• For students in Group 3, the masterclasses will feature a few selected students as performers. All other students will be observers. If you are interested in performing in the masterclasses, please type in your repertoire selection when you register online.
• Parents, guardians, and local piano teachers may stay and watch classes, provided there is enough space in the room. Teachers and college student volunteers will supervise the PianoFest students throughout the day.

Lucy Tan 
lucy.tan@washburn.edu
Office: 785.670.1517 

Register for Washburn Piano day!

As students are preparing for spring piano recitals and competitions, Washburn Piano Day provides piano students grades K-12 an opportunity to try out repertoire in a semi-public performance setting and receive valuable feedback from Washburn University piano faculty and music major judges. A performance schedule will be emailed to participants a few days before the date of the festival.

Each participant will be awarded a certificate of excellence, and students who score exceptional honors will receive ribbons of special recognition. Free adult-sized piano t-shirts will be handed out at check-in until we run out. Additionally, the highest scoring piano performances from Washburn Piano Day will be showcased in a gala concert sponsored by Washburn Piano and Organ Society on April 12, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. in White Concert Hall.

This event was created by Washburn Piano and Organ Society and serves to benefit and service the greater Northeast Kansas community. All registration fees go to support the college students of Washburn Piano and Organ Society who have helped put together this piano event. The fees will allow us to continue to provide high-quality keyboard events for the community at large and will further present Washburn music majors continued opportunities to be involved in the community as leading musical professionals.

Washburn Piano Day Guidelines:

• Perform one to two pieces by memory. Second piece is optional.
• Provide a copy of the score to the judges.
• Dress appropriately. Business-casual recital garments is recommended.
• Arrive and check-in at the front desk (outside Choral Room) at least 10 minutes before your assigned time.
• Students who arrive early will have access to warm-up rooms after checking in.
• Do not place food or drink on the warm-up pianos.
• Teachers, friends, and families are welcome to listen to the performances, but the student may elect to have only their teacher and judges in the room.
• All personal devices and cellphones must be silenced in the Choral Room.
• Please refrain from making noise during performances.
• All students will receive comments, ratings, and certificates from a panel of judges. Ribbons of special recognition will be distributed to highest performing students. Students will collect their awards and comments at a designated time after their performance (TBD).
• Free Piano Day t-shirts (adult sizes only) will be handed out at check-in.
• Photos may be taken of students and faculty at the events. The photos will only be used on social media and promotional websites to further support Washburn University. A photo release form will be provided at check-in.
• In special cases of financial concerns, the $10.00 registration fee can be waived. Please email lucy.tan@washburn.edu with concerns.

Register for Washburn Piano day!

Questions or concerns?

Contact:
Lucy Tan
Director of Keyboard Studies/Applied Piano
Faculty Advisor, Washburn Piano and Organ Society
lucy.tan@washburn.edu 
785.670.1517

Washburn Piano and Organ Society Officers:
Blake Masters, President
William Cason, Vice-President
Sue Johnston, Treasurer
Weslie Evans, Secretary

Event Day: Saturday, February 10th, 2024

A chamber music festival at Garvey Fine Arts on the Washburn University campus that celebrates the Love of the Cello!

Cellists ranging from beginners to professionals are invited to participate in this free event. Participants will have the opportunity to learn and perform fantastic arrangements for cello groups and make new cello friends. Event day includes a pizza lunch, free commemorative t-shirt and a concert that is free and open to the public.

I Heart Cello Day promotional video

To register for this event, please fill out the attached form here:

I Heart Cello Day Registration

Or, contact Erinn Renyer at erinn.renyer@washburn.edu

• When? Mondays 6-7:30 pm starting June 5th at Garvey Fine Arts room 323
• Cost? Tuition is $150 including T-shirt and music
• A Free Public Concert will be held at Gage Park Amphitheater on Monday evening, July 17th
• To register for this event, please fill out the attached form here:
  • Topeka Cello Collective Registration
  • Or, contact Erinn Renyer at erinn.renyer@washburn.edu

The annual Washburn Youth Wind Ensemble provides fantastic musical experiences for middle and high school band students in the greater Topeka area. Students will get to work with a variety of musicians and clinicians throughout the area and experience what the Washburn music program has to offer. The event will provide concert experiences and master classes for those who attend. The festival will host more than 100 of the top musicians from the Topeka-area schools for a full-day workshop, concluding with a concert that is open to family, friends, directors and community members. It is a marvelous opportunity for all participants!

For more information, contact Washburn Music at music.theatre@washburn.edu or 785.670.1511.

Auditions for Topeka Symphony Orchestra youth ensembles are held in August for the upcoming season. For more information, including audition dates and materials, please email tso@topekasymphony.org, or call TSO at 785.232.2032.