by Jeremy Reynolds

As summer music festivals go, Credo doesn’t quite mesh with most people’s idea of music camp. Founded in 1999 in Woodstock, Illinois by Peter Slowik and Karen Armbrust, Credo combines an intensive study of music and performance with the ideal of Christian love to promote a holistic learning experience for students ages thirteen to twenty-three. Fostering personal growth in addition to musicianship is the aim here, and this is perhaps best summarized in Credo’s mission statement, “Develop the Gift, Acknowledge the Source, Respond with Service.”

Now, sixteen years later, Credo hosts annual string and piano programs in Oberlin, Chicago, and, for the last two years, in Sydney, Australia. The Oberlin festival will run from Sunday, June 28 through Saturday, July 18, and it will feature regular student and faculty chamber music performances. (For details, see the Credo calendar). From July 20 to 25, the next stage of Credo’s summer programming will spotlight the first-ever Credo Flute symposium alongside the traditional Prelude Chicago for ages eleven to eighteen. [Read more…]