The Academy

The Cambridge Camerata Academy is dedicated to providing a distinctly world class Cambridge musical education to promising young pianists and string players.  Since we began in 2021, we have been steadily gaining a reputation as one of the country’s outstanding musical institutions.  This is thanks to our focus on chamber music and the close relations built over time with many of the country's top musicians.  

Trained and mentored by our inspiring regular tutors as well as renowned guest tutors, Academy students receive an unrivalled musical education with sessions taking place on Sunday afternoons at King's College School.  Past students have gone on to study at the senior conservatoire level at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal Academy of Music, Trinity Laban, as well as at the music faculties of top universities.  However, while the Academy strives to foster musical excellence, the ultimate goal is to give its students invaluable life skills, regardless of whether they choose to pursue a career in music or not.   

Chamber Music at the core
The truth is nothing develops young minds better than chamber music.  At the Academy, students are exposed to its demanding rigors early on and are invited over time to take ownership of a highly rewarding personal journey thorough it.  Starting as young Mozarts, they begin forging their own musical identity as Beethovens before becoming fully confident chamber musicians as Ravels.  This happens in a supportive environment where tutors mentor students rather than teach them, respecting them as young minds eager to learn and grow.

Main Programme

The Academy programme runs on Sundays at King's College School where over 5 sessions per term students play in chamber ensembles and orchestra, working toward an end-of-term recital on their last day of the term. Mozarts come on Bach Sundays while Beethovens and Ravels come on the alternating Brahms Sundays. Masterclasses, Solo Recitals and casual Tea Time concerts are special days on top of this. Students also have the option of taking weekly private lessons with Academy tutors.

Rehearsal Techniques
The objective at the Academy is for ensembles to free themselves from the vantage point of their individual  instruments to create convincing musical interpretations by themselves together. To ensure this, Beethovens receive support in Rehearsal Techniques in their independent rehearsal time, a toolbox of key skills that enables them to take full ownership of their performances by the time they are Ravels. 

Mozarts  Bach Sundays
1-hour coached Chamber Ensemble Rehearsals
Bach String Orchestra
Music Skills
Solo Performances

Beethovens Brahms Sundays
2-hour Chamber Ensemble Rehearsals
one hour coached, one hour independent with Rehearsal Techniques support
Brahms String Orchestra
Masterclasses and Solo Performances
Optional Music Skills

Ravels Brahms Sundays
2-hour Chamber Ensemble Rehearsals
one hour coached, one hour fully independent
Brahms String Orchestra
Masterclasses and Solo Performances
Optional Music Skills

Advanced Programmes

Camerata Etude Bach Sundays
The Etude provides tailored musical enrichment to our more advanced students to help them reach their full musical potential.  Etude students are exposed to high level musical life through the prepation and performance of solo and chamber recitals in Camerata concerts.

Composition Studio Bach and Brahms Sundays
The Composition Studio offers a small group of talented young composers the rare opportunity to compose for professional musicians.  Run by renowned composer Darren Bloom, the Studio assigns a set chamber ensemble for students to write for, with student compositions workshopped as works-in-progress before being showcased in performance. This is complemented by individual lessons with Darren as well as the classroom study of traditional composition techniques.

Academy 2026-2027 Schedule

Autumn Term
Sept 13 Bach Sunday
Sept 20 Brahms Sunday
Sept 27 Bach Sunday
Oct 4 Brahms Sunday
Oct 11 Bach Sunday
Oct 18 Brahms Sunday
Nov 1 Masterclasses
Nov 8 Solo Recital Day
Nov 15 Bach Sunday
Nov 22 Brahms Sunday
Nov 29 Bach Sunday
Dec 6 Brahms Sunday
Spring Term
Jan 3 Bach Sunday
Jan 10 Brahms Sunday
Jan 17 Bach Sunday
Jan 24 Brahms Sunday
Jan 31 Bach Sunday
Feb 7 Brahms Sunday
Feb 21 Solo Recital Day
Feb 28 Bach Sunday
March 7 Brahms Sunday
March 14 Bach Sunday
March 21 Brahms Sunday