Application & Admission

Tuition for the 2009 Montecito Summer Music Festival is $3,450, which includes includes room (double or triple occupancy) all meals, two one-hour private lessons per week, two chamber music coaching sessions per week, accompanists, concerts, master classes, field trips, recreational activities and ample opportunity for individual and ensemble practice time.  If accepted, a deposit of $750 is due by April 15, 2009.  The balance of $2,700 is due by May 15, 2009.

Please click here for the downloadable 2009 application. 

For merit scholarship consideration, applicants must submit all requirements of the general application, plus an additional letter of recommendation from a professional in a related field.  Be sure to submit the highest possible quality recording of your audition selections.

For need-based scholarship consideration, applicants must submit all requirements of the general application, plus an additional letter of recommendation from a professional in a related field, plus an explanation of financial need, along with either a copy of the 2008 IRS-1040 or an equivalent documentation of income.  Be sure to submit the highest possible quality recording of your audition selections.

Additional scholarship opportunities:

Applicants with the highest musical qualifications may apply for one of the four fully-paid Westmont Fellowships (one per instrument), sponsored by Westmont College.  Each of the four selected Fellowship students (violin, viola, cello and piano) will present a 50-minute solo recital during the Festival and will be required to fulfill additional duties, which may include performing in a Fellowship chamber ensemble, coaching younger students and serving as an assistant to a faculty member.  The piano Fellowship student will have additional accompaniment responsibilities.  The Fellowship application requires an audition DVD of 30 minutes of performance demonstrating outstanding technical proficiency and musical ability, as well as two letters of recommendation.  The fee for the Westmont Fellowship application is $100.

Applicants who are at least 18 years of age may apply for a Work-Scholarship position.  Work-Scholarship recipients receive a $1,000 discount off the regular tuition, but will have limited time available for lessons and individual practice since they will be required to work up to eight hours per day (or night) as resident counselors in the dormitory.  Work-Scholarship recipients will have full access to concerts, master classes and other activities, as long as those activities do not conflict with their work hours.  Applicants for the Work-Scholarship positions should complete the Work-Scholarship application in addition to the general application.

International Applicants (not U. S. residents) should obtain a Non-Immigrant Visa (NIV) through their closest U. S. embassy.  Obtaining a visa can take several weeks, so applicants are encouraged to begin the process as soon as possible.  Montecito Summer Music Festival cannot assist in the application process or make allowances for delays or cancellations because of visa processing.

The Festival is happy to provide a formal letter of invitation for use in the visa application process for non-U. S. residents.  However, we do not provide such letter unless you specifically request it.  Please send us your request before you begin your visa application process.

You can find a list of links to embassies here.  Once you find the embassy closest to you, click on the links for Visas/Non-Immigrant Visas for instructions on obtaining a visa.


If you have any questions about the application procedure or requirements, please do not hesitate to call or email.