Location: Reno First United Methodist Church
209 W. 1st Street, Reno NV
Dates: July 31 – August 7, 2026
Eligibility: Intermediate to advanced string students (Elementary through High School).
Schedule of Events
- Friday, July 31 (Evening): Intro to How [Not] to Play Chamber Music – An entertaining demonstration on the complexities of successful performance.
- Saturday & Sunday, August 1–2: Workshop Intensive (Core Days).
- Monday & Tuesday, August 3–4: Optional coaching sessions and private lessons.
- Tuesday, August 4 (Evening): Faculty Concert featuring special guest oboist Aaron Hill (Baroque program).
- Friday, August 7 (Evening): Final Recital with Student Chamber Groups.
Note: All evening events are mandatory for participants and open to the public. School resumes the week of August 10.
Tuition & Application
- Fee: $100 per student (due at time of application).
- Financial Aid: Available upon request. Contact Sylvia Harrison at sylvia.harrison20@gmail.com before applying.
- Deadline: Thursday, June 26, 2026.
How to Apply
- Prepare a Video: 1–5 minutes of one or two contrasting solo pieces.
- What to play? Anything you feel confident with. Solo or with piano; no orchestral parts.
- Quality? Smartphone recordings are fine. Ensure your hands and instrument are in the frame and the room is quiet.
- Who watches? Faculty only, used strictly for ensemble placement and compatibility.
- Upload to YouTube: Set the visibility to “Unlisted.”
- Complete Form: Submit contact info, instrument details, and your video link via the online application.
- Payment: Pay the $100 fee via the application form (PayPal/Venmo options coming soon).
Faculty Profiles
Dustin Budish – Workshop Director & Chamber Music Coach
Dustin serves as Principal Viola of the Reno Philharmonic and the Reno Chamber Orchestra, and also conducts the Reno Philharmonic Youth Concert Orchestra (YCO).
A native of Reno, Dustin is deeply committed to fostering the next generation of musicians. For more than a decade, he has guided the YCO through adventurous programming that spans classical masterworks to popular favorites like The Legend of Zelda. His engaging rehearsal style and imaginative concert presentations have made him a beloved mentor to hundreds of young musicians across northern Nevada. As a performer, Dustin has appeared with ensembles around the world, including the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, with which he toured across Europe, Asia, and Israel and collaborated with artists such as Maxim Vengerov. As a member of the New World Symphony, he performed at Carnegie Hall with Michael Tilson Thomas and Yo-Yo Ma. He has also performed with the San Francisco Symphony, at the Sun Valley Music Festival, and was featured as soloist with the Reno Phil in Walton’s Viola Concerto.
Dustin studied viola at the Oberlin Conservatory, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the New England Conservatory, where his principal teachers were Jeffrey Irvine and Martha Katz. In addition to his work with the Reno Phil and RCO, he teaches viola at the University of Nevada, Reno, and maintains a private studio of violinists and violists, where he is dedicated to nurturing both artistry and community in the next generations of musicians.
Daniel Darmesin Flanagan – Chamber Music Coach
Daniel Darmesin Flanagan serves as Concertmaster of the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera, Concertmaster of West Edge Opera, and Instructor of Violin at University of California, Berkeley.
Flanagan created The Bow and the Brush, an organization that commissions new music inspired by paintings and sculptures. With over 40 chamber and solo works by 25 composers, he has performed solo recitals across the United States and Europe, including Carnegie Hall, University of California, Boston University, University of Rome, Stern Pissarro Gallery, and The American Library in Paris. Several of these compositions can be heard on his album, The Bow and the Brush, released by MSR Classics.
Flanagan has performed as concertmaster with the Oakland Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, California Symphony, California Musical Theater, Berkeley Symphony, Symphony San Jose, Modesto Symphony, and Opera Parallèle. He performs with SF Opera, SF Ballet, Berkelium String Quartet, and Eco Ensemble. As a composer, he has been commissioned by International Arts Educators Forum, Cecilia String Quartet, Farallon Quintet, Hunter’s Point Shipyard Artists, Shipyard Gallery, Gold Coast Chamber Players, Le Petit Festival, and Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera. His compositions are published by American Composers Alliance and his transcriptions are published by Asenda Music and Fennica Gherman.
For more information, see https://danflanaganviolin.com
Danbe Lee – Chamber Music Coach
An accomplished and versatile performer, Danbe Lee has established a vibrant career appearing in numerous concert halls throughout the United States and abroad. Her recent performance highlights include engagements with the Houston Symphony, Kinetic Ensemble, Sarasota Orchestra, and the Caroga Lake Music Festival. On the international stage, she has been invited to participate in world-renowned music festivals, most notably the Verbier Festival Orchestra in Switzerland and the Britten-Pears Orchestra in the United Kingdom. Throughout these residencies, she has performed under the baton of some of the most illustrious conductors in the classical world, including Marin Alsop, Charles Dutoit, Valery Gergiev, Zubin Mehta, Gianandrea Noseda, Antonio Pappano, and Esa-Pekka Salonen.
Beyond her performance career, Danbe is a highly trained pedagogue and scholar. She holds a second Master of Music degree in Cello Performance from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Prior to her time in Houston, she completed both her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she also underwent Suzuki pedagogy training with Dr. Melissa Kraut. Her primary musical mentorship has been guided by Desmond Hoebig and Stephen Geber, both distinguished former principal cellists of the Cleveland Orchestra.