TMF Orchestra Institute Admissions

Expand AllCollapse All

• About the Festival

  The Texas Music Festival at the University of Houston, Moores School of Music offers identity-transforming and career-expanding training in America’s fourth largest city. Many inspiring artist/entrepreneurs, world-class orchestras, opera companies, and museums call Houston home. Houston offers emerging professional musicians unparalleled opportunities for career advancement, so join us for a summer learning experience that will change your life:

  • Level up! All fellows enjoy extensive study of orchestral masterworks under the mentorship of prestigious conductors and lessons with faculty from UH Moores School of Music, Rice University Shepherd School of Music, the Houston Symphony, and many other leading orchestras and music schools.  Festival highlights, 2025, include Mahler’s Symphony No. 5; Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances; Respighi Fountains of Rome; Prokofiev Cinderella and Violin Concerto no. 1 

   

  • Explore! All students receive career-growth training (entrepreneurship, early music, contemporary music techniques) and collaborate on exciting chamber music performances throughout Houston’s many iconic and eclectic concert venues. Select students will collaborate and perform with Festival faculty in the TMF Chamber Music Series. 

   

  • Take flight! Compete in the Cynthia Woods Mitchell-Ima Hogg Young Artist Competition for cash prizes and solo appearances with the Festival Orchestra. The winner will be invited to perform as a soloist with the Houston Symphony.

  
  
  

   

  Founded in 1990 with the support of Immanuel and Helen Olshan, the Texas Music Festival Orchestral Institute provides superior training for gifted young musicians who are entering the professional world. Daily activities include orchestra rehearsals, chamber music rehearsals and coaching, masterclasses, and individual lessons.

  Located on the urban University of Houston campus, TMF enjoys the use of the Moores School of Music’s impressive facilities. Orchestral Fellows are housed in UH dormitories and eat three meals daily in the UH cafeteria. Dorm rooms are double rooms in a four-person suite. Single rooms are available for an additional fee.

  The Festival Orchestra rehearses daily, culminating in Saturday night performances in the Moores Opera House, an 800-seat concert hall adorned by an extraordinary installation by Frank Stella. The third week of the festival is devoted entirely to the intensive study of chamber music and career-growth. At the culmination of the Festival's third week, students will enjoy an exciting variety of performing experiences in iconic Houston venues. 

  Seating is determined by placement auditions on Sunday, June 1. All seating rotates throughout the festival and is determined at this audition.

  Concertmaster and leadership positions rotate, and are assigned after seating auditions.

• Chamber Music

  All TMF Fellows are assigned, in advance, to a group, so that they can arrive fully prepared. Groups receive one coaching per week from TMF Faculty. Groups will have performance opportunities on TMF Student Chamber Music Concerts.

  The third week of the festival is devoted entirely to the intensive study of chamber music and career-growth. Students will enjoy an exciting variety of performing experiences in iconic Houston venues at the culmination of the Festival's third week.

  Select Students are awarded the opportunity to perform with faculty artists on the TMF, Tuesday night Chamber Music Series.  Positions will be open for violin, viola, cello, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and French horn. Students are selected through their Fesitival audition recordings.

• Cynthia Woods Mitchell – Ima Hogg Competition

  All members of the TMF Orchestral Institute and the TMF College Piano Institute are eligible to compete in the Mitchell - Hogg Competition for cash prizes and a solo appearance with the Festival Orchestra and the Houston Symphony. Click here for information/requirements.

• Cost

  Application fee: $60 (Due with application, non-refundable)
  Registration fee: $400 (Due on acceptance, non-refundable)

  Tuition: $4,000 (All students receive significant merit-based scholarships based on audition; full tuition scholarships are available to highly qualified applicants.)
  Room and Board: $2,200 (All students receive significant merit-based housing scholarships based on audition.)

  Mitchell-Hogg Competition Registration Fee: $30 (Optional, due on acceptance, non-refundable)
  J-1 Visa Fee: $250 (Required for applicable international students, due on acceptance)