VU Summer Music Camp

VU Summer Music Camp includes choir, concert band, and string orchestra ensembles, along with workshops that cover a range of musical disciplines such as instrumental techniques, music theory, and composition. The camp schedule also includes fun evening events like a movie night on the lawn, a camp carnival, and “A Night With the Pros,” a concert from professional musicians, and it culminates in a series of performances from the ensembles. Due to scheduling, each camper selects one primary instrument and ensemble, and those interested in a smaller honors chamber ensemble on a second instrument can indicate this on the registration form.

• Ages: 14–18 years old
• Schedule: Day camp running from 9am–9pm each day; lunch and dinner provided on campus for the first three days, with campers providing all meals on the final performance day
• Price: Cost: TBD

VU Summer Music Camp is hosted by Vanguard University and is open to students who will be in 9th–12th grades as of Fall 2024. Each student is responsible for their own overnight accommodations, their own breakfast each day, all meals on the final performance day, and arranging transportation to and from camp each day. Lunch and dinner on the first three days are provided on campus by Bon Appétit, and campers list dietary restrictions and food allergies on the registration form so kitchen staff can prepare alternative meals.

Placement videos are required instead of auditions, and students must record and submit a video that shows them in full view in real time with no editing or cuts. The placement video must include one song of the student’s choice that reflects their current skill level and two major scales of their choice, with at least one octave and two or three octaves recommended for more advanced students. The deadline to submit placement videos is April 15th, and students are responsible for recording and submitting these videos following the stated requirements. Registration for VU Summer Music Camp 2025 will open in the fall.

VU Summer Music Camp faculty instructors are described as accomplished and renowned musicians who provide expert guidance and personalized instruction to aspiring musicians. Vanguard University’s mission is to pursue knowledge, cultivate character, deepen faith, and equip each student for a Spirit-empowered life of Christ-centered leadership and service. Vanguard University is a private Christian comprehensive university of liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies, is Orange County, California’s first four-year college, and is described as a top private Christian university in Orange County and a Christian university in Southern California where deep spiritual formation is integrated with transformational academics.

Vanguard University was founded in 1920, and Dr. Michael J. Beals became Vanguard’s tenth president on August 1, 2013. Vanguard University is recognized by U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 rankings as a first-tier regional university in the West, a Top Performer on Social Mobility, a Best College for Veterans, a Best Value School, and a Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program. Vanguard University has regional accreditation and membership in the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, its teaching credential program has received recognition and approval from the California State Board of Education, and its Graduate Studies Program received approval from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in June 1983. Vanguard University also received a record $35 million gift from Fred and Ruth Waugh.

Last updated March 27, 2026.