Summer String Academy
Lazy F Camp and Retreat Center, 16170 Manastash Rd., Ellensburg, WA 98926
About
Summer String Academy is a 6-day overnight orchestra camp where students take part in orchestra rehearsals, large and small ensembles, fiddling, music theory, and small group sessions with professional musicians. A typical day includes orchestra rehearsal, camp activities, rest time, small ensemble work, individual practice time, small group time, dinner, and ends with campfire and snacks followed by lights out. The program also includes small group time in the evenings and additional orchestra rehearsal after dinner.
• Ages: 11–15 years old
• Schedule: 6-day overnight camp, July 26–31, 2026, with daily activities from wake up at 7:30am through lights out at 9:30pm
• Price: Early Bird discount is $710 until April 15, 2026; regular price is $760; a $50 non-refundable, non-transferrable deposit per registration is required to secure a reservation; all payments are due July 19, 2026
Summer String Academy began its inaugural year in August 2015. The leadership team includes music educators and orchestra directors Chase and Christi Chang, Camp Director Dave (David) Burfeind, and Program Coordinator Mo Hampton. Chase and Christi Chang have more than 48 years of combined experience with adolescent music education, and campers work with world-class professional musicians, music educators, university professors, and highly experienced camp counselors. The camp has a low campers-to-staff ratio, and students are expected to have at least one year of playing experience in their school string program or equivalent and be entering 6th, 7th, 8th, or 9th grade in the fall.
The mission of Summer String Academy is to educate the whole child socially and emotionally through musical experiences, positive encouragement, friendships, and fun physical outdoor activities, from rehearsal etiquette to healthy relationships, nurturing the whole musician. Summer String Academy thanks Camp Director Dave Burfeind and the United Methodist Church for providing the venue and means for the orchestra camp. The program includes a concert for friends and family on Friday, July 31 at 10:00am in the Manastash Lodge, and camp concludes at the end of the concert. Parents who drive their campers check in at the camp upon arrival, while parents of bus-riding students check in with camp staff at Bellevue High School on Sunday afternoon, and confirmations and follow-up information are sent by email unless a family prefers mail.
Last updated June 12, 2026.
• Ages: 11–15 years old
• Schedule: 6-day overnight camp, July 26–31, 2026, with daily activities from wake up at 7:30am through lights out at 9:30pm
• Price: Early Bird discount is $710 until April 15, 2026; regular price is $760; a $50 non-refundable, non-transferrable deposit per registration is required to secure a reservation; all payments are due July 19, 2026
Summer String Academy began its inaugural year in August 2015. The leadership team includes music educators and orchestra directors Chase and Christi Chang, Camp Director Dave (David) Burfeind, and Program Coordinator Mo Hampton. Chase and Christi Chang have more than 48 years of combined experience with adolescent music education, and campers work with world-class professional musicians, music educators, university professors, and highly experienced camp counselors. The camp has a low campers-to-staff ratio, and students are expected to have at least one year of playing experience in their school string program or equivalent and be entering 6th, 7th, 8th, or 9th grade in the fall.
The mission of Summer String Academy is to educate the whole child socially and emotionally through musical experiences, positive encouragement, friendships, and fun physical outdoor activities, from rehearsal etiquette to healthy relationships, nurturing the whole musician. Summer String Academy thanks Camp Director Dave Burfeind and the United Methodist Church for providing the venue and means for the orchestra camp. The program includes a concert for friends and family on Friday, July 31 at 10:00am in the Manastash Lodge, and camp concludes at the end of the concert. Parents who drive their campers check in at the camp upon arrival, while parents of bus-riding students check in with camp staff at Bellevue High School on Sunday afternoon, and confirmations and follow-up information are sent by email unless a family prefers mail.
Last updated June 12, 2026.
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