Interlochen to Celebrate Conclusion of 93rd Camp Season With Virtual 'Collage' and 'Les Préludes'

This summer, friends of Interlochen Center for the Arts around the world can enjoy two popular Interlochen Arts Camp traditions virtually. Young artists of Interlochen's first-ever virtual arts camp will present "Collage," a showcase of student artwork and performances, and "Les Préludes," the final camp concert, virtually on July 18 and 19, respectively.

To nurture young artists during this unprecedented era of social distancing, the 93rd season of Interlochen's renowned multidisciplinary summer arts program is taking place exclusively online, with over 1,400 students in grades 2-12 from 47 states, 21 countries, and 5 continents.

"The world now needs artists more than ever, and these students have answered the call," said Trey Devey, president of Interlochen Center for the Arts. "Our 2020 Interlochen Arts Camp students let nothing stand in their way, and the work they created over the past few weeks is truly inspirational."

As in previous summers, "Collage" will showcase student work from across Interlochen's multidisciplinary camp programs: acting, musical theatre, theatre design and production, creative writing, visual arts, dance, filmmaking, classical music performance and composition, music production and engineering, songwriting, jazz performance and improvisation, and general arts.

"Les Préludes," the final camp concert, will feature musical performances including the sweeping symphonic tone poem by Franz Liszt that has been played on the last night of Interlochen Arts Camp since 1928. This summer's students will record their parts from their homes, under the virtual baton of the renowned conductor Cristian Măcelaru, artistic director and principal conductor of Interlochen's World Youth Symphony Orchestra, chief conductor of the WDR Sinfonieorchester, music director of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, and music director designate of the Orchestre National de France.

The historic performance will begin with a recording of Interlochen campers from a previous summer and then transition to this summer's virtual performers. The concert will conclude as it has for decades: with a performance of "The Interlochen Theme" by Howard Hanson and the symbolic breaking of the baton.

"Collage" and "Les Préludes" will be pre-recorded and then streamed at interlochen.org/watch and on Facebook at 7 p.m. EDT on Saturday, July 18, and Sunday, July 19, respectively. (Both will be available on demand.)