Presto PACO Camp

Session dates: July 21 to July 25, 2025

Presto PACO is our program for string players ages 8 – 13.  Open to both PACO members from SuperStrings, Prep and young musicians from our community, this is a chamber music workshop led by our very own Natasha Makhijani and Jory Fankuchen.  Presto PACO is a day camp, not a sleep-away, and goes five days (Monday – Friday) 9am – 3:30pm each day, plus a final concert on Friday afternoon.  After you have been selected from your audition, registration information will become available in April for select students as well as current and new members of SuperStrings and Prep. For SuperStrings and Prep students, your season starts with Presto PACO.

Along with PACO conductors/coaches Natasha Makhijani and Jory Fankuchen , Presto PACO camp is assisted by a stellar faculty as well as recent PACO graduates. The focus is on the cultivation of the musical and interpersonal skills that make for great collaboration in both a chamber ensemble and in orchestra.

This is an excellent opportunity to experience PACO’s unique brand of chamber music “magic” for those students not old enough for PACO Camp.  Every student is placed in a string quartet or trio, coached twice daily, given the opportunity to perform in master classes and an end-of-session public performance by each chamber ensemble, plus the all-camp Presto PACO string orchestra which also rehearses daily.

If you want to audition for the general PACO Season as well as Presto PACO, please do not use this link. Please go to the Auditions tab, where you can audition for both there.

Presto PACO will take place from July 21 to July 25, 2025.

 

Audition for Presto PACO

Registration starts on February 14, 2025.

To apply to Presto Camp, but not audition for the orchestra, please do the following:

  1. First fill out the Presto Camp Audition Registration form before making a payment.

  2. After completing registration, please pay the audition fee in the form below.


*** NOTE: If you are applying to join the PACO Orchestra, please do not use this audition registration. Go to the PACO audition page and follow the directions there.


Thank you, and we look forward to hearing your audition!