Hi my 13yr old (will be 14 in summer) flutist daughter got into both Kinhaven & Luzerne senior sessions and also the NYSSSA orchestral studies program. Very excited but having a hard time deciding and need to place deposit already. Looking for strongest music training and experience possible. Any advice/input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!
Kinhaven! Kinhaven! Kinhaven! Both of my kid went there. It is magical and is a terrific experience. Great faculty and nurturing environment. One of my kids went there for 3 years and one went for college chamber music program. Older one went to Luzerne and did not like it at all. I have experience myself as a flutist a million years ago at NYSSSA and that would be my 2nd choice. I also worked there as a counselor a million years ago but have sent a couple of students there over the years. I have a lot of experience of music camps from my kids and myself and Kinhaven is a life changing experience
We know the owner and would echo Kinhaven!
I agree with Cellocompmom. My three younger kids went to Kinhaven and it is indeed magical. Among other things, it engendered a lifelong love of chamber music. It was life changing for them, as well. Many of their peers from those days are among their good friends, still, especially for my daughter who went into music professionally. Among her peers from Kinhaven are many who went on to major conservatories and careers in music.
Thanks so much for all your responses! Sounds like Kinhaven is worth the extra cost, which, after a small scholarship they gave us, is still more than double the cost of Luzerne (who gave us a nice scholarship) and NYSSSA. Kinhaven is 6 weeks long and Luzerne and NYSSSA are both 4 weeks. She’d also have to give up her cell phone at Kinhaven (same deal with Luzerne but not with NYSSSA) which is a total disaster for her lol. But she’s more concerned about the calibre of the music playing and training. And she LOVES chamber music. The nice thing about the NYSSSA program is that they got the Philadelphia Orchestra musicians there for 3 weeks who help with sectionals and I was told that private lessons could be arranged for extra costs. NYSSSA also has chamber music but seems like not as much. That’s why it was so hard to decide.
I am sure you can find performances of Senior Kinhaven on You Tube if you want to hear level of play. My son found level to be very good. Also once you get in it felt more nurturing than competitive. He loved his private lessons there and his studio classes and the chance to study to take composition and have his compositions played and to play other student composer’s pieces. Chamber music is a huge part of the program as is orchestra. They all love the singing and it is small enough they all know each other. I do not think she will have time to miss her phone. Plus this is one of the few summer programs where the food is actually really good and healthy. My one kid who went to Kinhaven for several years had spent several previous summers at Greenwood, and after Kinhaven 3 years at Tanglewood and a couple more at Bowdoin and he still says Kinhaven was among his most wonderful and helpful summers and he still runs into Kinhaven friends at his college and summer programs. She will have a great summer whatever she picks.
After Kinhaven, my daughter went to Encore, Heifetz, Quartet Program, Bowdoin, Aspen, Music Academy, Sarasota Festival, Kneisel Hall, Norfolk, PMP, Verbier-- you name it; I’ve probably missed a few. But Kinhaven has her heart.
Thanks cellocompmom! Kinhaven sounds really good! Interesting about it being “magical.” I heard great things about Greenwood too but I heard it’s better for strings than winds. Yes my D did search through YouTube and FB for recordings of all three camps. Both Kinhaven and NYSSSA orchestras sounded really good and had some big reps. Kinhaven chamber music also sounded amazing but she couldn’t find any chamber music recording or program from NYSSSA. My D is not interested in composition though I wonder if she can take something else instead like music theory but doesn’t sound like they have it. I love what you said about it being nurturing since she’ll be on the young side in the senior program.
Wow glassharmonica that’s a long impressive list. All votes on Kinhaven…
Also Ravinia (not to beat a dead horse, but later while walking the dog I remembered that one.) Kinhaven remains the fondest memory. 
Wow, it’s so exciting to read these comments! My daughter is going to the one-week Kinhaven Young Artist Seminar this summer (and also Bowdoin). She has not done a lot of festivals. Kinhaven seems amazing from everything we know (and I only learned of it recently), but seeing how much you all like Kinhaven, especially since I know, from reading lots of other threads, that you’re all very experienced, makes me so happy!