Led by two of Canada's most active cellists
Guillaume Artus and Daniel Hamin Go,
SCI’s curriculum goes beyond the practice room
to develop complete young artists.
SUMMER
CELLO
INTENSIVE
Led by two of Canada's most active cellists Guillaume Artus and
Daniel Hamin Go, SCI’s curriculum goes beyond the practice room to develop complete young artists.
PHILOSOPHY
The Summer Cello Institute was designed to bridge the gap between raw instrumental technique and the physical and communicative realities of a sustainable artistic career in the 21st-century.
TECHNIQUE
Rigorous structural analysis to optimize physical mechanics, refine efficiency, and expand tonal palette.
ARTISTRY
Cultivating a distinct interpretive voice through historical context, structural analysis, and storytelling.
BODY AWARENESS
Prioritizing somatic wellness, physical ergonomics, and injury prevention tailored specifically for string players.
COMMUNICATION
Empowering musicians to articulate their creative vision on & off the stage with clarity, presence, and confidence.
CURRICULUM
Private Lessons
One-on-one, intensive master sessions designed to accelerate individual technical development and artistic maturity. Students receive rigorous, personalized diagnostic instruction from our distinguished faculty, systematically deconstructing physical mechanics, expanding tonal palettes, and refining stylistic interpretation across their core solo repertoire.
One private lesson with each faculty cellist.
Technique Class
Daily pedagogical laboratories focused on isolating and perfecting foundational mechanics. These sessions provide an exhaustive, highly structured analysis of bow arm, shifting, fundamental intonation systems, and performance strategies, giving students concrete frameworks to reshape their daily practice & performance habits.
New technical paradigms to integrate into daily home practice.
Cello Ensemble
An immersive orchestral laboratory exploring the rich, sonorous possibilities of the cello. Students engage in rigorous daily collaborative rehearsals, mastering complex ensemble mechanics, precision listening, and group intonation across diverse standard and contemporary literature.
Ensemble repertoire selections will be formally announced by June 20th.
Body Awareness
A somatic curriculum designed to dismantle the physical strain of elite string playing. Through specialized sessions integrating yoga, Pilates, and ballet fundamentals, students systematically analyze their alignment, eliminate chronic tension, and discover true movement fluency at the instrument.
Instructed by Agnes Su (Principal, National Ballet of Canada).
The Artist's Voice
A multi-day intensive bridging rigorous academic research and commanding stage presence. Students are guided to decode the historical context of their repertoire, uncover deep personal meaning within the music, and craft a polished, two-minute spoken introduction to deliver live at the final capstone showcase.
Instructed by Michelle Jia (Founder, IRID – Institute for Relational Intelligence in Design).
Final Concert
A final public showcase performance at Grace Church on the Hill featuring dedicated, professional collaborative piano accompaniment. To support our artists' professional portfolios, professional audio & video recordings are provided to every participant.
Professional media assets are fully included in the program tuition.
FACULTY
GUILLAUME ARTUS
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The French cellist Guillaume Artus has made his debut in some of the world's most prestigious concert halls: the Berlin Philharmonie, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the Oriental Arts Centre in Shanghai, Victoria Hall in Geneva, the Salzburg Festival Hall, and the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing.
His latest CD release, "Fräulein Else" featuring chamber music by Graciane Finzi, received the highest rating from the French magazine Diapason.
He is also a prize winner of international competitions, including the Raynaud Zurfluh Competition and the Liezen Cello Competition.
Guillaume has been the principal cellist of the Canadian Opera Company since 2024. Before this appointment he was associate principal in the Stuttgart State Orchestra since 2017 and is a member of the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra since 2016.
Constantly seeking new experiences and musical encounters, he has been a guest principal cellist with the SWR Stuttgart, and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva.
Since 2026, he is the new member of the “Ensemble Made in Canada”, a JUNO award recipient piano quartet.
He studied in Lyon with Yvan Chiffoleau and in Berlin at the Hanns Eisler School of Music with Claudio Bohorquez.
DANIEL HAMIN GO
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The first time Daniel Hamin Go picked up the cello, he was 12.
As he drew the bow across the open C string, the cello’s vibrations resonated throughout his entire body. He remembers being moved and filled with light - a light that has guided his desire to explore the truth that lies in life, in music, and in himself. It’s the light that fuels his need to connect with audiences and to share interpretations that demand a full commitment to emotional expression - and it’s what’s propelling his international career as a soloist and chamber musician.
Go has performed across three continents, making appearances at the Berliner Philharmonie, Cadogan, Carnegie Hall, Flagey Studios, and Konzerthaus Berlin. As an avid chamber musician, Go has received invitations to festivals including the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, IMS Prussia Cove, Kronberg Academy, Krzyzowa Music, Mendelssohn on Mull, Music Academy of the West, Ravinia's Steans Institute of Music, Tsinandali Festival, and Yellow Barn, and his chamber partners include Jonathan Biss, Glenn Dicterow, Miriam Fried, David Geber, Ida Kavafian, Richard O’Neill, Daniel Philips, Rachel Podger, Wolfgang Redik, Fazil Say, Barry Shiffman, and Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden.
Go’s education took place in six institutions across five countries, regularly participating in masterclasses with Steven Isserlis, Ferenc Rados, and Rita Wagner. Go received a Bachelor of Music from the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Julia Lichten and David Geber, a Master of Music at the Hochschule für Musik 'Hanns Eisler' Berlin in the class of Nicolas Altstaedt, and as a recipient of the prestigious Bicentenary Award and the Drake Calleja Trust Award, Go completed an Advanced Diploma at the Royal Academy of Music. During the 2021-22 season, Go was an artist-in-residence at the coveted Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel working closely with Gary Hoffman. During the 2022-23 season, Go held a fellowship position at the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Residency Program.
In 2025, Go released his debut album, ARIRANG, on Orchid Classics with the generous support of Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Arts Council. He performs on a cello made by Antonio & Rafaelle Gagliano, Naples ca. 1830, generously on loan by CANIMEX INC., from Drummondville (Quebec), Canada.
AGNES SU
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Agnes Su was born in Newport Beach, California and trained at the Pacific Coast Academy of Dance and the Southland Ballet Academy.
She joined The Stuttgart Ballet in 2013 and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2021. Agnes joined The National Ballet of Canada as a Principal Dancer in 2025.
Agnes’ repertoire with The National Ballet of Canada includes Hermione in The Winter’s Tale and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker.
Agnes has danced leading roles in Swan Lake,The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Onegin, Mayerling, The Taming of the Shrew, Firebird, The Lady of the Camellias, Blake Works I, The Second Detail and more. She has also performed contemporary works by renowned choreographers Jiří Kylián, Hans van Manen, Akram Khan and Roland Petit, as well as created roles in works by Christian Spuck, Marco Goecke, Demis Volpi and Johan Inger.
As a choreographer, Agnes has created two works, White Light in 2019 and Resonanz in 2020, for The Stuttgart Ballet. She has performed extensively in international galas all over the world, especially in Europe, Asia and North America.
As a student, Agnes took part in the Youth American Grand Prix, and along with winning the Hope Award in 2009 and the Junior Grand Prix in 2011 at the regional level, she received full scholarships to the Princess Grace Dance Academy in Monaco and the John Cranko School in Stuttgart, Germany.
MICHELLE JIA
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Michelle Jia is a teacher, ethnographic researcher and artist who has taught at the Stanford d.school for nearly a decade. She has taught or guest lectured at Stanford, UC Berkeley, the University of Toronto and Upper Canada College and advised on innovation projects for the State of Michigan, Teach for America and Oceankind.
As an artist, she has published her poetry in major magazines in Canada and abroad, including Arc Poetry, CV2 and Canadian Literature. Her debut album as a singer-songwriter, To Name the Wind, was released in the summer of 2024.
Locally, she works as the founder and academic head of IRID.space, an experimental school in Toronto dedicated to fostering unusual talent, curiosity and hope.
For inquiries or assistance with your application, please reach out to us at:
ENROLMENT & FAQS
I. Dates, Location & Tuition
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Dates: July 20 – July 24, 2026
Daily Hours: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Location: Grace Church on the Hill (300 Lonsdale Rd, Toronto, ON)
FEES & TUITION
Application Fee: $60 CAD (Non-refundable, due upon submission)
Tuition: $1,250 CAD
Early Bird Incentive: Save $75 CAD on tuition for applications received on or before June 15, 2026.
ENROLMENT CAPACITY & DEPOSITS
Cohort Size: To maintain an intimate, rigorous, and high-level learning environment, the 2026 Summer Cello Intensive is strictly limited to a maximum of 10 cellists.
Deposits: A 50% non-refundable tuition deposit is required within 7 days of your admission notice. The remaining balance is due prior to the start of the program.
II. Application Requirements
REPERTOIRE & FORMAT
Selection: One piece of your choice that best reflects your current technical proficiency and artistry.
Accompaniment:Unaccompanied recordings (performance without piano) are fully acceptable.
FORMAT
Media Submission: Provide a direct YouTube or Vimeo link recorded within the past six months (smartphone video accepted).
Privacy Settings: Ensure all video links are set to "Public" or "Unlisted" for faculty panel review.
LEVEL & AGE GUIDELINES
Recommended Level:An established foundation of RCM Level 7 or higher (or equivalent) is suggested.
Age Requirements: The core summer program is designed for cellists aged 14–25.
Exceptional Admission: Advanced applicants aged 12–13 will be considered on an exceptional, case-by-case basis.
III. Preparation & Materials
REQUIRED ITEMS
Instrument: Your cello and bow in proper playing condition.
Music Scores: All scores, including any accompanying piano parts.
Technology: A laptop, tablet, or mobile phone to be utilized for The Artist’s Voice project research.
Performance Attire: Formal concert dress for the final performance (details provided upon acceptance).
DAILY ACCESSORIES & FOOD
Maintenance: A notebook, pencil, rosin, and a spare set of strings.
Nutrition: A daily packed lunch.
Provided by CSoC: Daily nut-free snacks and bottled water will be provided for all participants throughout the intensive.
IV. Our Commitment to Health & Safety
FACULTY VETTING & POLICY
Background Clearances: All core faculty members strictly hold a current, verified Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) issued by the Toronto Police Service (TPS).
The Rule of Two: No child is ever left unmonitored. Every 1-on-1 lesson requires two adults present: the instructor and a vetted administrative coordinator or volunteer.
INSURANCE & COMPLIANCE
Liability Coverage: All program activities are fully protected under a comprehensive commercial event liability insurance policy.
Institutional Code: Full policy documentation regarding student supervision, media consent, and code of conduct is provided upon formal acceptance.