Fry Street Festival Keeps USU's Summer Arts Scene Thriving

LOGAN — While many college campuses grow quiet during the summer months, Utah State University's Department of Music continues to welcome students, artists and audiences through the annual Fry Street Chamber Music Festival.

The 10-day intensive program that combines advanced music training with a public concert series featuring internationally recognized faculty.

The festival brings together talented string players and pianists ages 14-18 for coaching sessions, private lessons, master classes, seminars and performance opportunities under the guidance of USU faculty and distinguished guest artists.

"The Fry Street Chamber Music Festival creates an uncommon opportunity for students, faculty and visiting artists to learn, perform and build community together through chamber music," said Rebecca McFaul, professional practice professor of violin and member of the Fry Street Quartet. "At a time when so much of life is mediated by technology and measured by outcomes, FSCMF offers something increasingly rare: an immersive experience centered on mentorship, collaboration, shared artistic discovery and the transformative power of music itself."

That uniquely hands-on educational experience is also a chance for young musicians to preview college life on USU’s Logan campus. This year’s festival will see students participate from July 8-18.

"For students at exactly the age when they're deciding where to study, the festival provides a meaningful window into what musical life at USU actually feels like," McFaul said. "Rather than a brief campus visit, participants spend 10 days working closely with USU faculty, current students and distinguished guest artists, experiencing firsthand the culture of mentorship, artistic excellence and community that defines the program."

McFaul noted that many festival participants later audition for and enroll in USU's string program, helping create a cycle of mentorship that connects prospective students, current students, faculty and alumni.

Hosted since 2017, the festival offers leadership opportunities for existing students as well. Throughout the festival, USU students serve as resident assistants, helping coordinate daily operations and providing support to visiting participants.

"It's a level of real-world responsibility rarely available in a classroom, giving students hands-on experience in leadership, communication and arts administration that serves them well beyond their time at USU,” McFaul said.

Directed by the Fry Street Quartet, USU’s quartet-in-residence, the annual festival's student experience and concert series have become a summertime tradition for musicians and audiences throughout the region, featuring performances by the Fry Street Quartet, guest artists and festival faculty, culminating in a final student concert.

"Performances and masterclasses are open to the public because the festival was designed not only for students, but as a gift to the wider Cache Valley community," McFaul said. "Summer concerts create opportunities for audiences to encounter world-class musicians in an intimate setting while reminding us that music is ultimately a communal act — one that brings people together across generations, backgrounds and experiences."

It is one of several arts-focused summer programs that keep USU's creative community active between semesters. Alongside offerings such as Arts Access Maker Camps, Orff Schulwerk teacher-training programs and the Lyric Repertory Company Youth Camp, the Fry Street Chamber Music Festival demonstrates a year-round commitment to arts education, community engagement and professional development at USU.

"At a time of year when many cultural offerings slow down, the festival creates a vibrant space for learning, listening and connection, strengthening the ties between the university and the community it serves," McFaul said.

This year’s concerts begin on July 10. For more information about the Fry Street Chamber Music Festival, including concert schedules and ticket information, visit artsci.usu.edu/music/events/summer/fscmf.