Each January since 2002, a group of Juilliard musicians have sacrificed the last week of their winter break to return to school early and prepare for ChamberFest, which this year includes seven concerts in three days.

ChamberFest occupies a unique place at Juilliard—since its founding some 1,530 students in 310 ensembles heard over the years. The intensive’s unlimited rehearsal time and daily coaching yield an extraordinarily rich artistic and educational result, essential for the training of the 21st-century artist-citizen. It has been a home for the traditional—Beethoven, Brahms, Dvořák, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Schubert, and Shostakovich—and the unusual. Among the latter this year will be improvised presentations and premieres.