Harvard Summer School 2012

Resources & Activities


Meet as many people as you can. Talk to as many people as you can. Just put yourself out there. Have fun. You’re sitting at one of the best universities in the world. Make use of it.
— Bismah Kasuri, Pakistan, summer student, ’09

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Activities at the Summer School

Harvard Summer School offers a rich array of free films, concerts, dances, social gatherings, lectures, and athletic events. In addition to campus activities, the Boston area is filled with many opportunities for enjoyment.

Athletics

There are many ways to remain active around campus: work out at Harvard gyms, participate in a tennis tournament or swim meet, or join Weld Boathouse and row on the Charles River. Learn more about the athletic facilities and resources.

Music

Students may participate in a variety of musical opportunities, including the Summer School pops band, chorus, and orchestra. Watch a video about the various musical opportunities offered during the summer.

Harvard Summer Pops Band

The band, led by Harvard University Band Director Thomas G. Everett, is open without audition to all brass, woodwind, and percussion players from both Harvard and the Greater Boston area, regardless of age or experience. No audition necessary. Interested wind, brass, and percussion players are advised to come to the first rehearsal with instrument and, if possible, a folding music stand.

Rehearsals are Wednesdays from 7:15 to 9:30 pm in Sanders Theatre. There will be a 2 concerts, (tentatively scheduled): one in Harvard Yard on the Memorial Church steps, Thursday, July 26 at 4 pm; and one at the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade, Sunday, July 29.

Check back for more information. Or call (617) 496-BAND (2263), see the Harvard Summer Pops Band 2011 website, or e-mail meolson@fas.harvard.edu.

Harvard Summer School Chorus

The chorus, under the direction of Andrew Clark, Harvard University’s director of choral activities, is open by audition to Harvard Summer School students and Greater Boston community singers. The chorus performs masterworks with full orchestral accompaniment. Auditions will be held in Holden Chapel from 1 to 5 pm on Saturday, June 23, and Sunday, June 24; and from 5 to 9 pm on Monday, June 25.

Rehearsals are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 to 9:45 pm, in Sanders Theatre, starting Tuesday, June 26, with an additional rehearsal the week of the concert. The concert is held in Sanders Theatre, tentatively scheduled for Friday, August 3, at 8 pm. Check back for more information, or e-mail summerchorus@hcs.harvard.edu.

Harvard Summer School Orchestra

The orchestra, directed by Judith Zuckerman, is open by audition to anyone of any age. No Harvard affiliation is required and there is no fee for participation, but participating musicians must be available for the entire Summer School term. The orchestra comprises approximately 60 players and performs works from the classical repertoire. The orchestra forms anew and there are openings for all instruments. Returning musicians must reaudition.

Auditions will be held in Memorial Hall; Tuesday, June 26, to Thursday, June 28, 5 to 9 pm. Audition requirements: 1 prepared piece of the auditionee’s choice and sight-reading excerpts from our planned program.

Rehearsals are Mondays from 6:30 to 9 pm in Sanders Theatre, starting the first week of July (date to be announced). There is a dress rehearsal the week of the concert as well.

The concert will be held in Sanders Theatre on a Saturday, August 4. Check back for more information, or call (781) 899-4335 or e-mail hsso@verizon.net.

Summer Servers

Summer Servers contacts area nonprofits to determine the number of volunteers needed at the organizations throughout the summer weeks. This collaboration provides opportunities for Summer School students to give back to the local community through time spent on activities like sorting food at the Greater Boston Foodbank, serving a hot meal at a soup kitchen, or helping to set up an arts and food festival.

Students sign up for volunteer expeditions with Summer Servers at the Activities Fair, held on the Sunday of Opening Weekend. Trips are scheduled throughout the summer, mainly on Saturdays.

Writing

Harvard Summer School students can contribute to the Harvard Summer Review, a literary journal published once a year.

The Summer School hosts a number of readings from popular and local authors, including Harvard faculty, around Harvard Square. In the past there have been readings by Paul Harding, author of the novel Tinkers; Tom Perrotta, author of the novel Little Children; and Christina Thompson, author of Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All: A New Zealand Story.

Around Boston

The city of Boston, across the Charles River, has many cultural, historic, and scientific institutions. Dance, music, and theater also flourish. The Boston Pops Orchestra gives free concerts each summer on the Esplanade along the Charles River, and there are a number of parks and trails in the city.

Sponsored trips beyond Boston

The Summer School also sponsors trips to Cape Cod; the mansions of Newport, Rhode Island; the beaches and shopping centers in Maine; and Tanglewood in western Massachusetts—the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Information and schedules for these trips are available at the Activities Fair, held the Sunday of Opening Weekend. You can sign up for these activities at the fair or in the Activities Office throughout the summer.