National Cello Institute
Peter Kibbe, Managing Director
www.nationalcelloinstitute.com
INFORMATION FOR REGISTRANTS
Thank you for your National Cello Institute registration. This is all the information you will need prior to arriving at Pomona College. Please read it carefully and print it out for reference.
After reading all of the information if you still have questions, please contact Managing Director Peter Kibbe at info@nationalcelloinstitute.com.
GENERAL INFORMATION
NCI SCHEDULE
Sunday June 22
- 12:00pm – Check-in begins at Oldenborg Center. No lunch will be served on opening Sunday. Please make your own arrangements for that meal.
- 3:00pm – Ensemble coachings for all CELLO STUDENTS enrolled in Course I or Course II
- 7:15pm – Opening remarks and recital
Monday June 23 to Friday June 27
- Daily classes 9:00am to 4:00pm, with a lunch break midday
- Daily recitals at 4:15pm and 7:15pm (no evening concert on Wednesday)
- Friday Finale Concerts at 4:15pm and 7:15 featuring student ensembles and orchestra
Saturday, June 28
- There are no classes on Saturday, but Room & Board extends through Saturday at 11:00am, with breakfast served for those who choose to stay in the dorms Friday night.
- There is a 5k Run held every year on the final Saturday of June. This will limit motor traffic on and off campus on June 28th in the morning, but we have been assured there is a way for us to bypass the 5k.
INSTITUTE LOCATION
The summer session of the National Cello Institute is held on the campus of Pomona College in Claremont, CA. The Oldenborg Center serves as the NCI registration center and our central office during the week. This office opens at 12:00pm on Sunday June 22nd.
Oldenborg Center
350 N College Way
Claremont, CA 91711
The suggested parking area is southeast of the Oldenborg Center, in the
South Campus Parking Structure
295 E 1st St, Claremont, CA 91711
If you are flying to the NCI, we recommend a flight directly to Ontario International Airport. If you arrive in Ontario between the hours of 10:00am and 4:00pm on Sunday June 22nd, you can be picked up by an NCI shuttle.
Please email your arrival and departure information and your cell phone number in advance of the Institute to info@nationalcelloinstitute.com. Once confirmed, we will send someone to pick you up.
HOW TO DRESS
Classes: Summer informal (be prepared for hot weather). Bring sunblock and hats as needed.
Performances: Please wear good clothes, but coats and ties or formal dresses are not necessary.
GENERAL COVID PROTOCOLS FOR 2025
- Pomona College encourages the use of masks by all unvaccinated persons attending the NCI.
- If you feel ANY symptoms, or have recently been ill, please contact the NCI before attending. The institute is prepared to quarantine and send home anyone that tests positive for Covid-19 (consult our health and safety plan for more information www.nationalcelloinstitute.com/covid-policy/
Do These in Advance:
Sign and return the required Medical Release for Pomona College, and the Supplemental Medical Info Form if needed.
If you want to play on one of the afternoon recitals, submit a solo video by June 1st, 2025. Your chosen piece must be a polished piece, ready to be performed at NCI. Submit YouTube videos (unlisted or private is fine) to registration@nationalcelloinstitute.com for review. It is our hope that this process will encourage preparation, not discourage performing. We want every musician to perform at NCI!
For your Lesson Class, have a polished piece ready to play for your NCI teacher. This way you will not waste your time at the NCI learning notes. Please bring your own music and ACCOMPANIMENT PARTS for use in your classes at the NCI.
Please put your name on all music, cello cases, end-pin stops, etc. These things are often identical in appearance and are easily mixed up.
If you are traveling to the NCI by plane and want to rent a cello here, please contact Jim Brown Violins at (909) 624-0849 or jbviolin@dslextreme.com. Subject to availability – contact them right away!
Bring These from Home:
Please bring your own music and ACCOMPANIMENT PARTS for use in your classes at the NCI.
BRING A ROCK STOP. Some floors at the college are very fine hardwood, and all cellists must use endpin stops.
Young students who play on small chairs should bring their own chairs from home. If for any reason this is not possible, please contact Rick Mooney in advance of the NCI so special arrangements can be made.
You should not need a music stand for your classes but you might bring one for your personal use outside of class time.
Important information for people signed up for Room and Board on Campus
At Pomona College the dorm is run on a “no linen plan”. This means your bed will be furnished with a pillow and blanket only. You must bring your own sheets, pillowcases, towels, etc. The beds are slightly longer than normal so flat sheets work best. Most people seem to find it useful to have a reading lamp or desk lamp in their dorm room so bring one with you from home. Clothes hangers are also useful. Meals are served from dinner Sunday, June 22nd through breakfast on Saturday, June 28th. Individual meals are available on a cash basis to commuters and guests. Room and Board is offered for the duration of the NCI only. No refunds will be given for early departures or missed meals.
Receiving Mail at the NCI
Forget something? During the institute mail may be sent to: