iCONNECT 2026
ICI’s program for cellists ages 9 - 15 years old
2026 Dates: TBA
About the iConnect Program
The weeklong iConnect Program offers young cellists ages 9-15 the opportunity to experience ICI while receiving lessons, classes, and coaching tailored to their individual levels. Held during the second week of the primary ICI program, iConnect students have unparalleled performance and mentorship opportunities with ICI’s class of advanced high school and college students and complimentary access to masterclasses and performances featuring ICI’s world-class faculty.
iConnect students can commute daily to St. Olaf College; non-local students and families can choose to be housed on campus or find their own accommodations in Northfield. When choosing to stay on campus, students must have an accompanying adult stay with them in the dorms.
***Applications are now closed for the 2025 Program. Please check back in October/November of 2025 for more information about the 2026 program.***
iCONNECT FACULTY
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Zachary Preucil
Zachary Preucil
iConnect Director/FacultyCurrently based in Madison, Wisconsin, Dr. Zachary Preucil serves as principal cellist of the La Crosse Symphony, maintains a multi-level private studio in Madison and online at the Virtu Academy program, co-directs the Farley’s Chamber Music Program, and is a faculty member at the Madison Cello Ensemble. He has served on the faculties of the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, Carroll University, the Music Institute of Chicago, the Kanack School of Musical Artistry, Music for Youth of Arlington Heights, and the UW-Madison Community Music School, and is active as a performer and guest clinician throughout the midwest. Read more about Zachary here: https://www.zacharypreucil.com/bio
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Adalus Low-Manzini
iCONNECT FACULTY
Adalus Low-Manzini is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma in Cello Performance at the University of Cincinnati. She teaches a studio of cellists both in Michigan and Ohio. Adalus serves as Social Media Director and Co-Director of Operations for the International Cello Institute. She is dedicated to advocating for new compositions, particularly by Latin American and women composers, and regularly commissions works for both solo cello and for her ensemble, Trío Líneas. Adalus began her musical journey in "El Sistema," performing with renowned maestros like Gustavo Dudamel and Sir Simon Rattle. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University and Master’s and Specialist’s degrees from the University of Michigan. Adalus has soloed with orchestras all around Venezuela, as well as in Louisiana and Michigan.
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Meghan McGuire
iCONNECT FACULTY
Meghan started playing the cello at age three. She performed for Yo-Yo Ma when she was fourteen years old and made her solo debut with the Minnesota Orchestra a year later. She has participated at the Aspen Music Festival and the Castleman Quartet Program, and spent multiple summers at Madeline Island Music Camp. Meghan studied with Bonnie Hampton at The San Francisco Conservatory, and with Lubomir Georgiev at The Florida State University, School of Music. She has played with the Atlanta Symphony, Opera, and Ballet Orchestras and has collaborated with members of the Atlanta Symphony on numerous occasions. In addition to teaching and performing throughout the Twin Cities, Meghan is an experienced coach, clinician, adjudicator, and private instructor.
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Beth Kiser
GUEST CLINICIAN
Beth Kiser is director of the Madison Cello Ensemble, “a community where cellists thrive!” She is a music therapist, educator, and school psychologist. She studied cello and pedagogy with Kathleen Franceski, Wolfgang Laufer, and Gerald Fishbach and received her master’s in string pedagogy from UW-Madison. Students from her studio have been recognized for their dedication to community service through music, zest-filled performance, and fierce, passionate technical playing.
Read more about Beth Kiser here!
iConnect PROGRAM 2026
Dates: TBA
Application Fee: $35
Tuition: $550 (does not include room and board)
Location: St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota
Level Required: Intermediate (Suzuki Book 3 or equivalent). There is no maximum level, and advanced students ages 9-15 are welcome.
The iConnect curriculum includes: two private lessons with iConnect core faculty, daily group classes on technique and musicianship, a masterclass with a guest clinician, small ensemble coachings, and a side-by-side large ensemble with high school/college ICI students. The week culminates with a concert on Saturday afternoon, which will feature our iConnect students in solo and ensemble performances. In addition, iConnect students will have the option of attending masterclasses and recitals in the main program so they can have social interaction and mentorship with older ICI students.
Non-local Students
Non-local students and families can choose to be housed on campus or find their own accommodations in Northfield.
When choosing to stay on campus, students must have an accompanying adult stay with them in the dorms.
The cost for 5 nights in the dorms of St. Olaf College (double occupancy, 5 breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 5 dinners, plus tax) is $841.90. This is the total cost for the student and parent staying on campus and eating in the dining hall.
If interested in eating out or preparing food on your own, and would not like to eat at the cafeteria, the cost would be $450.74 for the double occupancy room in the dorms of St. Olaf College ONLY (no food from the cafeteria).
We recommend checking Airbnb for other housing options!
Some hotel suggestions are:
Application Video Guidelines
To ensure that students are of the appropriate ability level for iConnect participation and to help us make decisions about ensemble placement, we ask that all applicants submit a current video of their solo cello playing. The recording should consist of one piece, played in its entirety, that best represents their current ability level.
The video can be made at home or school or from a recent performance if the quality is sufficient. If you don't have access to more comprehensive equipment, an iPhone or iPad should be sufficient for producing a quality recording. We also recommend that you record in a quiet space with no background noise and adequate lighting and arrange the camera so that we can see the entirety of your body and the cello.
SAMPLE DAILY SCHEDULE
8:45 am - Student drop off
9:00 am - 9:45 am: Private lessons or Individual Practice Time
10:00 am -10:45 am: Group Class or Masterclass
11:00 am - 11:45 am: Large Ensemble Coaching
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Lunch Break ( Cafeteria)
1:00 pm - 1:45 pm: Private lessons or Individual Practice Time
2:00 pm - 2:45 pm: Small Ensemble Coaching
2:45 pm - FLEX time - masterclass observation in the main program, recreational activities, or individual practice time
4:30 pm - Student pick-up
7:00 pm -9:00 pm: Optional attendance at concerts/recitals in the main ICI program on select dates. Keep an eye on our calendar to see who's playing and when! (some are live-streamed for our virtual students)