Some of the best young musicians in the country are in Macon this week

Ten years ago Mercer University’s Robert McDuffie Center for Strings began with two students, and today it compares to some of the top music schools in the country, says its namesake.

Robert McDuffie, a Macon native and world renowned violinist, said the conservatory is now recognized as among the best places for young musicians to refine their skills. It has a limited enrollment of 26 students.

“If you want to compare it to a basketball tournament, we are not a 13th seed or a 14th seed,” McDuffie said as young musicians practiced around him at the center Sunday. “We are a one seed. Even if we lose a kid to Julliard, Mercer was their second choice. We are accepting kids who are accepted to Julliard.”

This week about a dozen of the best high school musicians from around the country are at the center for the annual Labor Day Festival, which ends with a free concert Monday at 3 p.m. at the Fickling Hall.

The students, all seniors who compete to be selected for the festival, get a 3-day musical immersion that includes group coaching and private instruction from the center’s faculty.

One of those was Sam Parrini, a violinist from Greenville, South Carolina. He hadn’t been thinking of going to Mercer until he attended the festival, but now he says he expects he will apply.

“It’s an amazing opportunity to be able to work with kids my age from all over to the United States and also to be introduced to this atmosphere at McDuffie,” he said.

Ryan Char, a violinist from Seattle, Washington, also is thinking of attending Mercer.

“This has been quite the experience,” he said. “It’s a lot of practicing, a lot of coaching and I’ve learned quit a lot and I’ve made some great friends here. I’m honestly looking forward to applying and getting into the school.”

Amy Schwartz Moretti, the center director, said ordinarily eight students are invited to the festival, but there were so many good applicants this year they accepted 11. Applicants are chosen by video audition.

The center has 11 faculty members, including visiting faculty from around the country who are at the top of their field, McDuffie said. Several of those faculty will be performing with the students in Monday’s concert.

“It is one of our most popular concerts and it’s wonderful to see a big crowd ,” she said. “I hope we get an amazing big crowd because I think that sends a signal to not only our high schoolers but also our current students that there is a great love for this music and all of the work they are putting in.”

This story was originally published September 3, 2017 at 4:32 PM with the headline "Some of the best young musicians in the country are in Macon this week."