For the first time in its 93-year history, Interlochen Center for the Arts kicked off its summer camp season virtually, with more than 1,400 students from 22 countries joining together on Sunday night.

The First Gathering of Interlochen’s 93rd camp season was streamed live from Kresge Auditorium -- the venue that has hosted Interlochen Arts Camp’s opening ceremony for more than 70 years. The event featured performances by faculty and alumni as well as remarks by Interlochen Center for the Arts President Trey Devey and others.

“From this day forward, you will hold a special place in the history of Interlochen,” Devey told students. “Decades from now, our Camp students will hear of your pioneering class, a group of 1,440 individuals from 22 countries, who came together online, making art, working joyfully, and accomplishing great things.”

In addition to musical performances, the event featured a monologue from Shakespeare’s Othello performed by Phil Darius Wallace, an actor, public speaker, business coach, and alum who would have played the part of Othello in this summer’s Interlochen Shakespeare Festival had it not been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The program concluded with a virtual singalong of Interlochen Arts Camp’s official song since 1934.

The 93rd season of Interlochen’s summer arts program is taking place exclusively online, with programs in acting, musical theatre, theatre design and production, creative writing, visual arts, dance, filmmaking, classical music performance and composition, music production and engineering, songwriting, jazz performance and improvisation, and general arts for students in grades 2-12.

Click here to watch a video of First Gathering.