About the Conference

A participant group performing the Prokofiev Quintet, opus 39 The Chamber Music Conference is dedicated to amateur instrumentalists who are passionate about music, who seek to develop as chamber musicians, and who believe that music offers infinite possibilities for learning and growth. At the Conference, an outstanding coaching program combines with informal playing, concerts, seminars, and a vibrant Composers' Forum to create an exhilarating musical immersion.

The Conference takes place in July and August on the stunningly situated campus of Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont. In 2008, our 63rd year, the Conference will offer four one-week sessions, from July 20 through August 17. Each week, the chamber music program covers chamber music literature from classical to romantic to contemporary, but the four weeks differ in size, format, and character. Many participants choose to attend more than one week each summer.

If you attend the Conference, you will quickly discover that there is no single “Bennington experience”. The Conference is unique in its ability to be many things to many people. You can choose whether to be in coached ensembles or not. You can pre-form an ensemble and request to be assigned a particular work. You can decide just how much or how little informal playing to do. With so many options, the Conference allows you to customize your experience to meet your particular playing needs and desires.

Participants

A participant wind group The Conference attracts participants from all across the United States and from as far as England, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The Bennington community is extremely diverse and includes people both young and old from many backgrounds, professional and musical. A typical ensemble might bring together a scientist, a student, a computer programmer, and a lawyer. Another ensemble could include a waitress, a professor, a freelance writer, a string teacher, and a physician.

Participants come with a wide range of musical experience. Most are amateur musicians; some teach music professionally or play music semi-professionally.

The Conference has a way of inspiring loyalty, and some participants have attended for decades, developing into experienced chamber musicians with a broad knowledge of the repertoire. Other participants may be returning to their instrument after a long hiatus or may be relatively new to chamber music, seeking to gain experience and familiarity with the repertoire. What all participants share is a love of music and a desire to make music together.

Faculty

Lewis Paer, faculty bass At the Conference, you’ll be coached by a distinguished faculty, comprising musicians who teach at prestigious institutions and who perform in renowned ensembles such as the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Silk Road Project, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. The faculty also present an outstanding concert and seminar series at the Conference.

The Composers' Forum engages composers to join the faculty for one-week residencies at the Conference. Participants who express interest may be coached by a Composer-in-Residence or a Composition Fellow to prepare and perform a work commissioned by the Conference.

The faculty bring extraordinary dedication to their coaching and performances, creating learning and listening experiences that can make a week at the Conference have a lasting impact.

Administration and Board

The Conference Administration and Board of Directors are listed here.

Acknowledgements

The Conference is supported in part by the Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University and the National Endowment for the Arts. Composers' Forum residencies are funded in part through Meet The Composer's MetLife Creative Connections program.