The Appalachian Chamber Music Festival is held each August in Jefferson County, West Virginia and the surrounding region. This two week festival is full of lively and fun performances featuring an ensemble of world-class musicians. From familiar and new favorites, to contemporary works by living composers and world premieres - there's something for everyone at ACMF!

Schedule

July 20, 2024

12:00 PM: Special Event: A Mother's Voice, a Musici Ireland Production

Christ Reformed Church, East German Street, Shepherdstown, WV, USA

A new project from Musici Ireland, premiered in January 2023. We are proud to present the US Premiere of "A Mother's Voice" in partnership with the Contemporary American Theater Festival with support from Culture Ireland. Tickets are available now for performances in Shepherdstown, WV July 20, 21, and 23.

Original Concept/Creative Director: Beth McNinch

Assistant Creative Director: Jane Hackett

Mothers Voices: "Cait", Deirdre Wadding and Sheila O Byrne

Musicians: Ioana Petcu-Colan, Jane Hackett, Beth McNinch Katie Tertell

Original score and Soundscape: Irene and Linda Buckley

Animation: Eabha Bortollozo and Jack Kirwan

Installation: Bridget Ni Dhuinn

Lighting Design: Eoin McNinch

Sound technician: Colm Hinchion

August 1, 2024

7:00 PM: Bach to Bluegrass

Shepherdstown, WV

Bach to Bluegrass featuring Katie Tertell & Dave Asti, with special guest David Rampy

August 3 - 4, 2024

10:00 AM: Adult Intensive Chamber Music Workshop

Friends of Happy Retreat, 600 Mordington Avenue, Charles Town, WV, USA

Saturday and Sunday, August 3-4, 2024

10 am - 5 pm each day, Lunch provided

Have a group? If you have a pre-formed group, sign up to participate together!

Need a group? Sign up as an individual, we'll match you with partners based on applications received.

Each day, musicians will spend time with their ensemble receiving coaching from our professional ACMF musicians. Activities may also include individual one-on-one work with a coach, group work to develop and refine skills needed by small ensemble musicians, and more!

The weekend will conclude with an invited concert for family and friends.

August 5, 2024

10:00 AM: Strings Chamber Music Camp

Hillsboro Old Stone School, Charles Town Pike, Purcellville, VA, USA

APPLY BY JUNE 15! Early bird discount available through May 15. We can't wait to welcome your strings students ages 12 - 18 (younger students welcome to apply) to our fourth annual day camp!

2:00 PM: Masterclass with violinist Rachelle Hunt

Hillsboro Old Stone School, Charles Town Pike, Purcellville, VA, USA

Selected students are paired with a festival artist and will perform a prepared passage from their current studies. Other participants and audience members will observe as the student has a one-on-one mini-lesson where they have an opportunity to receive feedback and guidance to improve not just the selected passage, but to apply to their practice and apply widely as they grow as a musician. The performer and observing students all benefit from this type of work - we're excited to offer this new opportunity for 2024!

August 6, 2024

2:00 PM: Masterclass with cellist Katie Tertell

Hillsboro Old Stone School, Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro, VA, USA

Selected students are paired with a festival artist and will perform a prepared passage from their current studies. Other participants and audience members will observe as the student has a one-on-one mini-lesson where they have an opportunity to receive feedback and guidance to improve not just the selected passage, but to apply to their practice and apply widely as they grow as a musician. The performer and observing students all benefit from this type of work - we're excited to offer this new opportunity for 2024!

This event is open to the public, RSVPs are strongly recommended.

August 7, 2024

2:00 PM: Masterclass with violinist Martin Gwilym-Jones

Hillsboro Old Stone School, Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro, VA, USA

Selected students are paired with a festival artist and will perform a prepared passage from their current studies. Other participants and audience members will observe as the student has a one-on-one mini-lesson where they have an opportunity to receive feedback and guidance to improve not just the selected passage, but to apply to their practice and apply widely as they grow as a musician. The performer and observing students all benefit from this type of work - we're excited to offer this new opportunity for 2024!

This event is open to the public, RSVPs are strongly recommended.

August 8, 2024

2:00 PM: Masterclass with violinist Martin Gwilym-Jones

Hillsboro Old Stone School, Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro, VA, USA

Selected students are paired with a festival artist and will perform a prepared passage from their current studies. Other participants and audience members will observe as the student has a one-on-one mini-lesson where they have an opportunity to receive feedback and guidance to improve not just the selected passage, but to apply to their practice and apply widely as they grow as a musician. The performer and observing students all benefit from this type of work - we're excited to offer this new opportunity for 2024!

This event is open to the public, RSVPs are strongly recommended.

August 9, 2024

2:00 PM: Strings Chamber Music Camp Final Performance

Hillsboro Old Stone School, Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro, VA, USA

To cap off a fun week at our 2024 Strings Chamber Music Camp, students will perform the pieces they worked on throughout the week. Participants will perform pieces in an all-camp chamber orchestra and in smaller chamber music groups. Friends, families, teachers, and other students are welcome to attend and celebrate another great week of music!

RSVPs are strongly recommended for our chair count.

August 10, 2024

11:00 AM: Bach for Breakfast: Our Solo Voices

Station At Shepherdstown, Audrey Egle Drive, Shepherdstown, WV, USA

You asked for more Bach- we listened! To start off our first weekend of ACMF 2024, we’re returning to one of our favorite intimate venues, the Shepherdstown Train Station for a celebration of our ACMF artists’ solo voices and one of the most inspiring composers through the centuries to all types of musicians from Beethoven to Brubeck, J.S. Bach.

Chamber music at ACMF highlights our conversations with each other and that energy we share with you the audience, but on this unique occasion, you will have the opportunity to hear ACMF artists using their own solo voices.

Program: to include solo movements of Bach Partitas, Sonatas and Suites, as well as some works inspired by Bach, performed by our amazing roster of ACMF artists. Program will be announced from the stage.

Don't miss this unforgettable opportunity to:

Experience the artistry of ACMF musicians in a beautiful, intimate setting.

Immerse yourself in the enduring influence of J.S. Bach through captivating solo performances.

Discover new works inspired by a musical master.

Be surprised and delighted by the program's unveiling.

Cost: $23 / Kids under 18 Free

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7:00 PM: Finding a New Voice

Barns of Rose Hill, Chalmers Court, Berryville, VA, USA

ACMF is delighted to be returning to the Barns of Rose Hill for the opening night of ACMF 2024 in a moving program of the all-time great composers stretching their new found voices.

Our ACMF artists perform works by Mozart and Brahms using unprecedented instrument pairings of cello, viola and clarinet to create new sound worlds. We’ll hear Mahler’s early Piano Quartet from the beginning of his compositional career before he became the great symphonist of the early 20th century and Jessie Montgomery’s profound pandemic-era work “Peace”.

Musicians

Piano | Efi Hackmey

Clarinet | Stanislav Golovin

Violin | Martin Gwilym-Jones, Rachelle Hunt

Viola | Danielle Wiebe Burke

Cello | Katie Tertell

Program

Wolfgang A. Mozart: Trio in E-flat Major for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, KV 498, “Kegelstatt”

Andante

Menuetto

Rondo. Allegretto

Gustav Mahler: Quartet Movement in A Minor for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello

Cost: $25 in advance, $30 at the door

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August 11, 2024

3:00 PM: Voices of the Niagara Movement

Stephen T. Mather Training Center, Mather Place, Harpers Ferry, WV, USA

Imagine a summer afternoon filled with the vibrant sounds of jazz and the powerful echoes of history. The Appalachian Chamber Music Festival and the National Park Service invite you to a free concert unlike any other, celebrating the legacy of the Niagara Movement.

This concert celebrates the groundbreaking organization that paved the way for the NAACP. The Niagara Movement held its meetings at the historic Storer College in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, where this performance takes place.

The afternoon unfolds with a captivating program that bridges past and present. The renowned Howard Burns Quartet brings the vibrant energy of jazz to the stage, a genre that owes much to the fight for equality championed by the Niagara Movement. Featuring works by Storer College graduate and early 20th century musician, Don Redman.

The second half of the program highlights the world premiere of a new chamber work about the Niagara movement by Rufus Reid, living jazz legend and Don Redman Award winner. A true innovator, Reid's composition promises to be a powerful testament to the enduring spirit of the Niagara Movement's vision.

Don't miss this chance to:

Enjoy a free afternoon concert under the open sky

Witness the captivating sounds of the Howard Burns Quartet

Be among the first to experience Rufus Reid: World Premiere - a new chamber work written for this occasion by a living jazz icon

Celebrate the legacy of the Niagara Movement and their lasting impact on music and society

Musicians

Guest Artists | The Howard Burns Quartet

Clarinet | Stanislav Golovin

Violin | Martin Gwilym-Jones, Rachelle Hunt, Chris Jusell, Minju Kim, Audrey Pride

Viola | Sam Kelder, Danielle Wiebe Burke

Cello | Katie Tertell, Alán Saucedo, Schuyler Slack

Bass | Sam Suggs

Cost: Free and open to the public; RSVPs are strongly recommended but not required.

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August 12, 2024

6:30 PM: Poetic Voices

868 Estate Vineyards, Harpers Ferry Road, Purcellville, VA, USA

Imagine yourself nestled amongst the rolling vineyards of 868 Estate Vineyards in Loudoun County, Virginia. As the sun dips below the horizon, prepare to be swept away by an unforgettable evening of music, poetry, and wine.

The Appalachian Chamber Music Festival (ACMF) is thrilled to partner with 868 Estate Vineyards for the very first time, presenting "Poetic Voices." This unique event promises a tranquil and uplifting atmosphere, perfect for unwinding relaxation and reflection.  This event offers an opportunity to simply be present and enjoy the beauty of a summer’s sunset.

Curated by the talented husband-and-wife duo of ACMF violist Danielle Wiebe-Burke and poet Jordan Burke, the program promises an enchanting interplay of words and music.  Imagine the soulful melodies of the viola and more, intertwining with the evocative power of poetry, creating a tapestry of beauty that will resonate with your soul.

Musicians:

Special Guest Artist  |  Jordan Burke

Violin  |  Chris Jusell

Viola  |  Danielle Wiebe-Burke

Cello  |  Katie Tertell

Cost: $25 - $33

By Ticket

August 13, 2024

7:30 PM: Revolutionary Voices

Shepherdstown Opera House, West German Street, Shepherdstown, WV, USA

This year's Appalachian Chamber Music Festival embraces the theme of "Our Different Voices" with a groundbreaking concert titled "Revolutionary Voices." Held at the Shepherdstown Opera House, this program transcends the boundaries of a traditional string quartet performance. Prepare to be captivated by a mesmerizing tapestry of sound and sight, where the virtuosity of the string quartet intertwines with stunning visuals and great art projected onto a grand canvas.

Building upon the success of last year's performance, the festival continues its artistic partnership with acclaimed Chickasaw composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate. His work, "Pisachi," takes center stage. The evocative title, meaning “Reveal”, derived from the Chickasaw language, hints at the program's exploration of the power and diversity of musical expression.

Imagine the soaring melodies of Beethoven's Harp Quartet imbued with a new dimension as captivating artworks curated by Jordan Burke illuminate the stage and contextualize the work. Witness the playful energy of Wiancko's "Toy Bricks" come alive with dynamic imagery. Tate's "Pisachi" promises a deeply personal exploration, where music and visuals intertwine to illuminate the intersection of cultural heritage and artistic expression. These visuals will not simply accompany the music; they will act as a vital narrative thread, enriching your understanding and appreciation for the diverse voices that resonate within the compositions.

Musicians

Violin | Martin Gwilym-Jones, Rachelle Hunt, Chris Jusell, Minju Kim, Audrey Pride

Viola | Sam Kelder, Danielle Wiebe Burke

Cello | Katie Tertell, Schuyler Slack

Bass | Sam Suggs

Cost: $25 / Kids under 18 Free

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August 14, 2024

7:30 PM: The Human Voice: A Celebration of Song

Zion Episcopal Church, East Congress Street, Charles Town, WV, USA

Experience the captivating power of the human voice at the Appalachian Chamber Music Festival's first full-length vocal concert. Held at the historic Zion Episcopal Church in Charles Town, this program promises a captivating exploration of vocal expression in all its richness.

Featuring baritone Thomas Coltman and pianist Lana Bode, the evening unfolds with a diverse selection of works by renowned composers. From the introspective beauty of Strauss's "Morgen" to the evocative longing of Vaughan-Williams' "Songs of Travel," each piece unveils a unique voice and perspective that highlight the range and scope of vocal chamber music.

Prepare to be moved by the powerful contemporary piece "Pray" by James Pecore, a testament to the enduring human spirit.  Cellist Schuyler Slack joins the forces for Lori Laitman's "Seed of Dream," a captivating exploration of hope and aspiration.

The program concludes with the deeply personal journey of Samuel Barber's "Hermit Songs," a collection of poems set to music.  These contrasting voices, both historical and contemporary,  weave together to create a tapestry of human emotions, reminding us of the power of music to connect us all.

Musicians

Featuring Thomas Coltman, voice, and Lana Bode, piano

Violin | Martin Gwilym-Jones, Rachelle Hunt, Audrey Pride

Viola | Sam Kelder

Cello | Katie Tertell, Schuyler Slack

Bass | Sam Suggs

Cost: $25 / Kids under 18 Free

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August 15, 2024

7:30 PM: Voices for all Seasons (of life)

Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church, West Washington Street, Shepherdstown, WV, USA

Embark on a captivating journey through time with the Appalachian Chamber Music Festival's "Voices for all Seaons (of life)" concert. Held in the beautiful Presbyterian Church of Shepherdstown, this program promises a vibrant tapestry of music that reflects on the seasons of life, from youthful vibrancy to nostalgia of greater age.

The evening opens with the playful energy of Strauss's "Capriccio," a piece shimmering with a youthful vibrancy. The delicate intimacy of "Morgen", “Zueignung” and “Allerseelen" also by Strauss, whisper with a touch of longing and represent some of the different seasons in life.

Prepare to be swept away by the powerful emotions of Max Bruch's Octet. This monumental work explores a kaleidoscope of human experience, just as the changing seasons bring a rich harvest of emotions. The virtuosic ensemble of eight musicians will bring this masterpiece to life, with a performance of breathtaking intensity.

Following intermission, we experience Vivaldi's iconic "Four Seasons", with an ACMF twist.  This timeless masterpiece vividly paints a musical portrait with its vibrant melodies and dynamic energy, a testament to the enduring power of nature's artistry.

Join us at the Presbyterian Church in Shepherdstown and celebrate the beauty of nature's diverse expressions, captured in the timeless language of music.

Musicians

Violin |  Martin Gwilym-Jones, Rachelle Hunt, Chris Jusell, Audrey Gray

Viola  |  Sam Kelder, Danielle Wiebe Burke

Cello  |  Katie Tertell

Bass  |  Sam Suggs

Cost: $28 / Kids under 18 Free

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August 16, 2024

7:30 PM: Seasonal Voices

St John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, https://stjohn-frederick.org, East 2nd Street, Frederick, MD, USA

Get ready for a fresh take on Vivaldi's beloved Four Seasons! The Appalachian Chamber Music Festival presents the Four Seasons reimagined in “Seasonal voices" a unique concert experience at the historic St. John the Evangelist Church in Frederick, Maryland.

This innovative program features Vivaldi's iconic masterpiece interwoven with the passionate tango-infused compositions of Astor Piazzolla, also known for his own Four Seasons.  Hear these familiar pieces reimagined in a captivating chamber music setting.

The talented artists of ACMF will present an intimate portrayal of these beloved ensemble pieces. Prepare to be surprised by the unexpected connections that emerge as we experience these two iconic composers' visions of the seasons side-by-side.

Poetry elevates the music in this unique program.  Acclaimed poet Jordan Burke has curated a selection of poems that resonate with the emotional landscapes explored in the music.  These poems will include Vivaldi's own writings about the seasons, alongside other carefully chosen selections.  The poetry will be interwoven throughout the performance, adding another layer of depth to the exploration of the seasonal cycle.

"The Four Seasons Reimagined: A Season of Voices" is more than just a concert; it's a chance to rediscover familiar masterpieces in a whole new light.  Experience the virtuosity of our chamber musicians, the emotional power of Vivaldi and Piazzolla, and the beauty of poetry, all woven together into a truly unique event.

Musicians

Special Guest Artist |  Thomas Colton

Violin  |  Rachelle Hunt, Martin Gwilym-Jones, Minju Kim, Audrey Gray

Viola  |  Sam Kelder, Danielle Wiebe Burke

Cello  |  Katie Tertell, Schuyler Slack

Bass  |  Sam Suggs

Cost: $28 / Kids under 18 Free

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August 17, 2024

11:00 AM: Duo Delights Coffee Concert

Station At Shepherdstown, Audrey Egle Drive, Shepherdstown, WV, USA

Back by popular demand!  Come join us for a one-hour late morning concert filled with delectable miniature works for two players. This concert will feature the coming together of our talented musicians performing a variety of works.

Cost: $23 / Kids under 18 Free

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7:30 PM: Voices Intimate, Voices Powerful

Camp Hill-Wesley United Methodist Church, Washington Street, Harpers Ferry, WV, USA

The concert opens with a powerful vocal work. Samuel Barber's "Dover Beach" sets the scene with its dramatic exploration of faith and doubt, featuring the voice of Thomas Coltman accompanied by string quartet.

Prepare to be swept away by the monumental beauty of Max Bruch's Octet. This virtuosic masterpiece showcases the talents of eight exceptional musicians. This performance also features the second performance of Rufus Reid’s commissioned work celebrating the Niagara movement, a pivotal group in the fight for African American civil rights which held its meetings in Harpers Ferry.

Highlighting the ensemble's versatility and expressivity, we’ll hear Astor Piazzolla's captivating "Four Seasons"; a passionate reimagining of Vivaldi's classic masterpiece through the lens of tango.

Allow yourself to be captivated by the diverse voices of chamber music, both vocal and instrumental, as they celebrate the beauty and ever-changing nature of the seasons, and musical voices powerful and intimate.

Musicians

Voice | Thomas Coltman

Clarinet | Stanislav Golovin

Violin | Martin Gwilym-Jones, Rachelle Hunt, Chris Jusell, Minju Kim, Audrey Pride

Viola | Sam Kelder, Danielle Wiebe Burke

Bass | Sam Suggs

Cost: $25 / Kids under 18 Free

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August 18, 2024

3:00 PM: Festival Finale: Voices of Celebration

Friends of Happy Retreat, Mordington Avenue, Charles Town, WV, USA

Unwind and celebrate the magic of music together at ACMF's vibrant outdoor finale in a stunning historic setting! This fun-for-all-ages event takes place at 3pm on August 18 at Happy Retreat in Charles Town, WV

Spread out your picnic blankets, grab your lawn chairs, and get ready for an afternoon filled with uplifting music! The program is a joyful culmination of the ACMF season, featuring a diverse mix of tunes that will have everyone tapping their toes and swaying along.

Expect playful melodies, heartwarming classics, and everything in between! It's the perfect opportunity to relax under the sun with your loved ones and experience the beauty of music in a relaxed, outdoor setting.

Musicians

Clarinet | Stanislav Golovin

Violin | Martin Gwilym-Jones, Rachelle Hunt, Chris Jusell, Minju Kim, Audrey Pride

Viola | Sam Kelder, Danielle Wiebe Burke

Cello | Katie Tertell, Schuyler Slack

Bass | Sam Suggs

Cost: $12 / Kids under 18 Free

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Date: August 3 - 18, 2024

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