Chamber Music Camp for String Players of All Ages (18 y.o. and up): Daily Coachings, Rehearsals, Topic Presentations, and Concerts. Led by the Arianna String Quartet. Immerse yourself in a friendly community of chamber music lovers. Join Us!
Under the guidance of members of the Arianna String Quartet, participants will perform in morning and afternoon sessions in Gordon Hall. The program, going from 10 AM to 4 PM and including lunch, is intended for commuting students. Room & Board is available for participants needing lodging. This program has been made possible, in part, with support from ACMP Associated Chamber Music Players.
APPLICATION DEADLINE (no application fee): May 22, 2026
Send your application early; applications are reviewed as they come in; once the program is full we will no longer accept applications.
Contact:
Oskar Espina Ruiz
info@musicmountain.org
"So grateful for the Arianna String Quartet for giving us so many useful tools to use in the rehearsal space. It's been a very therapeutic and inspiring week!"
— Kelly Gembara, viola, Musa String Quartet, 2025 Student-Artist
2025 Chamberfest participant, Musa String Quartet, in a coaching with Kurt Baldwin, cellist of the Arianna String Quartet
2026 Schedule
Sunday, July 5, 2026:
1:30 pm Check-in at the First Fiddle House (AKA, Big House, pass Gordon Hall)
3 pm: Music Mountain concert by the Arianna String Quartet
(participants and their families receive complimentary tickets)
ca. 5:15 pm (immediately following the concert): Welcome & Program Launch at the Big House.
Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, July 6, 7, 8:
10 am - 12 pm: Rehearsals and coachings
12-1 pm: Lunch
1-3 pm: Rehearsals and coachings
3-4 pm: Topics presentation, master class by the faculty, dress rehearsal
Thursday, July 9:
10 am - 12 pm: Rehearsals and coachings
12-1 pm: Lunch
1-3 pm: Rehearsals and coachings
3 pm: Painting Music
Free multigenerational event for artists, amateurs, and beginners to paint individually, as well as jointly, while listening to live music. Performances feature Chamberfest students and faculty. Guided by Vincent Inconiglios and Oskar Espina Ruiz. Materials provided.
Friday, July 10:
11 am: Students’ Concert in Gordon Hall
Post-Concert Lunch
Check out
"I loved my week at Music Mountain! The level of playing and instruction was amazing, and what a beautiful venue! I hope to be back soon."
— Bernie Marger, viola, 2025 Student-Artist
The Arianna String Quartet performing with students at Music Mountain's 2025 Chamberfest
2026 Application
TUITION:
$750 includes tuition, lunch, and admission to the concert by the Arianna String Quartet.
ROOM & BOARD:
$450 for room and board per person. House accommodation at the original home of the Gordon String Quartet's founder, Jacques Gordon. Shared rooms. Clean linens and towels provided. Freund's Farm Market Catering provides all meals including plenty of locally harvested foods.
APPLICATION:
Submit the online application form, including a link to an unedited video with your performance (i.e. URL to your unlisted YouTube video).
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
May 22, 2026
(Send your application early; applications are reviewed as they come in; once the program is full we will no longer accept applications)
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Arianna String Quartet first violinist, John McGrosso, coaching students at Music Mountain's 2024 Chamberfest
Faculty
John McGrosso, Violin
First Violin, Arianna String Quartet; Violin and Chamber Music Faculty at the University of Missouri-St. Louis; studied with Dorothy Delay, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Joyce Robbins, Joel Smirnoff, and Gerald Beal, and studied chamber music with members of the Juilliard, Tokyo, LaSalle, and Vermeer Quartets.
Joanna Mendoza, Viola
Viola, Arianna String Quartet; Viola and Chamber Music Faculty at the University of Missouri-St. Louis; studied with William Lincer and members of the Pro Arte Quartet and the Juilliard Quartet.
Kurt Baldwin, Cello
Cello, Arianna String Quartet; Violin and Chamber Music Faculty at the University of Missouri-St. Louis; studied with Janina Ehrlich, Irene Sharp, Bernard Greenhouse, Marc Johnson and the Vermeer Quartet.
Arianna String Quartet
Housing
Student housing is provided at the Colonial Revival-style homes originally built for the four members of the Gordon String Quartet. The First Fiddle House is the central space, where all students and faculty come together for meals, rehearsals and coachings.
The Viola House provides additional rehearsal space. Concerts and master classes take place at Gordon Hall, built in 1930 at the center of the 124-acre campus.
Freund's Farm Market Catering provides all meals including plenty of locally harvested foods. The Music Mountain maintenance crew provides clean linens and towels.
Repertoire
Pre-formed ensembles are welcome to suggest their repertoire. Participants will receive their assigned repertoire via email approximately one month prior to the start of the program.
Travel
The nearest airport is Hartford Bradley (BDL), 1h 15 minutes away. The airports in NYC (JFK, LGA, EWR), are about 2.5 h away. There is a train connection from NYC to Wassaic, NY, by Metro North. We may be able to give you a ride if necessary. Please let us know weeks in advance. Check in is between 1-2:30 pm, right before the faculty concert at 3 pm in Gordon Hall. A few weeks in advance we will email you a list of things to bring.
"You all created an atmosphere that was so welcoming and gracious toward us and one another; I feel that we really became part of each other's musical lives! In this very brief time we spent together, we all shared an intense immersion experience with chamber music, and I think everyone left with some new abilities, new insights and ideas to explore, and a real sense of accomplishment. Joanna and I felt so grateful for this wonderful energy and enthusiasm throughout. We reveled in everyone's hunger for new ideas, and this motivated us to share as much as possible with you all. We're all now part of the great Music Mountain tradition of the study of, appreciation for, and enjoyment of chamber music. We left completely inspired by your commitment to the enjoyment of music, as well as your sense of adventure that allowed you to explore the music so deeply, and to play so well throughout the week!"
— John McGrosso, 2019-2025 Faculty, in an email to all participants
Post-concert fun with the Arianna String Quartet at Music Mountain's 2025 Chamberfest
Testimonials
Transformative, revelatory, supportive and launching us into new sounds - we loved this!
— Sayumi Harb, violin, Musa String Quartet, 2025 Student-Artist
Such a joyful experience in a beautiful environment!
— Stephanie Ruddy, violin, Musa String Quartet, 2025 Student-Artist
Incredibly transformative and amazing to work with the Arianna String Quartet!
— Paul Lee, cello, Musa String Quartet, 2025 Student-Artist
I have learned much, not only about chamber music and reading scores, but there were valuable lessons all along the way about musicality that my teacher Daniel Salazar has often emphasized, but which are obviously so much more important when musicians practice and perform together. The musical community you managed to create in just a few days was just phenomenal. I have spoken with some of my new Music Mountain Chamberfest friends who are neighbors in CT about getting together from time to time.
— Stuart Miller, 2022 Student-Artist
Music Mountain