My favorite activity is playing chamber music! Chamber music lovers will go to great lengths to play with friends. Last month I flew all the way (from New York) to Los Angeles just to attend a chamber music party. Not just any chamber music party, but Eve Cohen’s famous annual Composers Chamber Music Party, with over 60-80 people, lasting past midnight. Haydn, father of the string quartet, and my favorite chamber music composer, was the featured composer this year, so I could not miss it! I was part of the last group, playing until 3:30am!
Eve knows most of the amateur chamber music players in the LA area. I first played with her over 30 years ago when I was in college at Caltech. The next time was 10 years later, my first summer at the Chamber Music Conference and Composers’ Forum of the East, known as “Bennington” since it has been held at Bennington College (Vermont) for decades. Bennington is one of the oldest and largest adult amateur chamber music programs, in its 66th year. We spend all of our waking hours playing chamber music. I have been going for 20 years, but I am still a babe compared to those who have made their annual trips to Vermont for 30 or 40 years!
If you are a serious chamber music lover, check out Bennington and perhaps I will see you there!
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