Players gather – instrument in hand – to meet old friends, make new ones, and tackle some amazing chamber music! Yes, it’s the annual ACMP Worldwide Play-in Weekend, when chamber music players of all instruments, ages, and backgrounds circle the globe with chamber music. In church basements, music schools, storefronts, seniors centers, libraries, book stores, schools, and living rooms, players assemble, separate into small ensembles, and play.

The 2018 Play-In Weekend on Mach 3 & 4 2018 features everything from a large gathering of 300+ players in Boston to a pop-up Play-in at a pocket-size apartment in Queens, New York. The sentiment is the same, share chamber music together – explore new repertoire or tackle your favorite pieces with new friends. 

The New England Chamber Music Play-In will take place on Sunday, March 4, 12 – 6pm at All Newton Music School, 321 Chestnut Street, West Newton, MA. This popular annual event, co-sponsored by The Mountains & Music Committee of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) and ACMP, incorporates four hours of playing with time to socialize and make new musical friends, and attracts 300 players every year. Click here to see flier.

In New York City, the Diller Quaile School of Music is hosting an ACMP Play-In, with Diller Quaile staff on hand to help groups assemble and select repertoire from the school’s extensive music library. The Play-in at Diller Quaile is on Saturday, March 3, 4 – 7pm (registration is required), at 24 East 95th Street, between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue, NYC, NY. 

The Washington, DC Adult Chamber Music Play-in Party, also in partnership with ACMP, will take place at Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture, Glen Echo, MD. The event opens at 2pm with a talk by violinist James Buswell: A Passion for Music from the Inside Out. At 3pm Buswell and cellist Tobias Werner, Artistic Director of Pressenda Chamber Players and Music Director of The Chamber Music Conference of the East, will help to kick off the afternoon by reading chamber music with play-in participants. From 4 – 7pm, participants continue reading chamber music, forming groups, munching on snacks, and having a good time. Click here for more details.

Many more events – large and small – are planned in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, including in Oakland, CA; Denver & Boulder, CO; Settlement Music School, Philadelphia, PA; Keene Community Music Center, Keene, NH, Cherry Ridge Senior Community, Rochester, NY, in Basel, Switzerland; and Chateau Succa, Ghent, Belgium (registration required for many events). For a list of highlights, click here. And you can discover new repertoire to explore by using the Find Chamber Music search function on ACMP’s website.

And if there isn’t a play-in near you, contact local players and set up your own play-in – see ACMP’s tools here.

When the day is done, celebrate being part of a great weekend of music – and be sure to send your photos to acmp@acmp.net and/or post them on Facebook – ACMP – Associated Chamber Music Players @ACMPChamberMusic.

Happy Play-In!