January 7, 2023

ACMP was delighted to present a session at Chamber Music America’s 45^th National Conference at the Westin New York at Times Square (New York City) on January 7, 2023.

The idea to submit a proposal to CMA emerged at a Zoom meeting of the ACMP Membership and Engagement Committee last summer. Board Secretary and Grants Committee Chair Susan Alexander suggested a series of workshops on best practices in adult amateur chamber music. (We just gave one on “How to Hold a Play-In.” Video coming soon!)

Susan was particularly interested in hosting an event at which amateur musicians could enlighten professional musicians about what motivates them, why they play music and how best to interact with them during coachings, workshops, concerts, and any other setting where professionals and amateurs meet. ACMP Foundation Chair Peter Aupperle chimed in: why not propose it to the Chamber Music National Conference?

We put together a proposal, selected a panel with two amateur chamber musicians with widely different experiences: Paris Brann Milane of the Bronx and Karl Irikura from the Washington DC metropolitan area; and one professional musician who had dedicated his career to working with amateur musicians, Lenny Matczynski, the former Executive Director of The Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music in New Hampshire.  Susan, Karl and Lenny traveled to New York City; Paris and I descended into midtown Manhattan from the Bronx; and we presented what we hope will be the first of many ACMP-sponsored sessions at the Chamber Music America National Conference!

Other highlights of the CMA Conference were listening to Giancarlo Esposito’s inspiring and dramatically delivered keynote address and attending a luncheon where the soprano Lucy Shelton was honored for her lifetime of expanding the repertoire of chamber music with voice.

In the spirit of ACMP, instead of taking the panelists out for dinner, I co-organized an intimate Play-In with Susan, the panelists, ACMP Membership Director Joseph Brock, and a number of local New York City ACMP members at the home of ACMP member classical flutist, improviser and educator Mary Cherney in uptown Manhattan.

We made music for five hours in three rooms – a fitting celebration of chamber music for pleasure after ACMP’s first presentation at the CMA Conference.

Speaking of ACMP’s growing relationship with CMA, if you are a workshop organizer with an upcoming event in the Summer or Early Fall please:

Submit your listing for CMA’s 2023 Directory of Festivals, Schools, and Workshops

If you are not a CMA member, simply write “ACMP Member” in the “Member ID” Field

DEADLINE: Monday, February 20, 2023