English Composer Ralph Vaughan Williams Born On This Day in 1872
Ralph Vaughan Williams is remembered as one of Britain’s most influential composers of all time – with his major contributions to the violin repertoire including three string quartets, a concerto, a sonata and The Lark Ascending for Violin and Orchestra.
Vaughan Williams created a varied oeuvre that includes chamber music, orchestral works, songs, operas, and various choral compositions. He produced well-loved works that fit into larger European traditions and gained worldwide popularity. His discovery of English folk song contributed greatly to his compositional voice.
Vaughan Williams wrote chamber music throughout his long creative life. The ACMP Find Chamber Music database lists more than 40 Vaughan Williams works for chamber ensembles, along with numerous orchestral and choral works.
Watch video of The Lark Ascending
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ACMP 2024 Giving Report
ACMP Foundation awarded a total of $199,938 USD in its 2024 fiscal year (August 1, 2023 through July 31, 2024), distributed over five grant programs. These programs touched the lives of an estimated 6391 chamber music players in 16 countries.Read More ↗
New Film Club Video: “Through the Darkness”
Watch the video of Stephanie Griffin's interview with documentary filmmaker Hilan Warshaw about his film, "Through the Darkness." The event, held shortly after the 150th anniversary of Arnold Schoenberg’s birth, explored the story of two extraordinary figures: composer Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) and Austrian Expressionist painter Richard Gerstl (1883-1908).Read More ↗
A classical open mic night in Boston
Boston Community Chamber Music (BCCM) hosts its fifth open mic event on Saturday December 7 at 3pm at Somerville Music Spaces.Read More ↗
Giving Tuesday is December 3rd!
This Giving Tuesday, please play your part in supporting ACMP's international community of passionate amateur chamber players and the world’s only grants program for adult amateur chamber music!Read More ↗
Q&A: Taking up the cello in later life
The senior years in life are often associated retiring, slowing down or playing golf. But Mavis Himes had a different idea: She took up the cello. It was a long-held dream, one that she needed to act on. Six years later, she is still going strong, despite setbacks like a bicycle accident and an arduous recovery.Read More ↗
Support ACMP through holiday shopping!
It's almost the holiday season and you can support ACMP by holiday shopping at our store! We have 2 new original cartoon mugs, holiday cards, cute cocktail napkins and a book by Lucy Miller-Murray.Read More ↗
Music for Two Violins: Personal Reflections on a Forgotten Genre
For the past seven years ACMP coach Gabriel Schaff has had the pleasure of discovering a corner of the chamber music repertoire that he now considers to be undervalued and under-explored: music for two violins. Read about the gems of this repertoire, from the Baroque era through the twentieth century.Read More ↗
A Space for Everyone
Ohio-based ACMP cellist Melanie Bernhardt had a workshop experience that prompted her to contemplate one of the most difficult questions we face as we age or simply develop health problems that affect our playing: When should one put down one’s instrument? Should friends discourage friends from playing when their physical capabilities are compromised?Read More ↗
Sixty years after its founding, the Houston Civic Symphony is going strong
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Winter in Vermont: Decoda launches its first-ever adult amateur retreat
The Affiliate Ensemble of Carnegie Hall, Decoda, is launching its first-ever adult amateur chamber music retreat at the historic Marlboro Music Festival campus, Potash Hill in January 2025. Read Stephanie Griffin's interview with Decoda clarinetist and workshop organizer Alicia Lee.Read More ↗
ACMP Listening Club: Demystifying Charles Ives with violinist Gregory Fulkerson on Sunday, December 8 at 2pm ET
Join violinist and Ives scholar Gregory Fulkerson on Sunday, December 8 at 2pm Eastern for an in-depth discussion of Charles Ives' life, background and music, with a special focus on his String Quartet no. 1 (1896- 1902), in celebration of the groundbreaking composer's 150th birthday!Read More ↗
ACMP Listening Club: Brahms Piano Quintet in f minor, Op. 34
Get ready to dive into Brahm's Piano Quintet in f minor, Op. 34 with Peter Fender on Sunday, November 10 at 2pm on Zoom. Learn more about the background of this masterwork and get pro tips on interpretation and performance practice.Read More ↗
Join ACMP at the CMA National Conference in Houston, February 13-16, 2025
Join ACMP for an action-packed chamber music vacation in Houston, Texas this February at the CMA National Conference. We're making history! For the first time in ACMP's long-standing relationship with CMA we are collaborating with them on their annual conference as a Partner Organization. We've made sure there are many fabulous activities of interest to all of you who play chamber music for pleasure.Read More ↗
ACMP Film Club: “Through the Darkness”
Celebrating Schoenberg at 150: Watch Hilan Warshaw's documentary film and meet him at ACMP Film Club on Sunday, October 6 at 2pm ET on Zoom.Read More ↗
The Daraja Music Initiative: 15 years of Music and Conservation in Tanzania
Since 2017, ACMP member clarinetist and nonprofit leader Alexys Bush has traveled to Tanzania, Africa where she teaches general music and clarinet for the Daraja Music Initiative (DMI), for whom she serves as Assistant Director. DMI bridges music education and the conservation of Tanzania's national tree - the African Blackwood, also known as ebony - used to make clarinets, oboes, piccolos, and some string fingerboards. It's not too late to get involved in DMI's 15th anniversary season as a volunteer!Read More ↗
Playing for Good: The Mystic String Quartet and Big Lux
The Mystic Quartet joins forces with hip-hop violinist Big Lux in a unique and highly creative concert program, "Harmony Not Hate," on as a benefit for the Southern Poverty Law Center at 4pm on October 19 at Saint Mark's Episcopal Church in Mystic, Connecticut. Read about the thinking behind the program, their discovery of new works through the Kronos Quartet "Fifty for the Future" online library, and their adventures working with a renowned hip-hop artist - and support their cause!Read More ↗
How to convert a Merton Music 2-up Booklet to a Single-Page PDF
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Win 2 tickets to Peoples’ Symphony Chamber Concerts!
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ECUADOR, MEXICO AND SPAIN: WINE & FRIENDSHIP
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New Listening Club Video: Peter Fender on Schubert’s Octet
Out now! Watch the video recording from our recent Listening Club event with British conductor, composer, and educator Peter Fender on Franz Schubert’s delightful Octet in F major, D. 803.Read More ↗
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