Chamberre in the Rockies

About the Play-In

CHAMBERRE IN THE ROCKIES is now accepting applications for 2024.

Check out our website at www.chamberre.org

Chamberre is an un-coached program for amateur and professional musicians to read through a wide variety of chamber music.  This differs significantly from other adult chamber music workshops, which typically emphasize arriving with prepared works for further coaching instruction. Nonetheless, there are optional performance opportunities at the Sunday afternoon concert for chamber groups and the camp orchestra.

Besides being un-coached, Chamberre is unique in offering different lengths of stays, to best match your schedule (and endurance!). You may participate for as short as one day, or for the full length of the program.

25% Discount for First-Time Participants!

If you or other musicians you know have had to lay off rehearsing and playing in public due to the COVID shutdowns, Chamberre is a great way to get your ensemble and sight reading chops back in shape in time for the new concert season this fall.

History

Chamberre began in 1957 as a collaboration between Eugene Hilligoss (1916-1981), cellist and professor of music at the University of Colorado (Boulder), and Beth Miller Harrod (1910-1999), pianist, teacher, and founder of Rocky Ridge Music Center.

Gene discovered that different musicians, many of whom might not have played together before, each derive a unique benefit from having to work out the cooperative interaction necessary to play chamber music.  Accordingly, Gene devised a system of rotating players into one-time groups for each playing time slot.  Chamberre continues this tradition, now using computerized assignments and tracking of who has played with whom to maximize the number of different people you meet and play with.

While participation in the rotation system had been required in Gene’s day, it is now optional.  Only half of the sessions are organized like this anyway, the other half being free for you to form your own pickup group, or hike, read, nap, or just have good conversation with new and old friends over great food.  There is a concert the last day, featuring chamber groups followed by the camp’s orchestra.  Participation in either is likewise optional.

Participants

Chamberre accepts violin, viola, cello, and string bass (2 string bass players maximum, open until filled), up to 4 pianists, open until filled, and one each of flute, oboe, and clarinet, open until filled.  Chamberre also accepts any instrumentalists in any combination if in a preformed group, who will usually play together during assigned sessions, but not necessarily, if they can be worked into combinations of the other available musicians.  Any pianists in your group will count toward the total number of 4 pianists we can accommodate.

Rocky Ridge Music Center provides an extensive library of chamber music.  Nonetheless, all string bass and wind players should bring additional music.  Many players generously bring their own collections to share.

Although you will play with musicians having a range of skill levels, we are confident that if you have orchestra or chamber music experience, and have strong sight reading skills, you will find Chamberre to be productive and enjoyable.