Congratulations to two of our recent resident ensembles, Aizuri Quartet and A Far Cry, on being nominated in the Best Chamber Music Performance category of the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards – PLUS- guitarist/composer D.J. Sparr was nominated for Best Classical Compendium and Craig Morris for Best Classical Soloist. Best of luck! https://www.grammy.com/
Another Fantastic Season!
The 2018 season has come to a close, and we are thrilled with the brilliant work and joyous camaraderie that filled every week. 112 ensembles ranging from early music to new music, vocal, instrumental, and various combinations, along with about 30 collaborating composers, and some inter-disciplinary projects as well. This was also our biggest outreach year yet, with more than 60 ensembles connecting with the community in 15 different venues. Thank you to everyone for making the 2018 season wonderful in every way!
2018 RESIDENTS ANNOUNCED!
We are thrilled to announce the list of ensembles and composers who will join us for the 2018 season! It will be a diverse and exciting season, with a wonderful balance of new music and traditional ensembles. Please go to the Residents page on this website to check the full list of ensembles and composers.
Residency Building Collaboration with NEC!
We are thrilled to announce that Avaloch is trying out a new collaboration this summer with the New England Conservatory!
Heath Marlow, chair of NEC’s Center for Professional Development & Performing Arts Leadership, and I are pleased to be able to offer a special opportunity for interested ensembles applying to Avaloch this winter. If selected, it is now possible to combine a retreat at Avaloch with five days of residency building work with Heath at NEC in nearby Boston.
This is a unique opportunity for ensembles seeking to build a long-term or annual residency in a specific community to participate in an intensive residency design and planning experience. Through a competitive application process, we expect that two or three ensembles will be eligible for the opportunity to spend five days working with Heath at NEC, developing their ideas in a supportive environment of like-minded peers, and then spend some time at Avaloch to continue the process.
In the fall, Heath approached Avaloch with this idea because he is excited about the opportunity to support the creation of residencies that benefit both communities and musicians. With Heath’s guidance, ensembles will be able to define and build a plan for an initiative or organization that provides a sustainable balance of performing, engagement, and administrative activities—all geared to meet the needs of professional chamber musicians.
There are many examples of ensembles building long-term relationships with communities. There’s the Kronos Quartet’s organization with a staff of 15 in San Francisco (http://kronosquartet.org/about/organization), and there’s the Newport String Quartet’s organization (http://www.newportstringproject.org), still in the start-up phase in Newport, RI. There’s the Apple Hill String Quartet in New Hampshire (http://applehill.org/about-us/apple-hill-string-quartet/) and Eighth Blackbird’s Blackbird Creative Lab (https://www.blackbirdcreativelab.org) in Ojai, CA.
Heath promises that participating ensembles will come away with an understanding of best practices in residency building and a strategic plan for building their own residency, having worked through the necessary conceptual and logistical elements. If eligible, ensembles will be well prepared to apply to Chamber Music America’s Residency Partnership Program.
We are looking for two or three ensembles committed to meaningful and long-term engagement with a community. Do you know an ensemble that is a great fit for this unique opportunity? Please share this information with them. Please note that while a retreat at Avaloch Farm is provided tuition-free, this opportunity provided by NEC does not take place at Avaloch, nor is it free. You can learn more on the Applications Guidelines page of this website.
A Fabulous 2017 Season!
It’s been about a month since we finished up the 2017 season, and it was, once again, a resounding success. We hosted 124 ensembles and more than 40 composers, which added up to about 500 individuals! Needless to say, the new West Wing was filled from the moment we were able to use it. As in the past, the ensembles’ specialties spanned most of music history, from medieval vocal ensembles to the most unusual instrumentations and compositions. On the “traditional” side, we had 13 string quartets, 6 piano trios/quartets, 2 wind quintets, and 8 early music ensembles. We also had 60 outreach events in 15 different venues. It is abundantly clear how important these events have been for cementing our excellent relationships within the community of Boscawen, and other neighboring towns.
Chamber orchestras and vocal ensembles of varying size and repertoire filled out the roster. Our residents came from all parts of the USA, as well as Israel, and Canada, and within some American groups, musicians from all over the world. Every musician reiterated with gratitude, that Avaloch is providing a unique and unparalleled experience, an essential resource for their development, and most extraordinarily, makes them feel truly valued. And of course, the fabulous food definitely has a lot to do with everyone’s sense of well-being!
If you are interested, please go to the Residents page of our website to learn more about the ensembles and composers who joined us.
New Videos! National Sawdust, History, A Day in the Life.
We Are Expanding!
Construction on our new wing is moving along nicely, despite the snows. The “West Wing” will be a one story version of the original red-barn-style South Wing, and will house 12 more residents and provide three new large studios. We are also creating more swing space as a flexible, connected bedroom/studio.
Hard to believe that in 2017, only our fifth season, we will be welcoming more musicians each week. This expansion will make it easier to accept ensembles like chamber orchestras and larger vocal ensembles. Watch FaceBook for building updates.
2016 Residents Announced!
Visit our Residents page for a complete list of our 2016 ensembles and composers.
Avaloch Farm at National Sawdust!
Andy Akiho Presents: Avaloch Farm Music Showcase at National Sawdust, Tuesday Feb. 23rd at 7 PM!
Join us for an evening celebrating the outstanding and diverse ensembles who have explored the boundaries of creativity, imagination and sound while in residence at Avaloch Farm Music Institute. This exciting program of contemporary and classical chamber music will feature compositions by Andy Akiho and performances by New Morse Code, Aizuri Quartet, aTonal Hits, loadbang, Longleash, and the Sebastians. Tickets available soon on the National Sawdust website: www.nationalsawdust.org.
A Message from Founder Fred Tauber
The 2015 Avaloch Farm season will be remembered as the “tilting point.” It marks a transition from a hope into a vibrant reality. Deb and I thought at least 5 years would be required for the Avaloch idea to take hold. Success for us was that news of our venture would effectively spread through the music community as a sanctuary for musicians and their composers. After two and half seasons we have seen that idea emerge fully realized. This year we achieved the numerical parameters of nearly full occupancy and a waiting list to participate. But numbers are only part of the story. We hoped that the Avaloch experience would capture more than the traditional concert spectrum of classical chamber music, but would also include the best in new music. Again, our aspirations were fulfilled. This year we heard exciting newly commissioned works, as well as innovative projects with pre-20th century compositions sprinkled with representation from the world of jazz. Outstanding performances of re-discovered early 17th century manuscripts, newly transcribed pre-20th century music, and works from the folk genre broke the mold, so to speak. I suppose the last concert of the season captured it all. As Deb reported, “It was an extraordinary evening that turned into a “jam” of sorts when one of the singers couldn’t contain herself and sang one of the Schumann songs they had transcribed for cello and piano. Then another, and another, and another cellist joined in, and then we were all singing!” And that is what Avaloch Farm has become. Thanks to all for your support and appreciation. We are building a community and to that end, our success is yours as well.