Chamber Music Festival in Search Of a Name (and Musicians)
by BÄRLI NUGENT

Juilliard is planning a new festival of chamber music—and is looking for a name and for interested students. This new event, scheduled during the second and third weeks of January 2002, will comprise a week of “all-chamber-music, all-the-time,” including daily chamber music coachings, intensive rehearsals, fun readings and performances.

This venture is the brainchild of Associate Dean Michael Finn, whose own background as a founding member of the Young Concert Artist-award winning Hexagon ensemble (wind quintet plus piano), participation for several years in the Marlboro Music Festival and innumerable other chamber music endeavors, has given him a unique perspective into the joy and discipline of chamber music training. “I noticed,” Finn commented in his office recently, “that students were often eager to put more intensive work into their chamber music groups than their schedule permitted. I also noticed that many students came back early from winter vacation, eager to return to work. But there was nothing for them to do except practice and wait for classes to resume. So I decided to put the two things together.”

This year’s inaugural festival, if all goes as planned, will begin on Monday, January 7, near the end of the winter recess and one week before second semester classes begin. Daily coaching sessions will take place January 7–11, and all participants will perform the following week. Students will select the repertoire they wish to study; it is anticipated that each ensemble will work exclusively on their chosen work for the entire week.

Coaches will include members of the Juilliard chamber music faculty, as well as other faculty members. Students who have not already done so should register their interest immediately in the Chamber Music Office with the administrative director, Bärli Nugent. This promises to be a wonderful and unique event in the life of the Juilliard community.

And we are serious about needing a good name for this venture. Please submit your suggestions to the Chamber Music Office on the second floor; by phone at 799-5000, ext. 592; or via e-mail at bnugent@juilliard.edu.