Chamber Music Workshop
CONFERENCE DATES:
WEEK 1: July 12 - July 19, 2026
WEEK 2: July 19 - July 26, 2026
WEEK 3: July 26 - August 2, 2026
REGISTRATION BELOW
For over 80 years, the Chamber Music Workshop (CMW) has provided amateur musicians with the opportunity to expand their knowledge of chamber music by collaborating with friends old and new, while learning from world-class performers.
At Avaloch Farm Music Institute, our Chamber Music Workshop provides opportunities for weeklong intensive ensemble coachings, more chances to play alongside Conference faculty in ensembles, additional seminars and coachings featuring both CMW and Conference Ensemble faculty, and larger Conference-wide ensemble reading sessions. Click on the OVERVIEW tab below to learn more about the offerings for each week of the CMW.
Avaloch’s exceptional hotel-level board and lodging experience makes the CMW experience unique and unparalleled. We highly encourage you to register early, as there will be limited onsite residential spots for participants. If you wish to learn more about Avaloch Farm Music Institute, facilities, please visit Avaloch’s website at Avaloch Farm Music Institute or click on the ABOUT AVALOCH tab below. It is located on Walker Pond in beautiful, bucolic Boscawen NH, about 20 minutes from Concord NH and 75 minutes from Boston MA.
For questions about the CMW, please email Executive Director Adrian Morejon at amorejon@composersconference.org
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ABOUT THE CHAMBER MUSIC WORKSHOP
In addition to daily chamber music coachings by Conference faculty and Artists-in-Residence, Chamber Music Workshop participants have the opportunity to partake in masterclasses, seminars, performances, chamber music reading sessions and learning new commissioned works. There are also multiple opportunities to attend open rehearsals, lectures and concerts from Conference faculty members and students in the Contemporary Performance Institute. CMW participants live and socialize with the Composers Conference Fellows, CPI and Faculty Artists, and the resulting shared experience and synergy creates a close-knit musical community unlike any other. Under the direction of violinist and CMW Director Jessica Tong, the Chamber Music Workshop offers a rich and diverse experience that reflects the expressive and intellectual possibilities that only the intimacy of chamber music can reveal.
2026 CMW OFFERINGS
Week 1: MIX AND MINGLE— Partial or Full Week Participation; for Individuals and Pre-formed Ensembles
CMW Participants will get traditional number of coached ensembles (2 for partial week, 3 for full week). At the end of each 3 day period, ensembles have the option of performing in a chamber music masterclass with Conference Faculty or the afternoon CMW Musicale concert.
ALL CMW participants have the option of participating actively (or observing) additional playing classes involving Conference Faculty.
Additional activities beyond daily coachings include:
-Musical Chairs Sightreading sessions with Conference Ensemble and CMW faculty
-Daily Musicianship Masterclasses with Conference Ensemble and CMW Faculty Artists
-Brandenburg Readings (two Brandenburg Concerti will be selected ahead of time)
-Concerto Night (opportunity to perform a movement of a concerto with orchestra of CMW participants and Conference faculty)
-Sonata Class (chance to read and get coached on a sonata movement with a faculty member)
-Composition Lecture with Artistic Director Kurt Rohde
-Chamber Music Concerts with Conference Faculty and CPI Ensemble-in-Residence Concerts.
-Ad Hoc Sightreading impromptu sessions set-up at the Conference “on the spot” or ahead of time with sign-up sheet
-Chamber Music Masterclasses with Conference Faculty
Weeks 2+3: PLAY WITH THE PROS— Full Week Participation; for Individuals and Pre-Formed Ensembles
Weeks 2 and 3 of the Conference are designed as weeklong study and performance intensive workshops. CMW participants must be available to attend for the full 6 days. Participants will be placed in 2 weeklong coached ensembles with at least one playing faculty member, where they will work on pre-assigned movements in depth, with a public performance opportunity at the end of the week.
Additional activities beyond the daily coachings include:
-Musicianship Lectures with CMW Artists David Kaplan and Ashley Bathgate
-Composition Lectures with Artistic Director Kurt Rohde
-Solo Masterclasses with CMW Director Jessica Tong and CMW Artists David Kaplan and Ashley Bathgate
-Full Conference Ensemble Sightreading sessions with Guest Conductor-In-Residence
-Interactive Musicianship Masterclasses with Conference Ensemble Members
-Susan Horvath CMW Commissioned Work involving CMW, CPI, Conducting Fellow and Conference Ensemble Members
-New Music/New Communities Concert with NH community music school students
For questions about the application, please email Executive Director Adrian Morejon at amorejon@composersconference.org
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2026 CMW Schedule
WEEK 1: MIX AND MINGLE
Participants may sign up for a full week (3 coached ensembles) or partial week (2 coached ensembles) participation. If you would like to participate in a single seminar or ensemble, please indicate this on your application. Residential priority will be given to full week participants.
Mornings: Each morning, there are assigned ensemble coachings, followed by a Musicianship or Chamber Music Masterclass.
Afternoons: Additional ensemble coaching sessions, Sonata Class, Musical Chairs Sightreading sessions alongside Conference Faculty and Additional Lectures with Conference Directors will happen each afternoon, along with free time for ad hoc sightreading or exploring the beautiful grounds and amenities at Avaloch.
Evenings: Each evening, there is a performance or interactive activity featuring CMW Artists, Conference Ensemble Members and the CPI Ensemble in Residence
CLICK HERE for a detailed weekly schedule for WEEK 1*
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WEEKS 2 AND 3: PLAY WITH THE PROS
Participants must sign up for full week participation for the “Play with the Pros” weeks of the Conference.
Mornings: Each morning there will be a coached ensemble followed by a lecture or masterclass led by Conference faculty and directors.
Afternoons: Each afternoon, there will also be a second coached ensemble, and Musicianship Masterclasses led by a Conference faculty member. Several times over the week, there will also be an optional lecture or masterclasses led by Conference Directors, along with some free time for ad hoc reading or exploring the beautiful grounds and amenities at Avaloch.
Evenings: Each evening, there is a performance or interactive activity featuring CMW Artists, CPI Participants and Conference Ensemble Members.
CLICK HERE to view a detailed potential weekly schedule for WEEK 2*
CLICK HERE to view a detailed potential weekly schedule for WEEK 3*
*weekly schedule is still subject to change
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For 2026, all masteclasses and seminars are offered in addition to participants’ daily coached ensembles. Participants may opt to participate actively (performing masterclass style) or passively (in observation.)
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MASTERCLASSES
Throughout each week, there will be specialized Chamber Music, Solo and Musicianship masterclass offered to all those who are participating in the Chamber Music Workshop. All are welcome to join any and all of these classes!
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LECTURES, SEMINARS and OTHER INTERACTIVE SESSIONS
During WEEK 1, the Sonata Class will be an opportunity for any CMW participants working on a sonata to play and work on a movement with a Conference Ensemble Member in a masterclass style. Concerto and Brandenburg Reading Nights offer additional playing opportunities for participants, and the Musical Chairs sightreading session will be a chance to sightread in an ensemble of faculty members. Kurt Rohde’s Composition Lecture will afford a glimpse into understanding and analyzing new compositions.
During WEEKS 2 and 3, all participants will be able to attend Musicianship Lectures on particular repertoire with David Kaplan and Ashley Bathgate, while Vimbayi Kaziboni’s Full Conference Reading is a great way for all CMW, CPI and Conference Ensemble faculty to get to know one another through a joint large ensemble sightreading session. Kurt Rohde’s Composition Lecture will afford a glimpse into understanding and analyzing new compositions.There will also be an opportunity for CMW, CPI and Ensemble members to collaborate through the annual Susan Horvath CMW Commissioned Work and in the New Music/New Communities Initiative with local music students.
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If you are registering for the CMW for the first time, or if you are participating for the first time in 7+ years, you must also provide us with two recent audio or video links along with your registration form so that we can ensure that we can place you in appropriate ensembles during the workshop.
Audio/video links may be sent via email to our CMW Director Jessica Tong at tong@composersconference.org.
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Tuition and Fees for CMW 2026 In-Person Workshop:
For Commuters: Includes tuition for coachings and access to all facilities on campus.
Partial Week Commuter: $870 (WEEK 1 ONLY)
Full Week Commuter: $1440 (WEEKS 1, 2, 3)
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For Residents: Includes tuition for coachings, board and lodging and access to all facilities on campus. Please note that residential priority will be given to Full Week Participants during Week 1.
Partial Week Resident: $1185 (WEEK 1 ONLY)
Full Week Resident: $1780 (WEEKS 1, 2, 3)
2026 Tuition Payments are due May 1st.
After filling out the registration form, you will be emailed about which week you are able to attend, along with a link to pay a $250 deposit. Please note that your spot cannot be reserved until the deposit is paid, and that the deposit is non-refundable.
For further information, please email Executive Director Adrian Morejon at amorejon@composersconference.org
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Avaloch Farm Music Institute is a residential arts center designed to serve as a catalyst for unfettered artistic exploration, creation and performance. AFMI provides an environment to inspire and empower early, mid-career and distinguished musicians to develop meaningful artistic content and collaborations to share with the world-at-large.
The center is located in Boscawen, NH, a small agricultural community 75 miles north of Boston. The campus is down a dirt country road surrounded by acres of woods, cornfields and apple orchards. You will have access to meadows and forests for hiking and a beautiful lake for swimming and boating. Although you will be provided with everything you will need on the campus, there is a home-made ice cream shop located on a local farm within walking distance. You will also be within 20 minutes driving from a multitude of restaurants, shops and attractions. Concord, the state capital is 10 miles away. If you are an avid hiker, NH presents many hiking opportunities in the area.
AFMI provides hotel-quality, fully air-conditioned bedrooms that are charming and sufficiently sound-proofed to make them suitable for private practice. The living areas are set up in two person suites with bathroom facilities within each suite. Throughout the campus, there are also large rehearsal rooms with grand pianos, wooded rehearsal cabins and several additional practice rooms in the basement.
Three delicious, healthy, creative meals a day are served in the dining room, prepared by a resident chef and his staff. There are always snacks, fruit, and beverages available, and each suite has a small refrigerator for personal use. There is a laundry room, fitness room and ping-pong and pool tables for use by all residents.
For more information and photos of the Avaloch facilities, visit www.avalochfarmmusic.org.
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CMW participants are coached daily by a combination of the CMW Artists-in-Residence, CMW Director and the Conference Ensemble members.
The Conference Ensemble is made up of musicians from major ensembles across the US, and splits its time during the Conference between the CMW, CPI and Fromm Composition Fellows. CMW Artists-in-Residence are internationally acclaimed musicians and pedagogues, and are fully devoted to CMW activities during the Conference.
Information about the CMW Artists-in-Residence is available by scrolling down this page.
More information about the Conference Ensemble is available by clicking here.
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In order to register for the 2026 Chamber Music Workshop, please follow these steps. There are limited spots for each instrument to maintain balance for chamber ensemble making, so you are encouraged to sign up EARLY:
Fill out the Registration Form below, indicating ANY/ALL weeks you are interested and able to attend.
If you are a new participant (or have not participated in 7+ years), please email two contrasting audio and/or video links of your playing to the CMW Director Jessica Tong (jtong@composersconference.org)
Starting at the end of January 2026, we will send you an email to confirm which week you have been placed in. You will have 1 week to submit a non-refundable $250 deposit electronically in order to secure your spot. If we do not receive your deposit within the week, your spot will be offered to the next person on the waitlist with the same instrumentation. If there are no spots available when you submitted the Registration Form, you will automatically be placed on a waitlist and contacted on a first-come-first-served basis (dependent on instrumentation.) The remaining balance of your tuition will be due on May 1, 2026 and is non-refundable. Once paid, you will receive your final assignments in early June ahead of the Conference.
There are limited residential spots available each week, so we highly encourage you to register early if you wish to stay on the Avaloch campus during the Workshop! For questions about the application, please email Executive Director Adrian Morejon at amorejon@composersconference.org
LIFE AT AVALOCH FARM MUSIC INSTITUTE:
Artists in Residence
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American cellist Ashley Bathgate has been described as an “eloquent new music interpreter” (New York Times) and “a glorious cellist”(The Washington Post) who combines “bittersweet lyricism along with ferocious chops”(New York Magazine). Her “impish ferocity”, “rich tone” and “imaginative phrasing” (New York Times) have made her one of the most sought after per-formers of her time. The desire to create a dynamic energy exchange with her audience and build upon the ensuing chemistry is a pillar of Bathgate's philosophy as a performer. Dynamism drives her to venture into previously uncharted areas of ground-breaking sounds and techniques, breaking the mold of a cello's traditionally perceived voice. For ten years Bathgate was a member of the acclaimed sextet Bang on a Can All-Stars. She also performs with Grammy winning ensemble Eighth Blackbird, the chamber music group HOWL, TwoSense with pianist Lisa Moore, and Bonjour, a low-strung, percussive quintet.
In 2015 Bathgate gave the world premiere of What Moves You, a collaborative performance project with jookin’ dance sensation Lil Buck at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, SC, as well as the world premiere of a new Cello Concerto written for her by Kate Moore for the Gaudeamus Festival in Utrecht, NL. Her debut solo album, Stories for Ocean Shells, featuring a set of works for cello composed by Moore, was released in 2016 on Cantaloupe Music. That year Bathgate also commissioned the ‘composer collective’ Sleeping Giant to write ASH, a six-movement suite for solo cello, which was released on New Amsterdam Records in the fall of 2019. Her forthcoming album, 8 Track, featuring new multitrack works by Alex Weiser and Emily Cooley, as well as a new rendition of Steve Reich’s Cello Counterpoint, is due this season on New Focus Recordings. Her latest project is a new evening length work by Michael Gordon, House Music, which premiered at the 2018 Cello Biennale in Amsterdam, NL. Her recorded work can be found on Albany Records, Cantaloupe Music, Innova Recordings, La-La Land Records, Naxos, New Amsterdam, Nonesuch, Starkland and Uffda Records.
Ms Bathgate is the newly appointed Artistic and Executive Director of Avaloch Farm Music Institute.
(www.ashleybathgate.com)
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David Kaplan, pianist, has been called “excellent and adventurous” by The New York Times, and praised by the Boston Globe for “grace and fire” at the keyboard. He has appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Britten Sinfonia and Das Sinfonie Orchester Berlin, and has performed recitals at the Ravinia Festival, Sarasota Opera House, Washington’s National Gallery, Music on Main in Vancouver, and Strathmore.
Kaplan’s New Dances of the League of David, a recital infusing Schumann’s Davidsbündlertänze with 16 new works by composers including Augusta Read Thomas, Marcos Balter, Caroline Shaw, and Andrew Norman was cited among the “Best Classical Music Performances of 2015” by The New York Times. For 2020, he commissions renowned composers Anthony Cheung and Christopher Cerrone for two works based on music written by one another, to be programmed with Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations.
Balancing solo performances with meaningful collaborations, Kaplan has played with the Attacca, Ariel, Enso, Hausman, and Tesla String Quartets. As a core member of Decoda, the Affiliate Ensemble of Carnegie Hall, he performs frequently in New York’s most exciting venues, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to National Sawdust, as well as creating innovative residencies as far away as Abu Dhabi, Mexico, and Scotland. He is a veteran of numerous distinguished chamber music festivals and series, such as the Seattle Chamber Music, Bard, and Mostly Mozart Festivals, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Chamber Music Northwest, and Barge Music. He is an alumnus of Tanglewood and the Ravinia-Steans Institute, and performs regularly as an alumnus of the Perlman Music Program, including with Itzhak Perlman at Miami’s Arscht Center. He serves as Co-Artistic Director of Lyrica Chamber Music, a community series in Morris County, NJ currently in its 31st season.
Kaplan has recorded for Naxos and Marquis Records, as well as with Timo Andres in the acclaimed disc, Shy and Mighty (2010), for Nonesuch. Kaplan was a student of the late Claude Frank, and previously studied with Walter Ponce and Miyoko Lotto. His mentors over the years have included Anton Kuerti, Richard Goode, and Emanuel Ax. He studied conducting at the Universität der Künste Berlin with Lutz Köhler, under the auspices of a Fulbright Fellowship from 2008-2010. The recipient of a DMA from Yale University in 2014, Kaplan earned his Bachelor from UCLA, where he has also served on the faculty since 2016, and was appointed Assistant Professor of Piano in 2020.
David is proud to be a Yamaha/Bösendorfer Artist, and when at home in Los Angeles, he enjoys practicing on his childhood piano, a 1908 Hamburg Steinway model A. Away from the keyboard, he loves cartooning and cooking, and is mildly obsessed with classic cars.
(www.davidkaplanpiano.com)
CMW participants are coached daily by a combination of the CMW Artists-in-Residence, CMW Director and the Conference Ensemble members, many of whom play in internationally acclaimed ensembles in the NYC and Boston areas. More information about the Conference Ensemble is available by clicking here.