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Winterhaven Chamber Music Retreat
WELCOME TO WINTERHAVEN
Winterhaven is an intensive chamber music retreat for adults that takes place at the luxurious facilities of Avaloch Farm Music Institute, in Boscawen, NH. With spacious private rooms for all participants, large rehearsal studios each with a grand piano, and a serene, peaceful landscape, Avaloch provides an idyllic setting for music-making and relaxing. Chef Judith Kalish, from Newton, MA, joins us this year to prepare three meals a day from the finest locally-sourced ingredients. Winterhaven's faculty play alongside participants and create an encouraging, supportive environment in which to explore and enjoy making music together.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The retreat is open to adult chamber players of intermediate to advanced level on violin, viola, cello, and piano; pre-formed groups are welcome. Winterhaven focuses on in-depth chamber music study, with intensive coaching and private lessons from faculty who are all active chamber music professionals. Emilie-Anne Gendron, violin and viola, will join the Bardin-Niskala Duo as faculty for the 2023 season.
Each participant will play in two chamber ensembles. One ensemble will be composed entirely of workshop participants, while the other ensemble will include one faculty member who plays as part of the group. Participants will receive their assigned chamber movements prior to arriving at the workshop, and ensembles will remain together for the full week. In addition to daily chamber music coachings, each participant will receive two private lessons during the retreat. Participants may choose to bring a solo work to their lessons, or they may choose to use these lessons to work more in detail on their chamber music parts.
Winterhaven fosters a supportive community for all, where participants and faculty work together formally and informally. Gourmet meals are serve family-style in the Great Hall, encouraging conversation, sharing, and friendship. Days include ensemble coachings and lessons, as well as unstructured rehearsal and practice time. Evenings include sight-reading parties with faculty, informal ensemble performances by participants, an optional performance masterclass, an open rehearsal by the faculty ensemble, and a faculty chamber music recital. An added highlight for this year, renown luthier, cello-maker Lawrence Wilke (www.wilkecellos.com), joins us for a fascinating masterclass on the making and maintaining of string instruments.
2023 Information
Dates:
January 8 - January 14, 2023
Location:
Avaloch Farm
16 Hardy Ln
Boscawen, NH 03303
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
LOCATION
Surrounded by open fields, hiking trails (x-country ski trails, and snow-shoe trails), and with a large lake on the property, Avaloch Farm is located 14 miles to the north of Concord and 75 miles north of Boston. The nearest airports are in Manchester (40 minutes away) and Boston (less than 1-1/2 hours). Address: 16 Hardy Ln, Boscawen, NH 03303
LODGING
Participants are housed in private rooms in welcoming, immaculate, 2-bedroom suites with shared bathroom and kitchenette (includes mini fridge, microwave and coffee maker) in-suite. Each bedroom is equipped with a double bed, wardrobe, and desk, and is spacious enough for individual practice. Linens and locally-made soap are provided. Laundry is available on-site.
FACILITIES
The studios include a sitting area as well as ample rehearsal space. Each studio has a grand piano and music stands. Built with acoustics for live instrumentation in mind, the open barn-style great hall serves as the dining hall, and the main performing and gathering space. The vaulted ceilings with beautiful warm wooden beams amplify sound naturally, creating a warmly inviting place to play and to listen to music. A ping-pong room, fitness room, and pool table are available for use by all participants.
MEALS
Meals are chances to enjoy relaxed conversations and to forge new friendships. Chef Judith Kalish sources all her creations from fresh, local ingredients, and meals are served family-style in the great hall. Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan and other allergy-sensitive options are available.
TRAVEL
Boscawen is 75 miles north of Boston and 14 miles from Concord, NH. Manchester, NH Airport is 33 miles away, and taxi service is available from the airport to Avaloch. Boston/Logan airport is 80 miles away. Concord Coach Bus line runs directly from Logan Airport to Concord, NH, and taxis are available at the bus terminal for transport to Avaloch.
Apply
DATES
January 8th - January 14th, 2023. Check-in 4 PM Sunday, January 8th; dinner served at 6 PM. Check out 10 AM Saturday, January 14th
TUITION
$1900: Tuition includes 6 nights lodging at Avaloch (private room), all meals, chamber coachings, lessons, performance masterclass, luthier masterclass, faculty open rehearsal and faculty performance
TO APPLY
1. Please complete the application (Fillable PDF) below.
2. Please submit either a short video (preferred) of two contrasting selections (minimum length 3 minutes each) OR, a recommendation from a current or previous coach or teacher. Selections for the video may be solo or chamber repertoire. To submit a video, either send a youtube link of your private video, or share the video via dropbox or google drive with winterhaven@bardin-niskala-duo.com. If applying with recommendation only, please have a current or previous coach or teacher fill out the recommendation form (Fillable PDF button below)
3. $25 Application fee for non-ACMP members (submit via link on application form). Fee Waived for ACMP members
DEADLINE: October 1st, 2022
Participants will be notified of acceptance by the 15th of October, 2022. To reserve your spot, a non-refundable deposit of $350 is due by October 22nd. Balance of tuition is due November 22nd, 2022. Please submit payment by check to: Naomi Niskala, P.O. Box 253, Selinsgrove, PA, 17870
Faculty and Staff
Emilie-Anne Gendron, violin
Violinist Emilie-Anne Gendron, lauded by the New York Times as a “brilliant soloist" and by Strad Magazine for her “marvellous and lyrical playing,” enjoys a dynamic freelance career based in New York City. Ms. Gendron appears on the rosters of the Marlboro Music Festival and the touring Musicians From Marlboro, as well as acclaimed groups such as A Far Cry, Argento Chamber Ensemble, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Ensemble Échappé, Gamut Bach Ensemble, IRIS Orchestra (as one of its concertmasters), Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Talea Ensemble, and Sejong Soloists. A deeply committed chamber musician, Ms. Gendron is a longtime member of the Momenta Quartet, whose vision encompasses contemporary music of all backgrounds alongside great music from the past, and who have most recently served as Bates College’s Artists-in-Residence in Music. Other regular collaborations include the Toomai String Quintet, specializing in innovative educational outreach and community engagement; the Melody and Company chamber series with pianist Melody Fader; the Arbor Music Series with pianist Lenore Davis; and the longstanding G-Sharp Duo, founded with pianist Yelena Grinberg in 2003. www.emilieannegendron.com
Ronald Carbone, viola
Ronald Carbone is principal violist of American Ballet Theatre Orchestra and was for many years an associate member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He is the founder and music director of the Canaan Chamber Music Festival as well as violist in the Omni Piano Quartet and New York Piano Quartet. For ten years he was a member of the Composers String Quartet and continues to be a frequent guest violist with Spectrum Concerts Berlin. He was a faculty member of Vassar College, Smith College and the Chamber Music Conference at Bennington College. He has recordings on Naxos, CRI, Albany, Reference-Records, and Urlicht Labels. Mr. Carbone was a member of the Portsmouth Chamber Ensemble, the Lexington Trio and the Griffes String Quartet, recipients of the Martha Baird Rockefeller Fund for Music, Inc. award and two Artists International awards. He was also a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Barcelona City Orchestra. He is now violist in The Rose Colored Glasses Chamber Ensemble.
"Everything about the concert was executed on a very high level. (with the utterly simpatico violist, Ronald Carbone)" — Fanfare Magazine
"The Ensemble (Spectrum Concerts) played with absolute precision and throughout with expressive tone and interpretation."— The Berliner Zeitung
Naomi Niskala, piano, and An-Lin Bardin, cello
Executive Directors of Winterhaven Chamber Retreat, the Bardin-Niskala Duo is a classical cello and piano duo comprised of cellist An-Lin Bardin and pianist Naomi Niskala. An-Lin and Naomi met while living and teaching in New Haven, CT, shortly after they finished their studies at the Yale School of Music. They have been playing together in their piano trio (Trio Kisosen) since 2016, and formed the Bardin-Niskala Duo in early 2021 in response to the increasing racial violence and hate crimes across the United States.
Luthier Lawrence Wilke
Lawrence Wilke’s interest in musical instruments began when he started playing cello at 8 years old. He began his studies with Marijane Carr Seigal of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, who also taught his uncle violin maker David Caron. He completed his cello studies from 1981-84 with Dr. William Klenz of SUNY Binghamton. He began his apprenticeship as a violin maker in 1978 at the age of 16 with his uncle, master violin maker David Caron. During this time he also studied bow making and repair with Philip Krause. In 1986 he completed his studies when he went to work for Andrew Dipper in Taynton England where he studied design and restoration. In 1988 he opened his own studio making violins, violas, but specializing in cello making. Wilke cellos and violas have won numerous awards from the Violin Society of America Violinmaking Competitions, including Gold Medal for cello, and several Silver Medals for Cello tone and workmanship. His cellos are played throughout the US by soloists, quartet players, symphony players, and professors of cello. Larry will present an evening masterclass on the making and maintaining of stringed instruments. He will also be available to book throughout the retreat for sound adjustments, minor repairs, and bow rehairs. www.wilkecellos.com
Chef Judith Kalish
Judith Kalish, a West Newton MA resident, loves nothing more than preparing beautiful meals from fresh ingredients for friends and family. A graduate of The New England Culinary Institute, she has been working in the Boston restaurant scene since the early 1990s. Judith worked as a cook at Hamersley’s Bistro for eight years and later served as the founding chef of Orleans in Somerville. She has also served as manager of prepared foods for Whole Foods Market, and most recently as manager of prepared foods at Foodie’s Urban Market in the South End. She currently runs Judith's Kitchen in West Newton, MA. Judith is the daughter of acclaimed pianist Gilbert Kalish.