From concert halls in the United States and Europe, the musicians of Music From Salem join to offer programs of an exciting diversity and scope usually found only in major cities. Musicians living and working together at the Brown farm in Salem, New York take time to explore both the intimate and highly dramatic aspects of chamber music performance. Exploring newly written works with commitment and masterpieces of the past with an air of discovery, Music From Salem presents concerts that inspire and challenge.
Open rehearsals offer a rare opportunity to observe the process of shaping a performance.
Essential to the spirit of Music From Salem is the belief that artist and audience complement one another, thereby enriching and enhancing the life of the entire community. In 1985, violist Lila Brown together with violinist Judith Eissenberg launched Music From Salem, a festival that has become a fixture in the cultural life of Washington County. From a single concert in 1986, the festival has expanded to a five-week summer schedule, as well as three winter concerts. Concerts take place each weekend at Hubbard Hall, in the town of Cambridge, ten miles south of Salem. During the week, anyone may attend free open rehearsals at the farm, where the musicians work on the program for the weekend and then throw the floor open to questions about how chamber players signal through eye contact or how they resolve differences over tempi and dynamics.