In 1996, the Swannanoa Gathering established an award for lifetime achievement, to be given periodically to certain remarkable master musicians and teachers that we have been privileged to have here as members of our staff. About Our Programs History Founded in 1991, The Swannanoa Gathering is a series of week-long workshops in various folk arts held in July and August on the campus of Warren Wilson College near Asheville in the heart of North Carolina's beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. With a limited enrollment and an 'open' format which allows each student to select their own curriculum from a variety of courses, we offer an intimate, supportive community experience for students of all abilities, featuring a staff of some of the finest performers and teachers in the world. The workshops take place at various sites around the Warren Wilson campus and environs, including classrooms, Kittredge Theatre, our Bryson Gym dancehall, the campus gardens and patios, an outdoor amphitheatre, and various jam session tents. Each year we offer over 150 classes.
Students are free to create their own curriculum from any of the classes offered for each week.
We ask that you be thoughtful in making your selections, since we will consider them to be binding choices for which we will reserve you space. After their first class meeting, students may switch into another open class if they find they have made an inappropriate choice, and are then expected to remain in those classes. Unless indicated in the class descriptions, classes have a maximum of 15 students, and when those limits are reached, classes will be closed. Some of our class descriptions define required skills in detail, but in general terms, Beginner refers to those with no experience at all, or those who play some but are not yet comfortable with the basics. Advanced or Experienced students should be very comfortable with their instruments and able to focus on style, arrangement and ornamentation.