Monadnock Music is a meeting place where listeners, performers, and composers come together each summer to nurture a vision of what our collective musical life can be. Over the years this vital purpose has generated countless friendships and collaborations, and many important musical moments as well: composer John Adams first worked with director Peter Sellars at Monadnock Music; Elliott Carter, Mario Davidovsky, György Kurtag, and Donald Martino are among those who have had first performances of their works here. Even Handel and Haydn have had American premieres at Monadnock Music!

The ideal of making the best in music available to everyone is the driving force behind Monadnock Music. Of our thirty-plus concerts, fully half of them are free of charge and occur in the central meetinghouses and churches of the many small towns that dot the region. Our ability to penetrate into communities and reach a cross section of the population, bringing performances of high artistic quality to people in their hometowns, shows most dramatically how this ideal is enacted: often young parents and children show up, also grandparents with grandkids, even pairs of teenagers. Key to this phenomenon is that the concerts are free, but also that they are informal in feel and are town events which invite those who don’t normally travel to hear live music to come into the local church for an evening. Concerts generally include a short pre-concert talk that is geared toward the audience at hand.

In the central town of Peterborough, a weekend ticketed series presents music of many genres, from recitals to choral and orchestral concerts, even the occasional opera. The series encompasses a wide spectrum of music, frequently stretching the boundaries of traditional programming in pursuit of the most vivid and compelling musical experiences.

Monadnock Music is well known for having a viewpoint distinct from the commercial mainstream. Our advocacy of interesting and important music and musicians has earned the support of thousands audience members, of the press, and of numerous foundations. Musicians from leading American and European orchestras as well as highly respected solo performers come, in some cases year after year, eager to work together in an environment that is artistically challenging and satisfying.

History

It was in 1966 that James Bolle brought musicians from the big cities to make recordings and play a few concerts in the quiet Nelson Meeting  House. People who happened to hear a concert dragged their friends to the next one or one the next year. No one could quite believe that musical performance of such high caliber was flourishing in this rural corner of New Hampshire. Astonishingly it did, and these days nearly 100 musicians from all over the US and abroad perform in over 30 concerts in eighteen towns all around the Monadnock region.

A strong commitment to the performance of contemporary music, particularly by young American composers, met at first with resistance from audiences but has won ever-increasing acceptance. Composers Aaron Copland, Frederic Rzewski, Tobias Picker, Sheree Clement, Joan  Tower, John Adams, Roger Sessions, Marilyn Ziffrin, Louise Talma, Elliott Carter, and Charles Wuorinen are among those who have been on hand to hear, play, coach and/or conduct their works.

In 1986 Monadnock Music embarked on "Lend an Ear!”, an innovative project of bringing chamber music to young people. A pilot program, funded in part by the Putnam Foundation and the Merrill Foundation, was the first stage in a plan to bring small ensembles of brass, string and woodwind players to as many schools in the region as possible – 21 in the 2007-08 school year -- on a regular basis. "Lend an Ear!" developed through 1992 with the leverage of a Challenge III grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, which considered the program a model for others of its kind. Since 1992 "Lend an Ear!", has been dependent on contributions for its support.

With its dedication to the area and the many communities that it serves, Monadnock Music continues to develop and expand its artistic and educational programs. Throughout its 43 years, it has been a stable and integral part of the cultural life of the New Hampshire and the Monadnock region and has remained firmly attached to its original goal of combining music of the highest quality with community service.

Copyright 2008 Monadnock Music Inc. All rights reserved.