More than 2,000 leading musicians consider Marlboro to be among their most important artistic influences

Thousands of young musicians who spent formative summers at Marlboro have gone on to become members of leading ensembles, many of which formed at Marlboro; acclaimed recitalists; principal members of major orchestras; and respected teachers. They are sharing with students, colleagues, and audiences everywhere the artistic and life lessons they received on this peaceful Vermont hilltop.

In 1964, the Guarneri String Quartet became the first of many major chamber ensembles to form at Marlboro. Since then, many other artists who spent formative summers in Vermont would go on to form or join other ensembles that have changed the chamber music landscape. When the Guarneri was founded, Musical America’s Directory of the Performing Arts listed 113 chamber ensembles; today, that list contains some 650 groups. Marlboro is widely credited with playing a major role in this remarkable growth and in a similar increase in the number of chamber music concert series and festivals active today throughout the U.S.

Our Alumni

We invite you to browse a partial list of chamber music ensembles that formed at Marlboro.

Ensembles that Formed at Marlboro

Aulos Woodwind Quintet
Rudolph Vrbsky, oboe
Alexander Heller, bassoon
Judith Mendenhall, flute
Robert Routch, horn
David Singer, clarinet

Cleveland String Quartet
Martha Strongin Katz, viola
James Dunham, viola
Paul Katz, cello
Peter Salaff, violin
Donald Weilerstein, violin

Emerson String Quartet
Eugene Drucker, violin
David Finckel, cello
Philip Setzer, violin
Paul Watkins, cello

Eroica Trio
Ericka Nickrenz, piano
Sara Sant’Ambrogio, cello
Susie Park, violin

Galimir String Quartet (U.S. Ensemble)
Felix Galimir, violin
John Graham, viola
Samuel Rhodes, viola
Andrew Svilokos, violin
Hiroko Yajima, violin
Timothy Eddy, cello
Steven Tenenbom, viola

Guarneri String Quartet
John Dalley, violin
David Soyer, cello
Arnold Steinhardt, violin
Michael Tree, viola
Peter Wiley, cello

Johannes String Quartet
Choong-Jin Chang, viola
Robert Chen, violin
Soovin Kim, violin
Catherine Cho, violin
Jessica Lee, violin
Julianne Lee, violin
Peter Stumpf, cello

Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio
Jaime Laredo, violin
Sharon Robinson, cello

Muir String Quartet
Lucy Chapman, violin
Beyla Keyes, violin
Peter Zazofsky, violin
Steven Ansell, viola

NEXUS
Robin Engelman, percussion
Russell Hartenberger, percussion
William Cahn, percussion
John Wyre, percussion
Robert Becker, percussion

Orion String Quartet
Daniel Phillips, violin
Todd Phillips, violin
Timothy Eddy, cello
Steven Tenenbom, viola

TASHI
Peter Serkin, piano
Richard Stoltzman, clarinet

Tre voci
Kim Kashkashian, viola
Sivan Magen, harp
Marina Picinini, flute

Trio Cavatina
Harumi Rhodes, violin
Priscilla Lee, cello
Ieva Jokubaviciute, piano

Vermeer String Quartet
Shmuel Ashkenasi, violin
Pierre Menard, violin
Scott Nickrenz, viola
Richard Sher, cello

“My time at Marlboro has been a truly life-changing experience. Marlboro has filled me with countless memories, bar by bar, in musical exploration…I’m grateful to have the spirit of Marlboro as a guiding star. Sincere thanks.”

“My second Marlboro summer was very intense and challenging, somehow more so than last summer. I drew in an enormous amount of inspiration from all kinds of music, people, and situations, and I am doing my best to carry that incredible Marlboro spirit into my day-to-day life and career.”

“I think I’m just starting to feel comfortable in the real life after this incredible summer. It was so hard to get back! Marlboro has been an unbelievable experience that has really changed me. I learned a lot and I met a lot of special people. It is a kind of paradise for a musician!”

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the best summer of my life. Musically, it surpassed even my wildest expectations, but even more, I feel like I am now a part of the most wonderful people in the world. And I assure you I am not being hyperbolic – Marlboro really had that much of an impact on me!”

From the Archives

Meet some of the legendary figures who helped to establish the spirit of Marlboro—true originals who inspired and influenced generations of young musicians with their musical insights and humanity. Through their performances, photographs, biographies, and the recollections of past participants and others, we hope to bring to life a sense of their substantial contributions to Marlboro and music, for which we are ever grateful.

  • From the Archives: Adolf Busch

    From the Archives:
    Adolf Busch

    Violinist, composer, and Marlboro co-founder Adolf Busch’s uncompromising humanity, devotion, and commitment to what he believed in—his example as a moral beacon in uniquely tumultuous times—has guided Marlboro from its earliest days.

  • From the Archives: Rudolf Serkin

    From the Archives:
    Rudolf Serkin

    In setting the standards and creating the structure for Marlboro, Rudolf Serkin opened new worlds for generations of exceptional young musicians. Throughout his life, he demonstrated that music is not merely a profession but a moral act that finds its highest expression in the service of others.

  • From the Archives:  Blanche Honegger Moyse

    From the Archives:
    Blanche Honegger Moyse

    A unique and beloved figure in Brattleboro’s cultural life, Marlboro co-founder Blanche Moyse gave us new perspectives on some of the most moving music ever written. The inspiring experience of exploring Bach’s music with her has had a lifelong impact on decades of Marlboro musicians.