The presence of a visiting performance ensemble on campus during Festival Week has long been a Walden School tradition. Renowned contemporary music groups such as the PRISM Saxophone Quartet, The Peabody Trio, and Non Sequitur have completed residencies in years past, performing student pieces as well as sharing their own repertoire. For the last several years, Walden has hosted its own professional ensemble-in-residence, The Walden School Players. All distinguished musicians and specialists in contemporary music, the Players share their talent and wealth of experience in contemporary music with the Walden community each summer during the course of a two-week residency. Although the roster changes somewhat from year to year, several of the Players have been returning to Walden for many summers and have formed lasting relationships with students, faculty, and staff.
While in residence at Walden, the Players work closely with student composers in readings and rehearsals, giving feedback as students prepare their pieces for Festival Week. Then, over the course of three Festival Week Composers Forums, they perform students’ pieces.
In addition to their work with students, the Players present a concert of modern and contemporary chamber music in an event that is always a highlight of Walden’s concert series. This concert is FREE and open to the public, and will take place in Louise Shonk Kelly Recital Hall.