Last night, looking out at a packed Jamaica Town Hall as we brought this year’s festival to a close, I felt incredibly lucky. The room was full, the music was beautiful, and it was the perfect ending to a week that reminded me why we keep coming back and doing this year after year.

There’s something tough about the morning after PFCM ends. For months, so much energy goes into making these few days happen — and then suddenly the rehearsals stop, the musicians scatter, and everything gets quiet again. I always leave Vermont wishing I could take a little more of it with me: the people, the mountains, the friendships, and of course the experience of making and sharing music together.
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This year felt particularly meaningful. We saw familiar faces and met new ones. We filled spaces throughout Jamaica with music. We watched musicians, audience members, neighbors, kids, volunteers, and friends come together over the course of the week.

And, inevitably, we’re already thinking about next year.

One of the things that made this season possible was the extraordinary generosity of our housing hosts. We loved having our musicians and staff staying in homes throughout the valley, and we’d love to continue and expand that next summer. If you think you might have space to host someone during PFCM 2027, please email [email protected]. There’s absolutely no commitment at this point — we’d simply love to know who we can reach out to when next summer’s plans begin taking shape.

There’s one other way you can help us close out this season. PFCM remains free because so many people choose to support it, and every contribution — at every level — makes this week of music possible. Please consider donating today. 

Support PFCM:
https://www.pikesfallschambermusicfestival.com/donate-to-pfcm.html

And if you joined us this week, we’d really like to hear from you! Tell us what you loved, what you’d change, and what you’d like to see next year. Your responses truly do help shape the festival.

Tell us what you thought:
https://forms.gle/8BaETbsmdwoydMh86

To everyone who played, listened, donated, volunteered, hosted, helped, showed up, brought a friend, or simply welcomed us back to Jamaica: thank you so much.

I’m definitely sad that it’s over for this summer. But even more, I’m incredibly grateful that we get to do it again next August. See you then.

With love and appreciation,
Susanna

At the end of a fantastic week, we're hosting our final concert of the 2026 festival tonight at 7pm in the Jamaica Town Hall! You'll hear music by Alberto Ginastera, Jessie Montgomery, Grazyna Bacewicz, WA Mozart, and PFCM's own composer-in-residence Nathan Lincoln-Decusatis. Reserve the best seats in the hall!

And don't forget to add to your swag! This year's newest additions include our first ever sweatshirt and a newly designed coffee mug. You'll be able to purchase them from Avery before, during, and after the concert. 

Before the closing concert tonight, come to the Town Hall at 5PM for Sugar and Stone, for a discussion of Scott and Helen Nearing's influence in the Winhall Valley led by Greg Joly. Between the discussion and the concert, feel free to visit the Jamaica Historical Foundation down the street.

As we begin wrapping up PFCM for the summer, we want to thank you again for your unending support. This year has been especially memorable, from seeing all the new faces, to outreach from community members to house our musicians, to joining the Jamaica Day festivities. We can't wait to be back again next year.

See you tonight!

PS: If you have joined us for any of our events so far, please complete our survey! Your input is crucial to us improving the festival each year.

Last night, Jesse Lepkoff and Ensemble Amphion Baroque put on another spectacular concert, and we had a wonderful time with everyone at the Wednesday Sidewalk Social.  (Earlier in the day we performed a preview concert at Valley Village in Townshend... it was a packed day!)

Tonight, we invite you to the Grafton Community Church for a concert at 7pm. The program features the Pikes Falls Musicians playing our first concert program of music by Britten, Liebermann, Bunch, Solomon, and Brahms. Reserve a ticket here! 

Thank you to everyone who joined us for an amazing Garden Party last night. And a huge thanks to Karen Ameden for hosting, with spectacular gardens and delicious food!!
 
This afternoon, we head to Townshend to play a private concert for the residents at Valley Cares. We kick the evening off with a performance from the Pikes Falls musicians on the porch of the Jamaica Haus for the Sidewalk Social from 5:30-6:30pm. Afterwards, we welcome guest artists Ensemble Amphion Baroque to the Jamaica Town Hall at 7pm.

Reserved tickets have been booking fast; we can't wait to see all of you for another special evening full of music.

Tomorrow (Thursday), meet us in Grafton at 7pm for a program of music by the Pikes Falls musicians.

See you again soon!