artistic vision
Idealism. Integrity. Sharing. These are the words most commonly used by artistic director Wilhelmina Smith in describing her artistic vision for Salt Bay Chamberfest. They are the very concepts that shape and define the festival and its many successes.

Founded in 1995, Ms. Smith's primary goal in starting Chamberfest was posited on the concept of idealism. In chamber music this means bringing together the absolute best musicians to play incredible music together in a beautiful and welcoming setting. Chamberfest harbors a community of highly specialized musicians who together create an aura of collegiality and mutual respect where the honest exchange of musical and philosophical ideas is valued and celebrated. They come together in the beautiful setting of mid-coast Maine for two weeks that culminate in scintillating, thought-provoking performances of the great masterpieces of the chamber music literature. The range of repertoire is vast and includes works spanning four centuries, from baroque to present day, but most importantly represents music that the musicians themselves believe in.

A large part of being idealistic is honoring and continuing a tradition of integrity. The heart of Chamberfest lies in the uncompromising musical integrity that our carefully selected performers bring to each performance, and the joy they share in working together, playing together, and presenting music of exceptional quality to our audience members. Our commitment to quality underlies the selection of each artist, the selection of repertoire for each concert, and the myriad of musical decisions made by our artists in rehearsals. These decisions culminate in the magical musical moments that make Chamberfest known for its outstanding artistic reputation.

Sharing our love of music, our joy of performing and our commitment to excellence with our audience and the community is what Chamberfest is all about. It is important to us to connect with our audience on a musical and spiritual level, and to maintain the intimacy between musicians and audience that defines chamber music. We often speak about a piece before performing it and encourage audience members to come back and meet us after a concert. In order to ensure that future generations can take part in this artistic partnership, we also reach out to the community by presenting educational "ice cream"concerts for children.

Uniting the concepts of integrity, idealism and sharing is what makes the experience of Salt Bay Chamberfest unique to both performers and audience alike. It is an artistic formula that keeps us all coming back year after year to experience that special musical mid-coast magic.