Rudolf Serkin was a man of few words, but he had a vision of the power of chamber music in the development of exceptional instrumentalists and singers. Immersing them in the exploration of chamber music for two months could transform them into thoughtful and intelligent musicians who could make important contributions to music.
Chamber music requires not only learning one’s own part but the score: learning to listen, to compromise, to make multiple voices into one. These are the same skills that we need in our personal lives. The lessons of chamber music and life intersect at Marlboro and will continue to be essential to future generations of musicians and to music itself.
The spirit of generosity, of being committed to helping to realize community goals rather than personal ones, are at the heart of the Marlboro ethos. I recall speaking, mid-summer, some years ago, with a first-time participant and asking how everything was going. She replied that she had gone to a number of summer programs where she had the feeling that her peers were secretly hoping that their fellow musicians would not outshine them. “But at Marlboro, it’s different,” she said. “Everyone is rooting for their colleagues to do their best, and that is so refreshing.”
