Celebrating a summer of inspired music-making in 2026
The Eastern Festival of Music (EFM) combines great classical music-making with a summer educational program enriched by incredible faculty and young artists.
Its distinguished artists come to the scenic campus of Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, to immerse themselves in teaching outstanding students and performing to large audiences at the acoustical gem that is Dana Auditorium.
The school and festival last five weeks from June 30 - August 1.
The students, ages 14-24, receive private instruction and participate in orchestral performances, chamber music, and master classes during the five weeks they are in residence. Students come from around the globe to have an enriching experience, musically and socially.
All performances will take place at the Dana Auditorium on the Guilford College Campus:
Dana Auditorium
710 Levi Coffin Dr
Greensboro, NC
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The Great Overtures (July 20)
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Monday, July 20, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Eastern Festival Orchestra
EFM Conducting Fellows
Mozart Overture to Magic Flute
Victor Shlyakhtenko, conductorBeethoven Overture to Egmont
Elias Gilbert, conductorWeber Overture to Euryanthe
Carter Reynolds, conductorRossini Overture to William Tell
Joey (Yifei) Sun, conductorBerlioz Roman Carnival Overture
Juan David Dominguez-Rincón,
conductorVerdi Overture to La Forza del Destino
Zach Nicely, conductorWagner Prelude to Act 1 of Die Meistersinger
Kai-Chun Wong, conductorBrahms Academic Festival Overture
Paxson Amy, conductor -
Eastern Chamber Players #4 (July 21)
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Tuesday, July 21, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Weiser, Alex “Airs of Awe and Affection” [WORLD PREMIERE]
Uli Speth, violin
Courtney LeBauer, violin
Diane Phoenix-Neal, viola
Julian Schwarz, cello
Marta Simidchieva, cello
Prokofiev String Quartet No. 2 in F major, op.92
Angela Fiedler, violin
Xenia Edwards, violin
Cipriano Valdez-Bell, viola
Dennis Fleitz, cello
Martinů Revue de Cuisine
Anthony Taylor, clarinet
Gabriel Beavers, bassoon
Chris Gekker, trumpet
Jenny Grégoire, violin
Emma Cary, cello
Eric Clark, piano
Tchaikovsky Souvenir de Florence, op.70
Jeff Multer, violin
Benjamin Hoffman, violin
Chi Lee, viola
Daniel Reinker, viola
Julian Schwarz, cello
Amy Frost Baumgarten, cello -
Percussion & Harp Faculty Recital (July 22)
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Wednesday, July 22, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Percussion & Harp Faculty Recital
Alison Chorn, Meagan Gillis, Robert Lenau*, & John Shaw, percussion
Anna Kate Mackle, harpJohn Beck Jr. Downfall
Trad. Irish Washerwoman (arr. Nathan Daughtrey)
George Hamilton Green Jovial Jasper (arr. Bob Becker)
Thierry De Mey Table Music
Mattea Williams Shrill
Nigel Westlake Omphalo Centric Lecture
David Skidmore Ritual Music -
Dvorâk in New York (July 23)
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Thursday, July 23, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Liszt Les Preludes
Bernstein Suite from On the Waterfront
Dvorâk Cello Concerto feat. Neal Cary, cello -
The Great Ukranian Composer (July 24)
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Friday, July 24, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Prokofiev Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, op.100
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Celebrate USA 250! (July 25)
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Saturday, July 25, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Gerard Schwarz, conductor
William Wolfram, pianoGoossens Jubilee Variations
Hanson Symphony No. 2
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, op.18 -
Beethoven's Influence (July 27)
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Monday, July 27, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Beethoven Violin Sonata in A major, op.12, No. 2
Jeff Multer, violin
William Wolfram, piano
Haydn String Quartet in D major, op.20, no. 4
Yue Yang, violin
Glen Kuenzi, violin
Christian Cherubini Suarez, viola
Andrew Steward, cello
Brahms Scherzo from FAE Sonata
Avi Nagin, violin
Eric Clark, piano
Beethoven Quintet for Piano and Winds, op.16
Randall Ellis, oboe
Robert DiLutis, clarinet
Gabriel Beavers, bassoon
Valerie Sly, horn
William Wolfram, piano -
Eastern Chamber Players #5 (July 28)
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Tuesday, July 28, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Montgomery Strum
Michael Wu, violin
Siana Wong, violin
Hyunwoo Jeoung, viola
Matthew Reffner, cello
Devin Ascioti, double bass
Shostakovich Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, op.67
Avi Nagin, violin
Julian Schwarz, cello
Marika Bournaki, piano
Schulhoff Concertino WV 75
Mark Teplitsky, flute/piccolo
Diane Phoenix-Neal, viola
Leonid Finkelshteyn, double bass
Tabakova Moreni
Robert DiLutis, clarinet
Jessica Ryou, violin
Dan Skidmore, violin
Jamie Hofman, viola
Beth Vanderborgh, cello
Marika Bournaki, piano
Strauss Sextet from Cappricio
Michael Wu, violin
Siana Wong, violin
Chauncey Patterson, viola
Hyunwoo Jeoung, viola
Julian Schwarz, cello
Matthew Reffner, cello -
US Army String Quartet (July 29)
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Wednesday, July 29, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
FREE EVENT!
Caroline Shaw: Entr'acte
Felix Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80
Finale: Allegro molto
Aleksandr Glazunov: Reverie Orientale
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K. 581
Menuetto - Trio I - Trio II
Allegretto con variazioniThe United States Army String Quartet
SFC Patrick Lin, Violin
SSG Freya Liu, Violin
SSG Julia Clancy, Viola
MSG Benjamin Wensel, Cello
with Robert DiLutis, Clarinet Soloist -
Young Soloists (July 30)
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Thursday, July 30, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Concerto Competition Winners with Young Artist Orchestra.
Grant Cooper, conductor
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, op. 15 (mvt. I) feat. Tiffany Lim, piano
Reinecke Flute Concerto in D Major, op 283 (mvt. I) feat. Claire Wei, flute
Abe Prism Rhapsody for Marimba and Orchestra feat. Jacob Leshnower, marimbaHo-Yin Kwok, conductor
Ewazen Concerto for Bass Trombone (mvt. I) feat. Thomas McGowan, bass trombone
Korngold Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35 (mvt. I) feat. Lilia Li, violin
Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major feat. Alexander Jurak, piano -
Young Artist Orchestra Finale (July 31)
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Friday, July 31, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition (Ho-Yin Kwok, conductor)
Elgar Enigma Variations op.36 (Grant Cooper, conductor) -
Welcome Pinky! (August 1)
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Saturday, August 1, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Gerard Schwarz, conductor
Pinchas Zuckerman, violinKodaly Dances of Galanta
Ben-Haim Lullaby
Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, op. 26 feat. Pinchas Zuckerman, violin
Debussy Danses Sacrée et Profane feat. Renee Yadav, harp
Stravinsky Suite from The Firebird (1911 Suite)