Season preview

"Concerts like those at Yellow Barn shouldn't really exist.
And yet they do."—The Boston Globe

Yellow Barn Festival Concerts July 10 - August 8
Composer in Residence, James MacMillan August 2 - August 8
Special Event: The Other Mozart June 26
Masterclasses:
July 11 Gilbert Kalish, piano
July 18 Donald Weilerstein, violin
July 20 Kim Kashkashian, viola
July 25 Laurence Lesser, cello
Young Artists Program Concerts June 22 & 24 | July 2 & 3

Tickets and passes will be available by February 15.

Watch videos from earlier seasons

All Yellow Barn venues are fully accessible.

Consideration for the continued artistic growth of Yellow Barn’s musicians is the primary focus of our programming each summer. Repertoire presented during Yellow Barn’s summer season is chosen after the conclusion of our admissions process, and the full schedule of programs and performers will be available after June 1. In the meantime, we invite you to enjoy selected performances from past festivals.

Peruse last year's programs

Yellow Barn Concerts
July 10 – August 8

Since 1969, Yellow Barn has gathered together an international community of musicians ranging from conservatory students to renowned professionals. For five weeks, Yellow Barn creates an ideal environment for creative exploration and expression, resulting in a series of extraordinary public performances. Each season’s repertoire is unique, spanning a wide range of eras and genres, offering infinite insights into chamber music—for performers, composers and audiences alike. All concerts take place at 8pm in the Big Barn.

Composer in Residence: James MacMillan
August 2 –August 8

This year Yellow Barn welcomes Scottish composer James MacMillan as the 2020 Composer in Residence. In addition to many performances throughout the final week of the festival, the annual Composer Portrait is dedicated to his work, with conversations with Artistic Director Seth Knopp, performers, and audience members.

Pre-Concert Discussions
July 11, 18, & 25 | August 1 & 8

On Saturdays, audience members are invited to the Putney Public Library for an intimate introduction to the evening’s concert given by Yellow Barn musicians. All pre-concert discussions take place at 7pm at the Putney Public Library.

Masterclasses
July 11: Gilbert Kalish, piano
July 18: Donald Weilerstein, violin
July 20: Kim Kashkashian, viola
July 25: Laurence Lesser, cello

At Yellow Barn masterclasses, audience members are invited to sit in the Big Barn with Yellow Barn musicians and witness the interpretive process as Yellow Barn faculty and guests coach participants on a wide range of repertoire. Masterclasses on July 11, 18, and 25 will take place at 10:30am in the Big Barn. The masterclass on July 20 will take place at 8pm at the Big Barn.

Young Artists Program Concerts
June 22 & 24 | July 2 & 3

Preceding the main season is the Young Artists Program for outstanding composers and performers ages 13–20, with four concerts that include classical repertoire and world premiere performances of works created during the program. All concerts take place at 8pm in the Big Barn.

Special Event: The Other Mozart
June 26

The Other Mozart is a monodrama created by Sylvia Milo telling the true, forgotten story of Maria Anna (Nannerl) Mozart, the sister of Amadeus - a prodigy, virtuoso and composer, who performed throughout Europe with her brother, to equal acclaim, but her work and her story faded away, lost to history. The play is based on facts, stories and lines pulled directly from the Mozart family's humorous and heartbreaking letters. 8pm at Next Stage.