Last year’s festival shattered attendance records and marked a breakthrough season for exceptional, daring performances.

One of Virginia’s favorite summer music destinations, the Staunton Music Festival attracts some of the world’s finest chamber musicians to this magnificent town near the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Festival – now in its 18th year – entertains, enriches, and engages audiences with a dynamic selection of chamber music. The festival features multiple concerts each day, with programs that are consistently innovative – spanning music from the Renaissance to the present. All performances take place at historic venues in beautiful downtown Staunton, recently designated as one of the “best small towns in America” by Smithsonian magazine.

 The “Writer’s Ear Contest” is now underway.

The Writer’s Ear Project celebrates music and imagination. Elementary and middle school students are invited to write short stories or poems inspired by selected pieces of classical music. The prize-winning entries will be read aloud during a free concert along with performance of music by Debussy, Thomas, Bozza, Ligeti, and Copland. The program is simple and open to all residents of Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County in grades 3-8 (ages 8-14).  Visit the Writer’s Ear main page for complete information, and be sure to attend the public concert and award ceremony on March 1, 2015 to hear the winning stories! Students: click here for the audio selections.