Staunton Music Festival presents about 40 concerts per year, featuring 180+ acclaimed professionals from around the world. The highlight of each season is the annual Summer Festival in August, a time when each day offers visitors multiple concerts of chamber, vocal, and symphonic music. In April SMF's SpringFest offers a shorter, three-day festival devoted to a particular repertoire. During April and August most concerts are preceded by a free, informal and short Preconcert Talk.
Throughout the year, SMF presents a series of more intimate Recitals that include solo and chamber repertoire in historic venues. In addition, we host a few Special Events of limited seating capacity, including Nightcaps and longer lectures with a catered meal.
For information about ticket prices, including discounted admission for military, college, and youth; seating plans, and various discounted passes on offer, please visit the Ticket Info page.
Ticketing: (540) 800-6012
boxoffice@stauntonmusicfestival.org
Romantic Cello Sonatas
Sunday February 25 at 3:00 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church | $24
Cellist James Wilson and pianist Carsten Schmidt perform 19th-century masterworks by Grieg and Brahms.
Event may be purchased individually or in Annual Pass.
Frescobaldi to Froberger
Saturday March 2 at 3:00 pm
Augusta Stone Church | $24
Harpsichordist Carsten Schmidt performs works by two giants of 17th century keyboard music, Frescobaldi and Froberger.
Event may be purchased individually or in Annual Pass.
Hamburg to Leipzig
Friday April 12 at 7:30 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church | $22-$32
SpringFest 2024 opens its Baroque Journeys in Germany with works by Telemann and J. S. Bach, including concertos and vocal music.
Event is included in SpringFest Pass and Annual Pass.
SPONSORED BY HARRIET HANGER
Paris
Saturday April 13 at 12:00 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church | Free admission
This free program features solo and chamber music by Couperin, Marais, Lambert, and Rameau.
Admission is free and tickets are not required. Just show up!
SUPPORTED BY NANCY CARPENTER
Venice
Saturday April 13 at 7:30 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church | $22-$32
Revel in the sumptuous richness of the Italian Baroque, featuring period instrument performances of Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
Event is included in SpringFest Pass and Annual Pass.
SPONSORED BY RICHARD & MARY BARNES
London Playhouse
Sunday April 14 at 10:30 am
Blackfriars Playhouse | $16-$22
Blackfriars Playhouse provides the setting for a short concert of instrumental and vocal music from 17th-century England.
Event is included in SpringFest Pass and Annual Pass.
SPONSORED BY JUDITH WIEGAND
SpringFest Lunch & Lecture
Sunday April 14 at 1:00 pm
Trinity Church's McCracken Hall | $15
LECTURE ONLY! Dr Jon Gibson delivers an extended talk on Handel's oratorio La Resurrezione just before the finale concert.
Special Event, not included in any subscription passes
Rome: Handel's Resurrezione
Sunday April 14 at 4:00 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church | $22-$32
The SpringFest finale features a single, brilliant work: Handel's Italian oratorio on the resurrection, penned in Rome in 1708.
Event is included in SpringFest Pass and Annual Pass.
SPONSORED BY CHRISTINE & MICHAEL BURCH
An Afternoon with Bach
Sunday May 19 at 4:00 pm
Augusta Stone Church | $24
Carsten Schmidt offers a recital of favorite works from Johann Sebastian Bach's massive output for solo keyboard.
Event may be purchased individually or in Annual Pass.
Handel Extravaganza: Arcadia to the Academy
Friday August 16 at 7:30 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church | $22-$38
The 26th annual Summer Festival opens with a rousing all-Handel program, ranging from chamber works to selections from Messiah.
Event is included in Summer Pass and Annual Pass.
SPONSORED BY DAVIDSON PERRY-MILLER AND LINDA STEIGLEDER & CLARK WIEDMANN
Nightcap 1: Marie’s Crisis Piano Bar
Friday August 16 at 10:00 pm
Silver Line Theatre | $20
New York's famous sing-along café comes to Staunton for your enjoyment. Includes complimentary drinks.
Special Event, not included in any subscription passes
SPONSORED BY LOUISE SCOTT
Tales of the Night
Saturday August 17 at 12:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church | Free admission
In the middle of the day, we sample the mysterious sounds of night with music by Beethoven, Caplet, and others.
Admission is free and tickets are not required. Just show up!
SPONSORED BY NANCY CARPENTER AND CITY NATIONAL BANK
Baroque the Bank
Saturday August 17 at 3:00 pm
National Valley Bank | $20
The perfect time and place for a concert of Baroque concertos inside Historic National Valley Bank. Works by Telemann, Biber, and others.
Special Event, not included in any subscription passes
SPONSORED BY DR. SARA N. JAMES
Poets and Puppets
Saturday August 17 at 7:30 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church | $22-$38
A premiere arrangement Stravinsky's Petrushka closes an eclectic mix of works tied to themes of poets and puppets.
Event is included in Summer Pass and Annual Pass.
SPONSORED BY SUSAN STEVICK, IN MEMORY OF KENNETH WEBB, AND THE ALLAN & MARGOT BLANK FOUNDATION
Summer Sounds
Sunday August 18 at 10:30 am
Blackfriars Playhouse | $16-$22
This one hour program in Blackfriars Playhouse spans nearly 800 years, from a famous 13th-century song to new music.
Event is included in Summer Pass and Annual Pass.
SPONSORED BY KEITH MORTON, IN MEMORY OF BRUCE MORTON
Meet the New Graf!
Sunday August 18 at 4:00 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church | $22-$38
SMF unveils the newest member of the family - a stunning replica of Conrad Graf's 1830 Viennese fortepiano made by Rod Regier.
Event is included in Summer Pass and Annual Pass.
SPONSORED BY JIM & TAMARA RIDENOUR
Grumpy Hedgehog, Happy Oboe
Monday August 19 at 12:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church | Free admission
The Monday noon concert presents various chamber works written from the Baroque to early 20th century.
Admission is free and tickets are not required. Just show up!
SPONSORED BY PATRICIA ANN ABRAHAM
Serenades at Noon
Tuesday August 20 at 12:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church | Free admission
This noon concert presents diverse selections ranging from early Middle Ages to a prize-winning new commission.
Admission is free and tickets are not required. Just show up!
Early Keyboard Extravaganza
Tuesday August 20 at 7:30 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church | $22-$38
Many of the most important composers in history were keyboardists by training and profession, including Bach, Buxtehude, and Rameau.
Event is included in Summer Pass and Annual Pass.
SPONSORED BY TERRY GRANT
Nightcap 2: A Mighty Wind
Tuesday August 20 at 10:00 pm
MBU @ the Wharf | $20
The SMF wind musicians enjoy the chance to unwind with fun and rarely-heard works. Includes complimentary drinks.
Special Event, not included in any subscription passes
Bel Canto
Wednesday August 21 at 12:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church | Free admission
Vocal music takes center stage in this one-hour noon concert, featuring works by Mozart, Strozzi, and Judith Shatin.
Admission is free and tickets are not required. Just show up!
SPONSORED BY THE FRANCIS WHITESEL SMITH CHARITABLE TRUST
Meet the Composer: Roberto Sierra
Wednesday August 21 at 3:00 pm
Central United Methodist Church | Free admission
Enjoy conversation and music with Roberto Sierra, winner of a Latin Grammy and an acclaimed American composer.
Admission is free and tickets are not required. Just show up!
SPONSORED BY VINCE WATCHORN
Beethoven Meets the Mambo
Wednesday August 21 at 7:30 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church | $22-$38
Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 shares the stage with chamber works by Debussy, DeFalla, and composer-in-residence Roberto Sierra.
Event is included in Summer Pass and Annual Pass.
SPONSORED BY ANN & DENMAN ZIRKLE AND MS BROOKS CUSHMAN
Mendelssohn’s Magic
Thursday August 22 at 12:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church | Free admission
A delightful selection of works by early 19th-century composer Felix Mendelssohn, touching on chamber, vocal and solo repertoire.
Admission is free and tickets are not required. Just show up!
SUPPORTED BY THE LEONARD & ELSIE CHITTUM MEMORIAL FUND
Plucked Heart-Strings
Thursday August 22 at 3:00 pm
National Valley Bank | $20
Enjoy a one-hour recital of music for solo harp, lute, and guitar within the spectacular interior of the 1903 National Valley Bank.
Special Event, not included in any subscription passes
Shakespearean Fantasies
Thursday August 22 at 7:30 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church | $22-$38
This evening program celebrates diverse works inspired by the Bard's poems and plays.
Event is included in Summer Pass and Annual Pass.
SPONSORED BY RODNEY YOUNG & MANDI SMITH AND CLIFF GARSTANG
Tabula Rasa
Friday August 23 at 12:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church | Free admission
In the kind of program SMF has become known for, this concert pairs Mozart with Arvo Pärt's stunning Tabula Rasa.
Admission is free and tickets are not required. Just show up!
SPONSORED BY LOUISE SCOTT AND JANET ONNIE & NELSON HAY
Baroque Inside/Out: A Night at Versailles
Friday August 23 at 7:30 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church | $22-$38
Travel to the seat of royal splendor: Versailles. Period-instrument performances of Baroque music from the French capital.
Event is included in Summer Pass and Annual Pass.
SPONSORED BY BILL & LISA MOORE, RICK CHITTUM, AND CHRISTINE & MICHAEL BURCH
Nightcap 3: Baroque Jam
Friday August 23 at 10:00 pm
Trinity Church's McCracken Hall | $20
After the evening concert, the Festival's Baroque musicians retire to more intimate surroundings for a jam session.
Special Event, not included in any subscription passes
Viola, Viola
Saturday August 24 at 12:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church | Free admission
Fans of the viola take note! All three works feature two violas, including music by Dvořák, Fasch, and George Benjamin.
Admission is free and tickets are not required. Just show up!
SPONSORED BY THE ETHEL SMEAK MEMORIAL FUND AND FLORENCE JOWERS & PAUL WEBER
Baroque Lovers' Afternoon
Saturday August 24 at 3:00 pm
Central United Methodist Church | Free admission
Relax mid-afternoon with a one hour program of Baroque music performed on period instruments.
Admission is free and tickets are not required. Just show up!
SPONSORED BY BOB BARRON & FRED BLANTON
Historias de Cuba
Saturday August 24 at 7:30 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church | $22-$38
The sounds of Cuba provide the inspiration for this eclectic program by Gershwin, Gottschalk, Tania León, and Hans Werner Henze.
Event is included in Summer Pass and Annual Pass.
SPONSORED BY LIZA DELZELL AND ANNE & JOHN SILLS
J.S.B. at the Blackfriars
Sunday August 25 at 10:30 am
Blackfriars Playhouse | $16-$22
A new work by Zachary Wadsworth is premiered, alongside two perennial favorites by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Event is included in Summer Pass and Annual Pass.
SPONSORED BY NINA & NED CONWAY
Moses Memorial Lunch & Lecture
Sunday August 25 at 1:00 pm
BluPoint Seafood Co. | $40
Special guest Dr. Tim Carter (emeritus from UNC-Chapel Hill) speaks in detail about Bach's B-Minor Mass, preceded by catered meal.
Special Event, not included in any subscription passes
SPONSORED BY TIMBERLAKE SMITH AND THE P. DONALD MOSES MEMORIAL EDUCATION FUND
Moses Memorial Lecture (NO LUNCH)
Sunday August 25 at 1:45 pm
BluPoint Seafood Co. | $15
Special guest Dr. Tim Carter (emeritus from UNC-Chapel Hill) speaks in detail about Bach's B-Minor Mass (LUNCH NOT INCLUDED)
Special Event, not included in any subscription passes
SPONSORED BY TIMBERLAKE SMITH AND THE P. DONALD MOSES MEMORIAL EDUCATION FUND
Finale: Bach's Mass in B Minor
Sunday August 25 at 4:00 pm
Trinity Episcopal Church | $22-$38
Bach's great Mass in B Minor for soloists, chorus and orchestra closes the summer season.
Event is included in Summer Pass and Annual Pass.
SPONSORED BY TOM & DIANE FECHTEL AND SANDRA LOGAN & RODNEY VANDERPLOEG
From Lübeck to London
Sunday September 29 at 4:00 pm
Augusta Stone Church | $24
Harpsichordist Carsten Schmidt continues his exploration of Baroque keyboard music. Works by Handel, Buxtehude, and Böhm.
Event may be purchased individually or in Annual Pass.
Schumann Piano Trios
Sunday November 3 at 3:00 pm
Augusta Stone Church | $24
Robert Schumann composed superlative chamber works, including three trios for violin, cello, and fortepiano.
Event may be purchased individually or in Annual Pass.
