Eastern Music Festival (EMF), Greensboro’s nationally recognized classical music festival and summer educational program, concluded a successful 61st season with 249 Young Artists and 60+ world-renowned faculty artists celebrating after an awe-inspiring season of music making.
This season, EMFs performances and events reached more than 10,000 patrons in the local community and beyond. The festival offered 60+ performances and activities including master classes, chamber recitals, Young Artists recitals, pre-concert lectures, and more reaching many audiences in the Triad community. EMF also presented free programs in community outreach performances at libraries, the First National Bank Field (Greensboro Grasshoppers), churches, senior living communities, parks, art galleries, and more. This success was possible due to the overwhelmingly positive support from individual contributors, philanthropic organizations, corporations, and in-kind donors.
In 2022, the festival was proud to host participants from over 41 states, Puerto Rico, and 9 countries including Taiwan, China, South Korea, Iran, Canada, Spain, Scotland, Uzbekistan, and England. States with the most prominent representation are Florida, Texas, Virginia, and 21 from the festival’s home state, North Carolina.
Support from the many donors and partnering organizations, allowed EMF to provide more than $350,000 in scholarships to deserving and talented Young Artists this year. Of the 249 participants, more than 80% of the Young Artists received scholarships.
With the festival’s mission of promoting musical excellence and collaboration, EMF engaged and supported works by living composers to encourage unique musical experiences for the students. This season, 40+ compositions by living composers were performed by the eastern Festival Orchestra, chamber groups, percussion studio, and the two-week Euphonium-Tuba Institute and Classical Guitar Summit programs. From the extensive list of compositions, four works were world premieres.
EMF’s many accomplishments this season would not be possible without the support from several regional partners and organizations, including Guilford College, Appalachian State University, Greensboro Public Libraries, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, City of Greensboro, Action Greensboro, Greensboro Opera, Well-Spring, Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, News & Record, Yes! Weekly, The Tuba Exchange, Triad City Beat, Starmount Forest Country Club, Moore Music Company, The Music Academy of NC, Triad Stage, Summit Rotary Club of Greensboro, Lewis & Elm, Pest Management Systems Inc., and Temple Emanuel.
Eastern Music Festival is also deeply grateful to the following businesses, corporations, and foundations who partnered with us in 2022. These sponsors offered an array of support including programmatic and general operating support, in-kind support, and season media sponsorship for the 2022 season: North Carolina Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Steinway Piano Gallery, O. Henry Hotel and Proximity Hotel, Green Valley Grill, Print Works Bistro, DMJ, The Cemala Foundation, The Tannenbaum-Sternberger Foundation, Inc., McMillion Capital Management, Our State, Printery, WFDD, Brooks Pierce, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Thompson Traders, Pennybyrn, O. Henry Magazine, CVNC, Destination Magazine, WCPE, Summit Rotary, WDAV 89.9, and the Winston-Salem Symphony.
“We are grateful and appreciative of the many sponsors, foundations, and patrons that support EMF,” added Chris Williams. “The many accomplishments of the festival, including the lasting relationships with our longtime and new sponsors and partners, set us up for many more years of success and provide us the opportunity to carry out our mission.”
The recently concluded 61st season ended on July 30, 2022, and planning is already underway for the 62nd season which will be June 24 – July 29, 2023.