Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival – Barnebl String Quartet Fellowship

Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival Announces New Barnebl Fellowship for Emerging Young String Quartets

Generous Donation Launches Performance Opportunity for Professional Career Development

Colchester, Vermont – January 15, 2026 – The Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival (GMCMF) is pleased to announce the establishment of the Barnebl String Quartet Fellowship, made possible by a generous donation from Linda Barnebl in memory of her late husband David Barnebl.

This new fellowship will provide an emerging professional string quartet with the opportunity to serve as Green Mountain Fellows in the summer of 2026 and will include several paid performance opportunities for this group during the  season. This remarkable package will include seven professional concerts throughout the US, with all performance fees, travel, and lodging expenses covered. The seventh concert of the set will take place at the beginning of the 2027 Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival.

The fellowship represents a significant investment in the next generation of chamber musicians and is a first for the festival. Recipients will perform on chamber music programs at venues across the region, gaining invaluable exposure and professional experience during the academic year following their summer festival participation. This program is designed to open doors to professional performing careers.

"We are thrilled to be able to sponsor this incredible opportunity for a rising string quartet, thanks to the remarkable generosity of Linda Barnebl and her long-standing commitment to provide support for young musicians on the cusp of their professional careers," says Elizabeth Chang, Green Mountain's Artistic Director. "We hope this will prove to be a much-needed launching pad for the next generation of chamber musicians in the US.

The Barnebl Fellows will join our regular cohort of 2026 Fellows as part of the outstanding team of artist teachers at GMCMF."

Linda Barnebl's gift honors the memory of her late husband David through supporting young artists at a pivotal moment in their professional development.

The fellowship program is open to seasoned chamber musicians who demonstrate professional-level technical accomplishment and a broad knowledge of the string chamber repertoire. Ideal candidates should be comfortable in mentoring roles and serve as artistic role models, with exceptional collaborative skills and thoughtful musicianship.

In 2026 GMCMF will offer 4 fellowship slots for a pre-formed early-career quartet, as well as 4 slots for individuals who will be placed in a string quartet for the duration of the festival.

• Each quartet member must have a minimum of a Bachelor's degree
• Attendance at all four weeks of GMCMF's summer festival
• Finalists for the fellowship will be interviewed by Zoom
• Applying quartets must have been together for at least one academic year by the end of spring semester 2026
• Audition recordings should include two complete works (recorded in one continuous take) from the standard repertoire and one contemporary piece composed within the last 20 years
• Quartet CV that includes complete repertoire, performance history, and previous coaches
• Each member of the quartet will also be asked to submit their individual CVs
• All quartet members must be eligible to work in the US during the  season

The Barnebl String Quartet Fellowship offers several paid concerts during the  season, as well as a consultation with John Zion, President and CEO of MKI Artists, and a mentorship with the Balourdet Quartet during the 2026 summer festival.

For further information about the Barnebl String Quartet Fellowship, please contact info before applying.

The fellowship Final date to receive applications has been extended to March 1, 2026
. Apply online .

The Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, located in Colchester, Vermont, provides intensive chamber music training and performance opportunities for musicians at various stages of their development. The festival's commitment to artistic excellence and mentorship creates a nurturing environment where emerging professionals can refine their craft alongside established artists. For more information about the Barnebl Fellowship or GMCMF, visit gmcmf.org.