Lura Johnson, Piano
Steinway Artist, Resident Pianist of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Principal Pianist of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra
Chamber Music for Adults
Are you an aspiring adult amateur chamber musician looking for others like yourself to make music with? Perhaps you played seriously when you were younger and are looking to reconnect with music after choosing another career path?
Chamber music — small ensembles performing with one person to a part and without a conductor — offers some of the most challenging, rewarding, and memorable musical experiences a student will have. Whether you are an advanced musician with chamber music experience or an intermediate player with less experience, this course is designed to match you with others of similar level to learn classical repertoire.
This course consists of a weekly chamber music coaching (lesson with one of our faculty members) and a private chamber music rehearsal (without instructor).
“I hadn’t really delved into chamber music for many years. It was so special to be able to return to it as part of this community of warm and passionate players and to receive such high-quality coaching.”
Fall Session (early September through mid-November)
10 weeks of rehearsal and coaching
Special event: Faculty Chamber Music Concert
Concluding Recital
Winter Session (mid-November through mid-February)
10 weeks of rehearsal and coaching
Special event: Studio Class led by Lura Johnson
Concluding Recital
Spring Session (late February through mid-May)
10 weeks of rehearsal and coaching
Special event: Guest Masterclass with a visiting artist
Concluding Recital
Summer
This course is an abbreviated version of the Fall and Spring semesters, with just 6 chamber music coachings (lesson with one of our faculty members) and 6 private chamber music rehearsals (without instructor) scheduled between late May and late August. There is no studio class during the summer, and the course does not conclude with a performance. This shorter, less intensive summer session is ideal for students who are new to the program or are trying out a new group.
Each session is scheduled at the Downtown campus or Towson campus at a day and time mutually convenient for all group members and the coach.
Individuals and pre-formed groups are encouraged to apply. Private study at the Preparatory is not a pre-requisite for participation.
INTERVIEW AND AUDITIONS ARE REQUIRED PRIOR TO REGISTRATION
Contact Lura Johnson at [email protected] for more information on how to set up an interview and audition.
Faculty
Our faculty are highly accomplished performing professional musicians:
Renate Falkner, Viola
Faculty at the Peabody Institute, Faculty at the George Mason University School of Music
Ismar Gomes, Cello
Cellist with the Virginia and Richmond Symphonies, Faculty at Gettysburg College
Meira Silverstein, violinist
Substitute musician, Baltimore Symphony
“I so appreciate having my ear developed to hear finer detail, my sense of standards raised, awareness of repertoire and composers new to me, not to mention the joy that we have shared at all our sessions, in between moments of hilarity and challenge. It’s very, very inspiring to hear what everyone else is doing, pushing their own angst out of the way to share music in a public setting with us all.”
The Chamber Music for Adults program at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University aims to expand opportunities for amateur musicians to actively engage in music-making and to strengthen the classical music culture of the greater Baltimore region. While appreciating professional performances is a cornerstone of the arts, active participation by amateur musicians further enriches the cultural landscape and supports the vitality of the professional music community.
Through this program, Peabody has the opportunity to position Baltimore as a national leader in amateur classical musicianship—enriching individual lives, fostering a deeper appreciation of classical music, building a vibrant community of arts advocates, and enhancing the city’s reputation as a thriving center for the arts.
Chamber music, in particular, offers a powerful model for collaborative engagement. It teaches us to listen deeply, to share responsibility, to navigate differences of opinion with respect and flexibility, and to leave our egos at the door in service of a greater whole. In a time when these values are too often in short supply, this program affirms that making music together is also a way of practicing empathy, cooperation, and community. It is about much more than music—it is about cultivating the very qualities that connect us as human beings.