North Country Chamber Players: A Chronological History

1979

First two week long Summer Festival included concerts at the Meeting House, Littleton Opera House, F...
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1980

Chamber Players awarded C. Michael Paul Foundation Residency Program Grant...
Read more

1980

2nd Annual Summer Festival includes additional concerts at the Lisbon Town Hall, Lincoln’s Union C...
Read more

1980

Rural Arts Residency Concerts are initiated...
Read more

1981

Free Summer Tutorials Program established...
Read more

1982

First International Theme Gala / Dinner features Rossini and Linguine.  Subsequent years visited Fr...
Read more

1983

Jefferson student, Bert Robbins, performs with Chamber Players in Summer Festival Concert...
Read more

1984

Summer Festival expanded to four weeks...
Read more

1984

All-Beethoven Concert produces overflow crowd at the Sugar Hill Meeting House...
Read more

1984

First concert held at newly constructed Governor Adams Lodge at Loon Mountain...
Read more

1984

Violinist Ronnie Bauch replaces Don Palma as Artistic Director...
Read more

1985

Chamber Players expand activities with a concurrent four-week series in Lincoln at the Governor Adam...
Read more

1986

Gov. and Mrs. John Sununu attend NCCP Winter Concert at Loon Mountain...
Read more

1986

New York Times chronicle Chamber Players in Arts NY Times feature story....
Read more

1986

Chamber Players perform at Gov. Sherman Adams’ Memorial service...
Read more

1986

“White Mountain Boys” [bluegrass wing of the NCCP] perform at Patrons BBQ...
Read more

1987

Chamber Players perform at New York’s Merkin Concert Hall in a national tribute to the Brazilian c...
Read more

1987

Chamber Players perform at the Town of Sugar Hill 25th Anniversary Celebration...
Read more

1987

Gala Auction inaugurated during Summer Festival. Back by popular demand, the “White Mountain Boys...
Read more

1988

10th Anniversary celebrated with special concert at the Weeks State Park with Summerfare Chorus cond...
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1988

Concord Community Music School hosts Chamber Players for public Master Class and concert...
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1988

Conway School District hosts Chamber Players in week-long community residency...
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1988

NH Business Committee for the Arts annual banquet features NCCP performance in Manchester...
Read more

1989

300 NH State Legislators give Chamber Players a standing ovation for their Rural Arts presentation o...
Read more

1989

Triple “L” Arts Council (Littleton, Lisbon, Landaff) hosts Chamber Players in-school residency...
Read more

1989

New Boston Schools hosts Chamber Players residency...
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1990

Chamber Players present special series of concerts for Grafton County Senior Citizens Council in Lit...
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1990

Claremont Opera House hosts Chamber Players residency...
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1990

Chamber Players expand Summer Festival to include concerts in St. Johnsbury, VT...
Read more

1991

Mozart bicentennial marked by Chamber Players’ Summer Colloquium: Mozart, Great Minds and Music. ...
Read more

1992

Berlin hosts Chamber Players residency...
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1992

Chamber Players continue to perform at unique concert venues including concerts on the factory floor...
Read more

1992

The Chamber Players Collaborate with the Starbird Puppet Theater in highly acclaimed version of “T...
Read more

1993

Recording release of Camille St. Saens’ Carnival of the Animals featuring narrators, Ben & Jerry...
Read more

1995

Carnegie Hall invites Chamber Players to participate in their “Link-Up” Educational Series...
Read more

1995

Pianist Mathilde McKinney, at age 91, performs with the Chamber Players at St. Matthew’s Church ...
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1996

The Chamber Players present an extensive yearlong series marking the MacDowell Colony Centennial Cel...
Read more

1996

The St. Gaudens Memorial in Cornish, NH features the Chamber Players in a special Trustees Weekend c...
Read more

1997

Ballet New England joins the NCCP for special choreographed performances of Paul Moravec’s Norther...
Read more

1998

The Chamber Players celebrate their 20th Anniversary Season with “A NH Odyssey: 20 towns for 20 ye...
Read more

1998

The Players’ 20th Anniversary Bash, held at the Maplewood Casino, features the return of Ben & Jer...
Read more

1998

The Town of Sugar Hill partners with the North Country Chamber Players to renovate the 100-year-old ...
Read more

1998

The North Country Chamber Players collaborate with the Weathervane Theatre to present a staged perfo...
Read more

1999

Vermont’s Bread and Puppet Theatre make their NCCP debut in a fun-filled evening that includes the...
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2000

The Chamber Players invite legendary tango pianist, Pablo Ziegler to the North Country for a weekend...
Read more

2001

The first NCCP Mentoring Award is given to 17-year-old clarinetist Caryn Poulin from Berlin.  Caryn...
Read more

2002

Award winning American composer and NPR program host, Bruce Adolphe narrates the NH premiere of his ...
Read more

2002

The Chamber Players rock a SRO Littleton Opera House with a mid-summer spectacular featuring the ret...
Read more

1978

  • North Country Chamber Players present their first concert at the Sugar Hill Meeting House
  • Bassist Don Palma, serving as President and Artistic Director, is joined by oboist, Joel Timm and violist, Laurance Fader, as Co-Artistic Directors, to lead the new ensemble

1979

  • First two week long Summer Festival included concerts at the Meeting House, Littleton Opera House, Franconia Town Hall, two Family Concerts and a gala joint program with the members of the Jefferson and North Country Choruses, conducted by Nancy Winsor

1980

  • Chamber Players awarded C. Michael Paul Foundation Residency Program Grant
  • 2nd Annual Summer Festival includes additional concerts at the Lisbon Town Hall, Lincoln’s Union Church (Rachel White Adams Memorial Concert) and Jefferson’s Waumbek Center (with the newly formed Summerfare Chorus)
  • Rural Arts Residency Concerts are initiated

1981

  • Free Summer Tutorials Program established

1982

  • First International Theme Gala / Dinner features Rossini and Linguine.  Subsequent years visited France, Austria, Spain, Germany, Russia, England and the USA

1983

  • Jefferson student, Bert Robbins, performs with Chamber Players in Summer Festival Concert

1984

  • Summer Festival expanded to four weeks
  • All-Beethoven Concert produces overflow crowd at the Sugar Hill Meeting House
  • First concert held at newly constructed Governor Adams Lodge at Loon Mountain
  • Violinist Ronnie Bauch replaces Don Palma as Artistic Director

1985

  • Chamber Players expand activities with a concurrent four week series in Lincoln at the Governor Adams Lodge

1986

  • Gov. and Mrs. John Sununu attend NCCP Winter Concert at Loon Mountain
  • New York Times chronicle Chamber Players in Arts feature story.
  • Chamber Players perform at Gov. Sherman Adams’ Memorial service
  • “White Mountain Boys” [bluegrass wing of the NCCP] perform at Patrons BBQ

1987

  • Chamber Players perform at New York’s Merkin Concert Hall in a national tribute to the Brazilian composer, Heitor Villa Lobos
  • Chamber Players perform at the Town of Sugar Hill 25th Anniversary Celebration
  • Gala Auction inaugurated during Summer Festival.  Back by popular demand, the “White Mountain Boys” make their 2nd public appearance

1988

  • 10th Anniversary celebrated with special concert at the Weeks State Park with Summerfare    Chorus conducted by Nancy Winsor
  • Concord Community Music School hosts Chamber Players for public Master Class and concert
  • Conway School District hosts Chamber Players in week-long community residency
  • NH Business Committee for the Arts annual banquet features NCCP performance in Manchester

1989

  • 300 NH State Legislators give Chamber Players a standing ovation for their Rural Arts presentation on the floor of the NH State Capitol
  • Triple “L” Arts Council (Littleton, Lisbon, Landaff) hosts Chamber Players in-school residency
  • New Boston Schools hosts Chamber Players residency

1990

  • Chamber Players present special series of concerts for Grafton County Senior Citizens Council in Littleton, Lincoln, Plymouth and Lebanon
  • Claremont Opera House hosts Chamber Players residency
  • Chamber Players expand Summer Festival to include concerts in St. Johnsbury, VT

1991

  • Mozart bicentennial marked by Chamber Players’ Summer Colloquium:  Mozart, Great Minds and Music.  Participants include visionary architect, Paolo Soleri, author, RobertCoover, artist, Pilar Coover and conductor, musicologist and college president Leon Botstein

1992

  • Berlin hosts Chamber Players residency
  • Chamber Players continue to perform at unique concert venues including concerts on the factory floor at the Tender Corporation and at the Littleton Hospital
  • The Chamber Players Collaborate with the Starbird Puppet Theater in highly acclaimed version of “The Nightingale”

1993

  • Recording release of Camille St. Saens’ Carnival of the Animals featuring narrators, Ben & Jerry

1995

  • Carnegie Hall invites Chamber Players to participate in their “Link-Up” Educational Series
  • Pianist Mathilde McKinney, at age 91, performs with the Chamber Players at St. Matthew’s Church

1996

  • The Chamber Players present an extensive yearlong series marking the MacDowell Colony Centennial Celebration.  The series included concerts throughout New Hampshire, concerts in New York and premieres by five American composers
  • The St. Gaudens Memorial in Cornish, NH features the Chamber Players in a special Trustees Weekend concert

1997

  • Ballet New England joins the NCCP for special choreographed performances of Paul Moravec’s Northern Lights Electric, a Chamber Players commission

1998

  • The Chamber Players celebrate their 20th Anniversary Season with “A NH Odyssey: 20 towns for 20 years”
  • The Players’ 20th Anniversary Bash, held at the Maplewood Casino, features the return of Ben & Jerry to perform the Carnival of the Animals.  The outstanding sets were designed and constructed by Linda Camelio and the WINGS group (under the WREN auspices).
  • The Town of Sugar Hill partners with the North Country Chamber Players to renovate the 100 year old Steinway known as the “Bette Davis” Piano.  This cooperative rescue is marked by the Bette Davis Piano Series and Seminars
  • The North Country Chamber Players collaborate with the Weathervane Theatre to present a staged performance of Igor Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale

1999

  • Vermont’s Bread and Puppet Theatre make their NCCP debut in a fun-filled evening that includes the NH premiere of Bruce Adolphe’s version of Little Red Riding Hood

2000

  • The Chamber Players invite legendary tango pianist, Pablo Ziegler to the North Country for a weekend of Tango Romance at the Sugar Hill Meeting House and the Maplewood Casino

2001

  • The first NCCP Mentoring Award is given to 17-year-old clarinetist Caryn Poulin from Berlin.  Caryn’s musical visit to New York City included stops at the New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, the Juilliard School, the New York City Ballet and concerts by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Speculum Musicae

2002

  • Award winning American composer and NPR program host, Bruce Adolphe narrates the NH premiere of his own work, Red Dogs and Pink Skies:  The Life and Works of Paul Gauguin
  • The Chamber Players rock a SRO Littleton Opera House with a mid-summer spectacular featuring the return of tango sensation, Pablo Ziegler and the first North Country appearance of jazz legend, Branford Marsalis

North Country Chamber Players: A Chronological History