history & mission of music mountain
Music Mountain was founded in 1930 by Jacques Gordon, Concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and founder of the Gordon String Quartet, one of the leading string quartets of its time. Gordon Hall and the four houses now used for teaching and housing visiting musicians and students were built by Sears, Roebuck during the summer of 1930, and each is named for an instrument in a string quartet. Music Mountain is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Gordon Hall, where the concerts take place, is a resonant wooden concert hall with superb acoustics that produce pure sound without amplification. Gordon Hall seats 350.
Music Mountain’s 130 acres are situated in a quiet country setting of lawns, gardens and woods with views of the Litchfield Hills. It is a place where one can enjoy music and nature as one.
From its inception, Music Mountain’s mission has been to educate musicians and its audience in the history and repertory of classical music, with concentration on the string quartet. This mission is brought to life by a wide variety of teaching and performances by artists who come to us from all over the world. In the 1990’s, this mission was expanded to include jazz and choral music.
It is also fulfilled by bringing together professionals, amateurs, adults and children in seminars and performances. It is further enhanced by developing new audiences through providing free admission to all concerts for anyone 18 years of age or younger, by always keeping ticket prices at the absolute minimum in order to make the experience o live music more widely affordable and, of course, by our radio broadcasts and Internet presence. The Music Mountain Chamber Music broadcasts are made possible through the generous support of Edward R. Hamilton Bookseller Company.
It is also Music Mountain’s long-standing policy to make Gordon Hall available to other not-for-profit organizations and community groups to assist them in their fundraising activities.
