Spotlight on Deerfield's Chamber Music Program

Consisting of 14 members, the Honors Chamber Music program is an advanced class dedicated to providing music students with a space to study and perform repertoire by renowned composers in small ensembles. 

Meeting as a regular class, day-to-day rehearsals center around the repertoire at hand. Members have the opportunity to practice in small ensembles with a rotating staff that includes Director of Music Thomas Bergeron and teachers from Deerfield’s professional music faculty. 

Outside rehearsals, students are strongly encouraged to engage with other musical works and study various composers. Under such exposure, they can broaden their musical knowledge and engage with a variety of music genres. Three-year chamber student Julie Yan ’26 echoed the sentiment, saying that “I have gotten the opportunity to engage with different types of music I have never played before and interact with musicians who play different instruments than I do.”

Students often experiment with different instrumentation ensembles ranging across music from different time periods. Having played in both a string and piano quartet as well as a cello and clarinet quintet, Yan has recently been rehearsing an octet by German composer Felix Mendelssohn, which has been one of her favorites. On the other hand, fellow chamber student and flutist Iris Zhu ’28 has been practicing in a trio, experimenting with more contemporary pieces centered on modern jazz. 

Given the variety of musical styles, members are consistently demonstrating their progress through performances for their peers. By giving and receiving feedback, they take the initiative to lead self-driven rehearsals in preparation for performances. “Students can take ownership of the music and take ownership over what they want to do,” Yan explained. “Throughout the piece, we stop and talk about how we feel, which makes me feel heard as a musician.” 

Since the program’s practices consist of three to four people, members express that they can truly bond with one another. This structure not only strengthens relationships among students but also contributes to their growth as musicians. When commenting on her favorite aspect of the program, Zhu said, “My favorite part about chamber music is how small the group is because I can work with other instruments and really delve into the music.” Reflecting upon her previous experience in an orchestra, Yan said that the chamber program in comparison feels “so much more special because the community is so tight-knit, which helps me understand the music better and grow as a collaborator and soloist.”      

In these small groups, the music instructors emphasize the importance of playing as a cohesive unit. Although the focus is on musical techniques and maintaining a dynamic balance with peers, students emphasize that Mr. Bergeron prioritizes connection with other musicians, which helps enliven the piece onstage. 

These connections extend beyond the music alone. Through bonding with classmates in the chamber program, rehearsals become something students look forward to. “Rehearsals end up being really fun. It is just a really fun time, and although it is a huge time commitment, rehearsals help me relax after a long day,” said Yan.  

At the end of each semester, students showcase the pieces they have been working on in a cumulative Chamber Music Showcase Concert in the Elizabeth Wachsman Concert Hall, open to the public. In addition to the three integrated performances throughout the year, the ensemble has traveled to New York City to perform a joint concert with the Advanced Vocal Ensemble and Band at Carnegie Hall. This May, chamber students have been invited to The Metropolitan Museum of Art to perform at a Deerfield fundraiser along with the Deerfield dance and vocal ensemble.

Although members in the Honors Chamber Music program may not pursue music as their eventual career, they walk away from the experience having grown as both musicians and collaborators. “Whether or not I do chamber music in the future, chamber has taught me a lot about who I am as a musician,” reflected Zhu, who added that  “[she is] inspired to practice music throughout my next two years at Deerfield.”