On July 12 and 13, downtown Burlington hosted the “Twelve String Quartets in 24 Hours,” organized by the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival. The event featured an ambitious schedule where attendees could experience twelve string quartet performances across six locations within a span of less than 24 hours.
The first day showcased a series of hourly performances, starting at 11 a.m., with student quartets playing at various venues including Muddy Waters, Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery, Homeport, and Hotel Vermont. The day culminated at Phoenix Books, where three additional quartets performed, totaling eleven quartets by the end of Saturday.
On Sunday, the event continued with the exceptional Skylark quartet performing at City Hall Park as part of Burlington City Arts’ Sunday Classical series. Despite the impressive lineup, the author humorously noted the absence of fellow concert-goers from the previous day, positioning themselves as potentially holding the record for the most quartets seen in such a short time frame.
While the author acknowledged that being a live music enthusiast isn’t a competition, they relished the experience of witnessing numerous performances, emphasizing that anyone who enjoyed the music was already a winner in their own right. Overall, the event celebrated the vibrancy of live chamber music in Burlington, fostering a community appreciation for the art form.
