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CM Comp 12th Header

Live Final Round Weekend: April 11–12, 2026
at The Ebenezer Theater in Easton, Maryland

Application Period: September 1 – December 15, 2025
Finalist Overview
Finalist Bios
Judge Bios
Presenters
Live Final Round Details
Community Concert Series

Chamber Music Competition Presenters

Beyond prize money, the Chesapeake Chamber Music Competition aims to serve as a professional springboard for emerging ensembles. The Lerman Gold Prize winners return to Easton to perform at the Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival, and many finalist ensembles have been invited over the years to perform concerts at Chesapeake Music.

Chesapeake Music also actively tries to identify and invite other presenting organizations to the Competition with the goal of helping each finalist ensemble line up future performance engagements. Some of the previous presenters in attendance include:

  • Academy Art Museum, Easton, Maryland
  • Amadeus Concert Series, Northern Virginia
  • Buckingham’s Choice, Adamstown, Maryland
  • Chamber Music Maryland, Columbia, Maryland
  • Chincoteague Cultural Alliance, Chincoteague, Virginia
  • Christ Church, Cambridge, Maryland
  • Evergreen Woods, North Branford, Connecticut
  • Friends of Chamber Music, Reading, Pennsylvania
  • The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC
  • Old Wye Church, Wye Mills, Maryland
  • River Concert Series, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
  • Sundays at Three, Columbia, Maryland
  • Washington College, Chestertown, Maryland
"Winning the Chesapeake Chamber Music Competition provided us with one of our first concert tours, giving us the chance to connect with audiences across the region and introducing us to some of our longtime friends and supporters. It helped us understand what it means to be a professional touring ensemble through experience, which is the most valuable lesson a group can learn in the early stages of its career."
Ryan Meehan, Calidore String Quartet
Ryan Meehan, Calidore String QuartetLerman Gold Prize Winner, 2012
"They were in town for a concert on Saturday and once again stayed with me... They have now won about all the prizes there are to have and indeed they sounded glorious. They now have a residency at Lincoln Center and will play at the Kennedy Center in January. They talked about Easton and said it was one of the most helpful steps of their career because it produced a bunch of performing opportunities."
Jillian Poole
Jillian PooleChincoteague Island Arts Organization
"Everyone, from our hosts to the competition organizers to the Easton community, made us feel so welcome. The audience's energy at the Final Concert was so palpable, it allowed us to perform at our very best. The opportunity to be a part of the Competition truly is a valuable part of our career, and we are ever grateful."
Zelter String Quartet
Zelter String QuartetLerman Gold Prize Winner, 2021

Why attend as a presenter?

The Chesapeake Chamber Music Competition finalists emerge out of an international pool of applicants, establishing themselves as future stars of their generation. As a presenter, you will be able to meet the musicians and you will receive contact information for each group so that you can follow up with the musicians directly. We are confident you will find a future performer at your series in this crop of finalists!

A special lunch is provided for presenters at Scossa Restaurant & Lounge during the afternoon break. Also at this lunch are the Competition’s generous donors and sponsors, many of whom also support other chamber music programming around the region.

If you are available on Sunday, April 12, you can also attend one of the many free community concerts that the finalist ensembles will present.

We suggest, if you can, make a weekend of it! Easton is a vibrant hub for the arts on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Its small town streets are lined with art galleries, antique shops, wonderful restaurants, and historic inns.

For presenters interested in attending the Live Final Round of the Competition, please contact info@chesapeakemusic.org or phone us at 410-819-0380, providing us with the name of your organization and the names of anyone attending. This event will sell out and we recommend you reserve your place early.

If you cannot attend in person, but are interested in watching a live stream of the event, please also contact us for those details.