Chamber Music Conference - CMC WinterMusic

2026 Chamber Music Conference WinterMusic Information

WinterMusic is an opportunity to spend all or part of a weekend in a beautiful setting, catch up with friends, make new acquaintances, and play chamber music. Each attendee will have a schedule (“dance card”) on which to book their groups during allocated time slots. These are un-coached groups that will allow for exploration of repertoire with a variety of players and instrument groupings in a warm and welcoming environment. We encourage you to spread the word and invite playing and non-playing friends to this event as we continue to expand our chamber music community!

Essential Info

Dates and Times

WinterMusic: Saturday, February 14, 2:30 PM–Monday, February 16, 2:30 PM

Reservation deadline: Friday, January 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET

Location

Stony Point Center, 17 Cricketown Road, Stony Point, NY

Stony Point Center (SPC) is located about an hour’s drive northwest of Manhattan on a lovely 26-acre campus in the scenic Hudson River Valley. We will be using three buildings:

Maple Lodge—Maple Lodge has most of our bedrooms (both single and double occupancy - all on the main level) and playing spaces, including one upright piano. Each bedroom has a sink, and there are several single-person bathrooms in the hallways that are shared by the guests in each wing. Unoccupied bedrooms may also be converted to playing spaces as needed.
Gilmor Sloane House—This is a renovated Victorian mansion, which has a small number of bedrooms (both single and double occupancy - all upstairs, but there is an elevator) and playing spaces. Each bedroom has a private bathroom.
Evergreen—This building houses the dining hall and has a few playing spaces as well as a good grand piano that we can use. All WinterMusic meals (beginning with Saturday dinner and ending with Monday lunch) will be provided by SPC in its communal dining hall located on the main level of Evergreen. All meals will include vegetarian options, and other special dietary needs (vegan, gluten-free, etc.) can be accommodated with advance notice.

All lodgings include bedding and towels provided for overnight guests.

Health Precautions

Initial release: January 1, 2026

Please read these precautions carefully BEFORE YOU RESERVE so that you have a complete awareness and understanding of what to expect of us and what we expect of you. It is essential that all attendees comply with our precautions to protect the health of our community.

These precautions were determined after consultation with experts in the fields of infectious disease and occupational health and safety. If we make any changes to the precautions as specified here, we will notify all attendees prior to WinterMusic.

COVID-19 Vaccination: We strongly recommend that all WinterMusic attendees (whether overnight or commuting) be up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccination status, which, according to the CDC, means receiving a COVID-19 vaccination on or after August 27, 2025. To be effective for WinterMusic, the vaccine should be administered no later than January 30, 2026. The vaccine may be from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Novavax.

This recommendation stems from CMC’s deep and serious concern for each of our WinterMusic attendees, including many who may be members of particularly vulnerable groups.

Testing: You must acquire and self-administer two rapid antigen tests before you travel; you will take one test 2 days before you arrive at WinterMusic, and the second test on the day that you will arrive at WinterMusic. For most attendees, this means testing on Thursday and Saturday before you travel to Stony Point. You are responsible for procuring these rapid antigen tests. Special note about testing for commuters who leave Stony Point and return another day: You must either test each day that you arrive at Stony Point OR commit to wearing a high-quality mask if you go anywhere other than your home while you’re away from Stony Point.

Pre-arrival Precautions: We ask for thoughtful caution and masking during the week leading up to your arrival at WinterMusic in order to reduce the chances that you bring illness to the event. Activities that are of particular concern include:
- indoor eating/drinking at restaurants or bars
- gatherings with people other than those in your household
- being unmasked indoors with people other than members of your household
- travel on public transportation
Even if you test negative for COVID-19, if you have any symptoms of illness shortly before arriving, whether they seem to be mild or something more concerning, please let us know (wintermusic@cmceast.org) and we can determine the best course forward.
Precautions While At WinterMusic:

Masking: Under current conditions, masking will not be required. If this changes we will notify attendees.
Symptoms: We request that if you develop any symptoms of illness while at the event, you isolate from others and reach out to a CMC staff member before departing SPC (wintermusic@cmceast.org).

Attendance Options

These are the reservation packages that we offer, which are the same for playing and non-playing attendees. We ask that you reserve and pay in advance for whichever package you choose. The prices below are fixed, regardless of how many meals you will be taking part in while at WinterMusic.

OVERNIGHT PACKAGES

Reservations for overnight stays will be accepted in order of receipt; due to Gilmor Sloane House’s limited capacity, we will contact you if your request for that housing cannot be accommodated.

Complete Weekend
includes two nights, and the following meals: Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast/lunch/dinner, Monday breakfast/lunch
Gilmor Sloane House Single Occupancy: $600
Maple Lodge Single Occupancy: $495
Gilmor Sloane House Double Occupancy: $500 per person (must house two people; roommate must be indicated at time of reservation)
Maple Lodge Double Occupancy: $365 per person (must house two people; roommate must be indicated at time of reservation))

Saturday Overnight (Maple Lodge only)
includes Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast/lunch/dinner
Single occupancy: $375
Double occupancy: $300 per person (must house two people; roommate must be indicated at time of reservation)

Sunday Overnight (Maple Lodge Only)
includes Sunday breakfast/lunch/dinner, Monday breakfast/lunch
Single occupancy: $375
Double occupancy: $300 per person (must house two people; roommate must be indicated at time of reservation)

(Gilmor Sloane House is not available for single-night stays.)

COMMUTER PACKAGES

Saturday (includes dinner only): $100
Sunday (includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner): $150
Monday (includes breakfast and lunch): $100

Reserve your WinterMusic package online using the Reservation Form.

Reservation deadline: Friday, January 23, 2026, 11:59 PM ET

Financial Aid: If you need financial assistance to attend WinterMusic, please reach out to us (wintermusic@cmceast.org).

Donations: Additional contributions towards WinterMusic and CMC beyond the required fees will be gratefully accepted. These donations enable us to offer financial assistance where needed and defray other costs.

Cancellations: Because of the nature of our contract with Stony Point Center, payments are unfortunately non-refundable, but please do notify us immediately if you find yourself no longer able to attend WinterMusic as you indicated on your Reservation form.

The WinterMusic Weekend

Playing Session Information

We will provide a list of playing spaces, maps showing their locations, sign-up sheets for reserving playing spaces, and a list of attendees/instruments present. Playing sessions are self-formed and self-guided; 90 minutes are allotted for each session, and you may use as much or as little of a time as your group desires.

Portions of CMC‛s music library will be brought to SPC for use at WinterMusic. However, we also encourage individual participants traveling by car to bring along additional music.

There are several pianos available: an upright in Maple Lodge, and a baby grand piano in each of Gilmor Sloane House and Evergreen. We hope to ensure that each pianist attending can expect to have equitable access to the pianos. Additionally, any wind players attending can plan on having some playing groups arranged by a wind coordinator.

Social Events

There will be gatherings each night in Maple Lodge, and CMC will provide some basic party supplies, but attendees should also plan to bring contributions of wine, snacks, etc. to help stock these parties. Maple Lodge has a kitchenette, with a refrigerator and a microwave that we can use for food preparation and storage.

Tentative Daily Schedule

Saturday

2:30-4:00 Registration
3:00-4:30 Playing session
4:30-6:00 Playing session
6:00-7:00 Dinner
7:30-9:00 Playing session
9:00-10:30 Playing session
10:30 Social gathering in Maple Lodge

Sunday

8:00-9:00 Breakfast
9:30-11:00 Playing session
11:00-12:30 Playing session
12:00-1:00 Lunch
2:00-3:30 Playing session
3:30-4:30 Free time
4:30-6:00 Playing session
6:00-7:00 Dinner
7:30-9:00 Playing session
9:00-10:30 Playing session
10:30 Social gathering in Maple Lodge

Monday

8:00-9:00 Breakfast
By 10:00: Overnight guests have vacated their rooms
9:30-11:00 Playing session
11:00-12:30 Playing session
12:00-1:00 Lunch
1:00-2:00 Playing session
2:00-2:30 Departures

Transportation

We hope to facilitate ease of arrival and departure where possible. Please fill in the Ride Information section of the WinterMusic Reservation Form if you:

need transportation to or from WinterMusic
are planning to drive and have room for one or more passengers

What To Bring

You should bring:

Your instrument(s)
Winter clothing (layers), outerwear, and footwear (some pathways may be icy)
Warm layers for sleeping, as some rooms in Gilmor Sloane House may be chilly
A music stand you can transport between playing spaces (let us know if you are unable to bring a stand as we may have a limited number of extra stands)
Extra supplies needed for your instrument (reeds, strings, etc.)
Rock stop or chair strap, if you are a cellist
Bathrobe
Toiletries, including soap and shampoo
Medicines

Consider also bringing:

Stand light (some playing rooms may not have adequate lighting)
Flashlight, if your phone doesn’t provide this
Your own blanket and pillow, if you prefer
Food or drinks to share at evening gatherings

On Arrival

Please proceed to the main entrance of Maple Lodge. All guests will need to check in with a CMC staff person to receive name tags, dance cards, and any other information they may need.

If you arrive at any time other than Saturday afternoon, (including commuters on Sunday and Monday), please confirm your arrival time via email (wintermusic@cmceast.org) the day of your anticipated arrival, and report to Maple Lodge to check in with someone from CMC.

Departure

If you are staying overnight on Sunday, you will be asked to check out of your room by 10:00 on Monday morning. Per Stony Point, please leave any wet towels in the bathrooms rThere is limited parking for 14 cars at GSH – remember to ensure that Fire Lanes remain open. Additional parking is available in the large parking lot near Evergreen (main building).ather than on furniture or the floor, and leave bed linens intact. We will have a space for you to store your belongings until your departure later in the day.

Reserve now!