Welcome to the New Harmony Music Festival - New Harmony Music Festival and School

Welcome to New Harmony Music Festival & School!

Join us for our 2022 season of concerts and events!

Dear festival friends, welcome to NHMF&S 2022! In this, our 11th year of music, we offer 4 days of pop-up concerts, outdoor music events, and folk jam sessions July 13-17, 2022.

-Christopher Layer-Festival founder and creative director: NHMF&S/NHAG

NHMF&S is a non-discriminatory organization, founded in 2011 by musician and producer Christopher Layer. Our mission is to create multi-style acoustic concerts, music workshops, art shows and films set in the unique natural settings and historic spaces of New Harmony, Indiana. We also offer annual housing and music scholarships for young people in the region and beyond. NHMF&S is an independent project of The New Harmony Artist’s Guild Inc., a 501c3 Public Charity, founded by the former Clement Biddle Penrose VII.

Wednesday, July 13

!2:15 PM CDT: Pop-up Concert at The Contemporary Gallery, 506 Main St. New Harmony, IN

***Saturday concert preview: This Harmonie Society music sampler features Eugene Friesen, cello and singer/guitarist Elizabeth Rogers. In 2021, Friesen, Rogers and 2 friends produced a CD entitled “In Harmony”, a captivating compendium of “reimagined”, almost mystical, music from the three Rappite communes in Harmony, PA, New Harmony, IN, and Economy, PA. Their quartet, inspired by the acoustics of various harmonist structures, chose to record their “harmonist music for today” in the arched brick wine cellar located in Harmony, PA. We hope you enjoy this “musical sampler” and attend their full program in the lobby of the Historic New Harmony Atheneum, Saturday evening, July 16.

7:00PM CDT: Open Style Jam & Song Sharing (for festival artists, singers and local acoustic musicians) at Sara’s Harmonie Way, 500 Church St. New Harmony, IN. Each year the festival enjoys welcoming local musicians of all styles to “join-in” at this annual round-robin evening of musical sharing. The jam is hosted by members of this year’s festival artist line-up. All musicians are kindly asked to respect our “taking turns” policy throughout the course of the evening. We also ask that musicians and casual listeners alike please take note, quiet-down, and give-ear, if a solo singer is performing a song.

Thursday, July 14

12:15PM CDT: Pop-up Concert at New Harmony Soap, 512 Main St. New Harmony, IN

***Featured: Original folk-style instrumentals and “en-ticing” songs with award-winning Nashville singer-songwriter and finger-picked guitarist, Jordan Tice. Pianist and guitarist, Ben Waldvogel, sings popular songs, (some of which he learned from his grandfather Brad Warren) as well as his own unique stylings, tinged with New Orleans-style piano..

7:00PM CDT: Traditional Musics-Living Traditions at The newly refurbished 1820 Owen Community House, 421 North St. New Harmony, IN. Trad music and songs from Appalachia to Ireland to Scotland, Spain and elsewhere. Returning artist Martha Waldvogel joins Jordan Tice (also a NHMF&S veteran) and long-time musical pal, Christopher Layer on a variety of bagpipes, exotic winds and bassoon, as well as friends, new and old!

Friday, July 15

12:15PM CDT: Pop-up Concert at the Workingmen’s Institute Library, 407 Tavern St. New Harmony, IN.

***Festival Solo Roundtable: Our festival artists take a “music circle” approach; each artist sharing solo pieces or songs, and perhaps some stories to go with the pieces they choose!

7:30PM CDT: American Songlines at The Murphy Auditorium, 419 Tavern St. New Harmony, IN. Festival pianist, guitarist and singer Ben Waldvogel, literally “takes center stage” at the Murphy as audience members will be seated ONSTAGE (a festival first!) for an up-close and personal musical experience along with fellow festival artists. This fine young musician is sure to please those with rock and roll souls or New Orleans roots. Toes will be tapping!

Saturday, July 16

2:00PM CDT: Pop-up Concert & Open Rehearsal at the Historic New Harmony Atheneum (Atrium), 401 Arthur St. New Harmony, IN.

***Festival fans are invited to “hang-out” at the Atheneum as our festival artists, led by cellist Eugene Friesen and singer Elizabeth Rogers, prepare and rehearse pieces for our evening Program in the Atheneum. There is sure to be some spontaneous “music fun” as well!

8PM CDT: In Harmony: Harmonist Music For Our Time at the Historic New Harmony Atheneum Atrium, 401 Arthur St. New Harmony, IN. This diverse program of “reimagined” Harmonist musics (many dating to the early 19th Century) was conceived by 4x Grammy Award winning cellist, Eugene Friesen, as a part of a series of concerts to be given in each of the three Harmonist commune locations: Harmony, PA, New Harmony, IN, and Economy, PA. Simple folk tunes become arabesques of improvised wind and string lines, while Elizabeth Rogers’ pure clear voice refreshes and stirs our musical heartstrings like an evening dew, settling on a Harmonist rose.

The music festival, and its parent org, The New Harmony Artist’s Guild Inc., want to thank the Robert Lee Blaffer Foundation for their constant support and patronage of the Guild and its annual projects. We would like to extend a very special thank-you to Andrew Orient, of Historic Harmony (Pennsylvania), for the diligence and support he invested in order to bring the “In Harmony” project to life and to our town. Thanks Andrew! And we are most especially grateful to Claire Eagle and Christine Crews of Historic New Harmony (Indiana) and the good folks at USI, not only for their ongoing support of local cultural programming, but also for providing 3 of our concert venues this week, artist housing, and important technical and travel support during this 2022 festival week! Thanks everybody!

Held Each Summer in
Historic New Harmony, Indiana

The School

The New Harmony Music School provides students with an opportunity to study and explore new directions in music with unique and acclaimed instructors in a small class setting where individual attention, camaraderie and stylistic diversity contribute to a completely unique learning environment along with opportunities to perform with instructors and other students in unique venues throughout the picturesque community of New Harmony, Indiana.

The Festival

Each year the New Harmony Festival and School attracts some of the worlds top talent in traditional and classical music to perform in concert halls and intimate venues throughout the town of New Harmony for an experience that you will find nowhere else. The week includes popular pop-up concerts during the day, and evening showcase performances at various historic venues with limited seating capacity.

Learn More about the School

Learn More About Festival Events

Intimate classes,
masterful concerts
and performances that
delight and surprise
throughout the year.

The New Harmony Music Festival and School brings together world class musicians from diverse disciplines to share their gifts with our community through performances in concert halls and intimate venues. Your support is essential to the continuation of our festival this year, and in the years to come. We appreciate your generous support!

Support us with your donation

“It’s something I think about all year long. I look forward to coming back to such a warm, encouraging place.”

Performance Highlights

Share the memories of past seasons with us

Christmas in Appalachia

Celtic roots and mountain rhythms featured the remarkable talents of the world-renown “dance instrumentalist” Nic Garriess, old time fiddler and singer, Brittany Haas, hammered dulcimer virtuoso, Simon Chrisman, and Sting side-man, Irish uillean piper and flutist, Christopher Layer.

Music from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello

Violinist Paul Woodiel, composer and violinist Mazz Swift, the celebrated bluesman Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton, and Glass Armonica player William Zeitler join festival founder Christopher Layer on a musical journey through the library, slave quarters, and social customs of the Monticello Plantation. Watch the WNIN television presentation filmed during the live concert.

Explore More of Our Past Highlights

Support The New Harmony Music Festival

Receive Updates
Scholarship Programs
Arts in Education Programs
Free Concert Downloads

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Historic and Intimate Concert Venues

Thrall’s
Opera House

Originally constructed as a dormitory in 1824, the Thrall’s Opera House has served as a multi-family home, a warehouse, a gas station and garage, and as a theatre.

The
Atheneum

Designed by Richard Meier, the Atheneum is considered a breakthrough design recognized by New York’s Museum of Modern Art. It serves as a symbol of the vision that characterizes New Harmony’s earliest beginnings.

Rapp-Owen
Granary

The granary was constructed in 1818 and serves as an outstanding example of Harmonist architecture. From the exposed beam roof supports to the wrought iron hardware, impeccable details reveal fine craftsmanship.

Stay in Touch

We’ll keep you informed about ticket availability, pop-up concerts and events through the year.

Welcome to New Harmony Music Festival & School!

Join us for our 2022 season of concerts and events!

Wednesday, July 13

Thursday, July 14

Friday, July 15

Saturday, July 16

Held Each Summer in Historic New Harmony, Indiana

The School

The Festival

Intimate classes, masterful concerts and performances that delight and surprise throughout the year.

Brought to you with help from our Festival Sponsors

“It’s something I think about all year long. I look forward to coming back to such a warm, encouraging place.”

Performance Highlights

Christmas in Appalachia

Music from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello

Support The New Harmony Music Festival

Receive Updates

Scholarship Programs

Arts in Education Programs

Free Concert Downloads