Chamber Music Stowe is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the best live classical chamber music played by some of the most talented young professional musicians in the world to the greater Stowe community. Concerts are curated by a teaching professional with access to the finest young players committed to bringing the chamber music idiom to live audiences in Stowe. The organization will also spread its message through outreach to Vermont music students and audiences with limited access.  Attendance at performances will usually be free of charge and supported entirely by the organization and tax deductible donations in keeping with its mission of sharing chamber music with as many of those who want to hear it as possible.

Manufactured sometime between 1909 and 1910 by the Steinway & Sons Company in Queens, NY and initially owned by the legendary pianist and composer Josef Hofmann (1876-1957), the Steinway Grand B138369 was passed onto his pupil Grace Castagnetta (1912-1996), a pianist, composer, and teacher at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

The piano was then inherited by her pupil, pianist Albert Stanziano (1948-2021). Many of Stanziano’s recordings feature this instrument. When Mr. Stanziano passed away in 2021, the piano was given to his friend and student Jonathan H. Barkhorn of Chatham, NJ, who made additional repairs, restoring the instrument to its former glory. In September of 2024, Chamber Music Stowe purchased the instrument from Mr. Barkhorn for its future use for performances, and the piano is, as seen, housed in the Mozart Room at the Trapp Family Lodge. 

Musical instruments have an ability to bear the “personalities” of their owners, presumably due to specific playing unique to that person. This Steinway Grand beautifully displays Josef Hofmann’s bold and fluid style, evident in numerous recordings made by Hofmann. Rich and velvety persuasiveness is prominent in its singing tone, with the unrelenting bass range and the equally powerful treble region. Chamber Music Stowe is proud to possess such a historical gem and delights in sharing its magic with those who come to hear it.

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