A Luminous Weekend
with "notes" of gratitude and joy
🍂Dear Birch Festival Friends,
What an absolutely amazing weekend of music at The Birch Festival! Our Fall Edition was sold out and we couldn’t have imagined a more joyful and inspiring start to our third year.
We were honored to present the extraordinary Simone Dinnerstein, joined by her longtime collaborator Alexis Pia Gerlach, and our Artistic Director Yevgeny Kutik, for a luminous program of Bach, Mozart, and Philip Glass.
Over two days, the artists also led a workshop for young orchestra students in Pittsfield (where they explored clapping out “two against three” with Simone and Alexis, and learned that “Bach teaches us that we can play with many voices at one time”) and opened up their rehearsal process for listeners as part of our “Don’t Tap on the Glass” series — offering a rare and personal glimpse into how great music comes to life.
More than just concerts, weekends like this remind us what The Birch Festival is truly about — community. Your enthusiasm and support have turned an idea born just two years ago into a growing addition to the vibrant cultural home in the Berkshires, with the mission of making great classical music accessible to as many as possible.
As we look ahead, we’re filled with gratitude and a renewed sense of purpose. What began as a small, homegrown vision has already accomplished more than we ever imagined: we’ve brought 18 world-class artists to the Berkshires, reached nearly 300 students, and cultivated an ever-growing “Birch Family” of supporters who believe in what music can do for a community.
We invite you to continue growing with us — by attending, spreading the word, or contributing to sustain our work as we move forward in 2026. Every bit of support makes a meaningful difference and helps ensure that we continue to thrive.
With deepest gratitude,
Rachel and Yevgeny
The Birch Festival is an official 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and donations are fully tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
And a huge thank you to our concert partners:
