Instruments, sheet music, and pencils. With these items, members of the Andover Chamber Society unite in weekly rehearsals at the newly-opened Falls Music Center. Directed by Mrs. Holly Barnes, Instructor of Music and Director of Performance, the program caters to students who enjoy playing in chamber groups — ensembles comprising a handful of musicians. Each group combines students of similar musicianship, oftentimes integrating different instrument families and providing members an opportunity to meet new people.
“Every term, anybody who plays strings, piano, winds, and even percussion, [has] the opportunity to join. We build a whole community around playing chamber music and… it’s like being on a team. For the kids who already know each other and are excited to play together, it can be a really exciting thing to do. Lots of musicians tell me [that] chamber music was where they really found their friend group. My job is to put everybody into a group that is compatible with their skill level and to prepare for a concert at the end of the term,” said Barnes.
This year, the Chamber Society adopted two co-heads: bassoonist Helios Hong ’25 and violinist Sophie Tung ’25. As co-heads, the pair participate in and coach chamber groups, organize events, and lead the Chamber Society’s social media presence. To expand the program’s reach, Hong and Tung recently started a new feature series titled MEOW: Music Ensemble of the Week.
“I’ve been sending weekly emails with updates and promoting the music department, sharing concerts people can attend. [A] new initiative is MEOW, Music Ensemble of the Week. Every week starting in the winter, we feature a different chamber ensemble. We go to their rehearsals, take videos, ask them some questions, and then create a video to upload on our YouTube and Instagram pages. We’ve got an Instagram page… [where] we post pictures from concerts, weekly MEOW features, and sometimes takeovers when concerts are coming up,” said Hong.
In addition to MEOW features, Tung highlights various upcoming chamber initiatives, hoping to enhance the program’s activities and outreach with other schools. These initiatives include a chamber collaboration concert with Groton and an album of rehearsal recordings. She hopes to work with other schools more often, creating ways to give and receive feedback from peers.
“We’re considering creating a [Andover] album where we record our rehearsals throughout the term and release it as a yearly souvenir. Additionally, we started the Interscholastic Chamber Music Festival this year. We participated in one at Groton, where we rehearsed with their coaches. I think it would be great to have these festivals at other schools as well, kind of like varsity chamber music, where we go to learn from other groups, not to compete,” said Tung.
With the Chamber Society at its peak of participation, Mrs. Barnes acknowledges that further development in the program may be challenging. The program has grown so much throughout the past years that the end-of-term concerts needed to be split into two to accommodate the number of groups. However, she adds that the co-heads have made great efforts to improve the program throughout the year.
“I don’t know if [the program] can grow anymore. We’re already exploding at the seams, honestly, which is why we have two concerts every term now, so six chamber music concerts a year. That’s a lot. What I’m super excited about this year is [that] Helios Hong and Sophie Tung are our chamber music co-heads this year. In terms of social media, they have really elevated what we do. I think it’s a great idea, and it’s been a fun thing to have. I hope the next group of co-heads will continue that.”
