Honest Brook music festival
Classical Music in the western catskills Since 1989
New ticketing system!
Our MISSION
We offer our audiences an intimate and memorable listening experience by award-winning young artists performing classical solo and chamber music in our historic timber frame barn.
The serene, rural setting provides a stunning backdrop for our Summer Concert Series, which includes four concerts by passionate and inspiring Classical musicians.
Purchasing tickets online is fast and easy, and it’s the best way to guarantee a seat for the festival series, as well as for individual concerts. Tickets may also be purchased at the door, if any remain. We do not take reservations.
Summer 2026
seasoN
All concerts begin at 4:00 PM
Saturday July 11
TBD
Saturday, July 18
Kiron Atom Tellian, piano
Sunday, August 9
Estel Vivó Casanovas, saxophone, pIanist TBA
Sunday, August 2
Trio Azura
2026 artist Bios
TBD
TBD
Kiron Atom Tellian,
Piano
Austrian pianist and composer Kiron Atom Tellian has quickly established himself as one of the most compelling young artists of his generation. Winner of the Paul A. Fish Memorial Prize, Tellian is praised for his artistry, imagination, and commanding presence at the keyboard, Tellian has already appeared on major stages across Europe, the United States, and South America, and his career continues to expand internationally.
This season marks a series of major debuts that highlight his rising profile. He will appear with the San Diego Symphony, make both his Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center solo recital debuts, and join the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano on its European tour, which includes performances at the Großes Festspielhaus Salzburg. His international engagements will also bring him to Israel for a tour with the Beer Sheva Symphoniette.
Saxophone, Pianist TBA
Estel Vivó casAnovAs,
Estel Vivó Casanovas is an internationally recognized saxophonist celebrated for her technical mastery and expressive artistry. A native of Barcelona, she is only the second saxophonist to win the prestigious Young Concert Artists Susan Wadworth Auditions. Her accolades include First Prize at the 2024 Manhattan International Music Competition, and she is also the recipient of the Paul A. Fish Memorial prize. A graduate of the Liceu Conservatory, she holds a Master’s degree from the Eastman School of Music, where she is currently a doctoral candidate working with Chien-Kwan Lin.
As a soloist and chamber musician, Vivó Casanovas has performed at Carnegie Hall, on Catalan radio, and many other notable venues. She has appeared with numerous chamber ensembles and wind ensembles across Europe and the United States including the Matadepera Wind Orchestra. In addition to performing, she directs the New Horizons Saxophone Ensemble and is researching how avant-garde music developed as political resistance in Francoist Spain.
Trio Azura
Trio Azura is quickly emerging as one of today's most promising young ensembles, characterized by “intelligence and imagination” and “profound emotion” (Gramophone). They are currently the Ensemble-in-Residence at the Colburn School, where they formed in 2022, and study with Jonathan Brown, Martin Beaver, Clive Greensmith, and Fabio Bidini. Most recently, Trio Azura was named a winner of the 2025 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions and appointed YCA Jacobs Fellows, becoming the organization’s first Ensemble-in-Residence.
Since winning the prestigious Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2024, they have been captivating audiences with their exceptional musical performances, gracing stages across the United States and around the world.
Want to support the festival?
Ticket sales alone cannot support a Classical music series of this calibre. Consider making a donation or legacy gift.
“Our family has attended the Honest Brook Music Festival for over 30 years. It is absolutely a highlight of our summer.”
~David Capps, long-time subscriber
Season tickets and tickets for individual concerts are best purchased online through this website. Tickets may also be purchased at the door if available.
Sign up to be the first to know about our artists for next season. Questions? We would love to hear from you! Check out our FAQ page, or complete the Inquiry form below.
In August 1987, concert pianist Michael Cannon and designer Christopher Desler purchased the Pipa Farm on Honest Brook Road in Meredith, NY. During their first year, former owner Mable Pipa regaled them with stories of her late husband, Henry, who would sing in the barn while he worked. Mable was deeply concerned about the future of her cherished dairy barn; seeing other historic farm buildings across the county suffering neglect,
About Us
Michael Cannon, Founder of The Honest Brook Music Festival
Michael and Christopher began to imagine a new, musical purpose for their beloved building.
Two years later, in 1989, the Honest Brook Music Festival was born.
Today, the dairy barn, famed for its warmly resonant acoustics, hosts performances by both well-established artists and outstanding young performers early in their careers. Set amid the idyllic rolling hills of the Western Catskills, concert-goers are invited to wander through the lush perennial gardens created by Michael and Christopher adjacent to the barn and enjoy the opportunity to converse with the artists following each performance.
The festival lost a visionary leader on July 23, 2016, with the death of Co-Founder and past Board President Christopher Desler. Christopher was a driving force in the festival's development, and he welcomed every guest with a warmth that made the barn feel like home. He is remembered with great affection by the entire Honest Brook community.
Christopher Desler, Co-Founder of The Honest Brook Music Festival
The Honest Brook Music Festival Board of Directors
Michael Cannon: President, Founder, Artistic Director
David Brooks: Vice-President
Jeffrey Ditchek: Treasurer
Gina Lefferts: Secretary
Mel Bellar
Lucille Bruto
Lorrie Karam
The Honest Brook Music Festival is a registered 501C-3 non-profit organization. A copy of the latest annual report may be obtained, upon request, from HBMF or from the Office of the Attorney General, Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, New York 10271.