Kneisel Hall Chamber Music School and Festival

Kneisel Hall Chamber Music School and Festival, often called the "cradle of chamber music teaching in America" in the coastal village of Blue Hill, Maine, is a chamber music school, a concert series and chamber music advocate.  Franz Kneisel, the celebrated 20-year-old Austrian violinist, came to the United States in 1885  to become concertmaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. During the same year he formed the Kneisel Quartet, the first professional string quartet in America that reigned supreme in chamber music from 1885 to 1917. Franz Kneisel spent many summers in Maine. Recognizing the importance of year-round study to the serious student, in 1902 he began to bring some of his most gifted students to Blue Hill.  They were joined by members of the Kneisel Quartet and the teaching tradition was established. Today Kneisel Hall continues to maintain its historic prominence as one of the most significant chamber music programs in the country. Office and Tickets: 36 Main Street Blue Hill, ME  04614 Mailing Address: PO Box 648 Blue Hill, ME 04614 207-374-2203 Campus and Concert Hall: 137 Pleasant Street Blue Hill, ME 04614 207-374-2811