Central Program

The heart of the Amherst Early Music Festival!

July 12-26, 2026

Muhlenberg College
2400 W. Chew St.
Allentown, PA 18104
United States

Tuition:

$750

Frances Blaker, Festival director

Central Program classes run both weeks of the Amherst Early Music Festival, July 12-19, and July 19-26, 2026.

See the list of Central Program Classes

Register here!

See a short video message about the Festival and Central Program... with Frances Blaker, Tish Berlin, Lawrence Lipnik, and Gary Wedow!

The Central Program, taking place both weeks, offers scores of classes for voices, recorders, flutes, Renaissance reeds, Baroque bassoon and oboe, strings, viols, and harpsichord on topics including early notation, mixed ensembles, and Baroque ensembles, Week 1 classes include expanded offerings for Baroque instruments. Week 2 classes include offerings for Medieval instruments. We also offer a unique program in early notation for all levels starting with absolute beginner. Pitch is A=440, unless otherwise noted.

List of classes will be published in the spring. If you are in Baroque Academy, Ensemble Singing Intensive, or the Medieval Project, there's no need to choose classes, your daily schedule is set. If you are in the Choral Workshop, you may choose a 4th period class. If you are in New London Assembly, you have the option to take a music class.

The AEMF schedule makes great demands on time and energy. Workshop burnout can be a real problem. Many students leave one period free to allow sufficient time to practice, rest, recreate, and integrate what they have learned. Please also note that you may audit any class as an alternative to playing every period of the day.

Scheduled Classes run Monday through Friday, with four class periods per day. Tuition for 4 class periods per week is $750. Part time tuition (2 class periods) is $475. Register with a tuition deposit for part time tuition.

In the evening there are lectures, concerts, madrigal singing in the courtyard, English country dancing, drop-in playing sessions, the AEM Auction, and socializing with early music enthusiasts from all over the world. Saturday is a day of rehearsals and concerts, including student concerts featuring music prepared in class.

Students perform at the 2022 Amherst Early Music Festival

Where

Muhlenberg College
2400 W. Chew St.
Allentown, PA 18104
United States

Festival FAQs

TRAVEL
Muhlenberg College: 2400 Chew Street, Allentown, PA
Closest Airport: Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), is approximately 7 miles from the Muhlenberg campus.
Trans-Bridge Lines offers service from Port Authority Bus Terminal in NYC and Newark Airport to the Allentown Transportation Center, 603 Linden Street, Allentown, PA (2.3 miles from campus) Flixbus from NYC, Philadelphia, and elsewhere. Greyhound offers service from Philadelphia to the Allentown Transportation Center.

MEALS
The meal card is $280 and covers one week of meals starting with dinner on Sunday, July 12, (July 19 for second week) thru breakfast on Sunday, July 19, (July 26 for second week).
A la carte meal prices are:
Breakfast - $11.12
Lunch - $15.22
Dinner - $22.83

ROOMS
All standard rooms are air-conditioned. Budget rate housing is not air-conditioned, with hall baths. Basic linens (sheets, pillow, and towels) are included with all housing. Beds are twin, extra long.
Standard rooms with private baths are in Taylor Hall. Standard single rooms with shared baths are in suites of four rooms (bedrooms, living room, shared bathroom, no kitchen) in Benfer Hall. Standard double rooms and a few single rooms on the fourth floor of Walz Hall, accessible by elevator. Kitchenette Suite rooms are in South Hall. Budget (non-ac) rooms are in Brown Hall. All dorms have elevators except for Benfer and Brown Halls.

Scholarships & Work-Study

Work-Study

All participants are welcome to apply for tuition assistance through AEM's Work-Study program. The work-study application form can be found here. Questions about Work-Study can be sent to Click here to show mail address. Applicants are encouraged to early, and before May 10th.

AEM Scholarships

To apply for all AEM scholarships, including the Washington McClain Scholarship, please fill out the Scholarship application form here. Applications due by May 10th.

The Washington McClain Scholarship Fund honors the memory of Baroque oboist and Amherst Early Music faculty member Washington McClain. It will fund scholarships for students who have historically been underrepresented in the early music field, including African-American, Latinx, and others. Awards can be used to cover tuition, room and board, and travel and may be used for any in-person AEM event, particularly the Amherst Early Music Festival.

In addition to scholarships, AEM offers work study tuition to all of our workshops, and the Amherst Early Music Festival. Work study is an option for students of any age.

Other Organizations

American Recorder Society offers scholarships to recorder players for Weekend Workshops as well as Summer Festivals. Any ARS member who needs financial assistance to attend a weekend or week-long workshop may apply for this scholarship. Deadline: May 15.

Early Music America offers scholarships to help students attend early music and historical performance workshops in North America. Applications due February 8.

Viola da Gamba Society of America offers Grants-in-Aid to its members to attend Workshops and Masterclasses.

The Historical Keyboard Society of North America has established the Funaro Fund Award to support its members to offset the cost of traveling to an early keyboard event.

COVID-19 Policy

The COVID virus is still with us, though as of mid-June the prevalence of COVID in the US east coast wastewater is very low. We are not requiring testing in advance unless you have been with others who test positive in the week before the Festival, or if you are experiencing mild symptoms in the week before the Festival. We reserve the right to change this policy if conditions change. Please bring your own COVID tests. Some will be available for sale. We recommend that you bring N-95 masks in case of an outbreak of illness.

We ask that all Festival participants, faculty, and staff observe the following list of precautions:
In the week prior to your attendance at the Festival, to reduce the likelihood of spreading infection, please do all you can to avoid becoming ill. Wearing a mask on public transport and at large indoor gatherings can keep you from having to leave the Festival.

Before arrival and during the Festival: If you have symptoms of an infectious illness please do not come to the Festival. You will receive a refund. If you develop symptoms of an infectious illness while at the Festival, please immediately isolate, test for COVID-19, and let AEMF staff know. If you test positive for Covid you must leave the Festival or quarantine for the remainder of the Festival. You will receive a pro-rated refund. If you elect to stay on campus in quarantine, you will not receive a housing refund.

The Festival is a congregate living environment, and we want to protect the health of all our community members, who range in age from 1 to 90+ and some of whom have compromised immune systems. Thank you for helping us keep everyone healthy.

Updated June 17, 2026