2026 NDSU Chamber Music Festival
Tuesday, August 25 and Thursday, August 27
Free and open to the public
The NDSU Challey School of Music is excited to present the 12th annual NDSU Chamber Music Festival!
Join us for an inspiring celebration of chamber music featuring talented NDSU piano students performing alongside distinguished guest artists from NDSU, Concordia College, UND, the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Experience an exciting program of masterworks showcasing the artistry, collaboration, and musical excellence that define chamber music at its finest.
Don't miss this opportunity to hear outstanding musicians from across the region come together for unforgettable performances of some of the repertoire's most captivating works.
All performances are free and open to the public.
Tuesday, August 25
Chamber Music Concert I
7:30 p.m. in Beckwith Recital Hall
Thursday, August 27
Chamber Music Concert II
12 p.m. at Plains Art Museum
Lunch available for purchase at the museum's new Field and Fork Bistro from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Chamber Music Concert III
7:30 p.m. in Beckwith Recital Hall
Past Performances
To whet your appetite for chamber music, please enjoy the videos below from previous seasons of the NDSU Chamber Music Festival.
About the Festival
Since 2015, the Festival has brought together NDSU student musicians and distinguished professional artists in a collaborative celebration of chamber music. This year, NDSU piano students will share the stage with guest musicians from North Dakota State University, Concordia College, the University of North Dakota, the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in performances of outstanding chamber music repertoire.
Over the past decade, the Festival has featured Grammy Award-winning artists, faculty from renowned institutions such as the Royal Academy of Music in London and Carnegie Mellon University, and musicians from many of the nation's leading orchestras, such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Festival programs have showcased a diverse range of composers, from classical masters such as Mozart and Beethoven to more recent voices including Margaret Bonds, Libby Larsen, and Frank Zappa. Several works have even received their world premieres in Fargo through Festival performances.
Chamber music, music for small ensembles performed without a conductor, offers a unique blend of intimacy, collaboration, and expressive power. Through these performances, audiences experience the dynamic interaction among musicians and the extraordinary breadth of the chamber music repertoire.
All events are presented free of charge as part of the Festival’s ongoing commitment to serving the NDSU and Fargo-Moorhead communities. We invite you to join us for an exciting week of exceptional performances, artistic collaboration, and musical discovery.