High atop a mountain in the foothills of the Berkshires lies a bucolic oasis of tranquility, community and a whole lot of music. For more than 95 years, Music Mountain has hosted a litany of fine classical and jazz concerts. But you’ll find more than just music alive in these hills.
Beneath the towering willows on the Music Mountain campus sits Gordon Hall, the main performance space. Gordon Hall was named after Jacques Gordon, Chicago Symphony concertmaster from 1921 to 1930 and the founding first violinist of the Gordon String Quartet. In 1930, he came to Falls Village and created Music Mountain. To build his campus, he enlisted Sears, Roebuck & Co., whose prefabricated housing division installed all of the buildings. Because many of the houses by Sears, Roebuck have been lost to time, Music Mountain’s well-documented collaboration with the company earned it a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
But Music Mountain doesn’t rest on its historical laurels. While it honors its past, carefully noting in its programs when prominent classical pieces have been previously performed, it also takes pride in its premieres. Most recently, Artistic Director Oskar Espina Ruiz was involved in such a premiere.
Gordon Hall on the Music Mountain campus.D.H. Callahan
On Sunday, Aug. 2, Alfonso Fuentes, a Puerto Rican composer, improvisation pianist, poet and educator, joined Ruiz and the Erinys Quartet, which won first prize at the 2025 Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition in Norway, for the premiere of his Clarinet Quintet. The performance was one of three clarinet premieres happening throughout August; the other two were composed by Seth Grosshandler on Aug. 16, with the Ulysses Quartet, and by Javier Montiel on Aug. 30, with Cassatt Quartet.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Music Mountain without some classics, so Ruiz will join the quartets for additional pieces by Mozart, Weber and other legendary composers.
But classics aren’t always classical. Jacques Gordon’s son, Nicholas Gordon took over as artistic director in 1974, and during his tenure introduced the Twilight Jazz Concerts on Saturday nights. These performances allow the audience to let their hair down, and revel in the unpredictability of the genre.
The Verona Quartet in Gordon Hall in July.D.H. Callahan
Jazz has developed in remarkable ways since Music Mountain’s founding, and many of its subgenres take their place on the stage of Gordon Hall. This year has seen straight-ahead jazz pianist Helen Sung, vocalist Nicole Zuraitis, swinging big bands like Bob Parker’s Jive by Five and Music Mountain’s 20-piece house band. Still to come are Grammy Award winners Bill Charlap with his trio, andZaccai Curtis and his Afro-Cuban quartet.
This season also features a couple wild cards that fall outside of the jazz and classical circles. The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players brought the silliest operas of the 19th century to Gordon Hall on Aug. 8, and on Aug. 22, pianist Donald Sosin and singer/percussionist Joanna Seaton will accompany Buster Keaton’s silent film “The General” with a live score, breathing new life into an old cinematic classic.
With all this, and many more Sunday afternoon classical performances running through Sept. 13, there’s still time to catch some incredible magic on the Mountain.
For a full listing of performances and tickets, visit musicmountain.org
Classic styles, bold colors, and creative concerts make up the “Imaginary Concerts” line at Peggy Mercury.Provided
Shirts from Peggy Mercury’s first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts,” hang on display.Provided
