Home » Community Life » Innsbrook Institute

Midwest Classical Music School

Introducing The Innsbrook Institute

Over the past 20 years, the Innsbrook Institute has continued its goal of raising awareness about our organization, the programs we offer, and our continued support for youth programs. It is through generous contributions that have allowed the Institute to provide thousands of dollars in student academy scholarships. We would not be where we are today or have the level of success we have had without each and every person who has supported our organization over the years. 

INNSBROOK INSTITUTE CLOSURE ANNOUNCEMENT

It was 40 years ago this summer that Innsbrook hosted its first classical music concert on the front porch of the Farmhouse. It featured St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) principal cellist John Sant'Ambrogio and his daughter, Stephanie. It was a beautiful summer afternoon that was enjoyed by many as we sat on the lawn in folding chairs and blankets as we were gently serenaded.

Thus began a long tradition of hosting chamber music in our community. In the mid-nineties, a group of us re-formed the Warren County Fine Arts Council which, for several years, served the greater area by bringing events such as SLSO orchestra concerts to Innsbrook, Wright City, and Warrenton. We also brought the Miami Ballet to Warren County, and a summer arts camp, Camp WACAFIARU, for local middle school students.

In 2001, Ed Boyce and David Halen, SLSO Concertmaster, formed the Innsbrook Institute. Created as a ten-day music academy and festival with some of our country’s brightest young musical students in Masters-style classes and nightly performances featuring prominent classical musicians from around the world. In its heyday, it provided a tangible buzz in our community when the students and musicians returned each year. Many of these students are now working professionals themselves as teachers, orchestra members and successful soloists achieving top honors in the classical music world.

None of this would have been possible without the hundreds of volunteers that served time, talent, and treasure in support of the mission. They would house students and artists, shuttle them to and fro, attend concerts, feed them with meals (and lots of cookies) and write checks….lots of them each year.

It was a social scene and an extended family for many of us for over 20 years.

So, it is with a very heavy heart that we have to announce that this too has run its course. The Innsbrook Institute’s 2022 board members have unanimously come to the realization that the Music Academy and Festival is no longer viable. We had begun to see a gradual decline in attendance and support several years ago, and after several attempts to refresh the energy it once provided, the pandemic pushed it “over the edge” of feasibility. Sadly, this is happening across the country with classical music festivals and academies struggling with the many adversities in today’s climate.

As our board members go through the formal dissolution of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Innsbrook Institute, we will gladly keep interested members informed of its process. We expect the dissolution to be complete at the end of 2022.

Thank you to all of our volunteers, board members, host families, financial supporters, faculty, directors, students, and musicians that made the Innsbrook Institute and its events so wonderful for such a long time. As we have spoken with several of our past musicians this week, they asked that we also convey their sincere gratitude. For these performers who constantly travel the globe, the Innsbrook community holds a special place in their hearts as well. They mentioned the warmth they always felt from their “IBK families.”

Personally, we believe that this should only be a temporary moment in time. It has been said, everyone can benefit from classical music. In addition, participating in community art projects is linked to increased civic engagement and a deeper understanding of others. It builds what is known as “human, social, and community capital.” In societies that encourage the arts, people are more likely to feel connected to one another and have pride in their culture.

So, for now, we take a short pause on this journey and I look forward to a time in the not-so-distant future that we can gather again to hear the classics performed as only the world-class musicians that we have come to know can do.

For more information about the dissolution of the Institute, we have compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions.