Chestnut Hill Concerts

About Us

Chestnut Hill Concerts was founded in 1969 by Dr. Elsa Redlich in Killingworth, Connecticut. The concerts evolved from informal performances that were associated with her summer program, the Chestnut Hill Creative Arts Center for Children. Dr. Redlich was eager to provide a venue for the then sixteen-year-old violinist Yoko Matsuda. From the beginning, the concerts sought to involve young people in experiencing fine classical music. That goal has persisted throughout Chestnut Hill’s history.

Early on, Ms. Matsuda became the musical director, a post she occupied until 1978, when she and the flutist Ransom Wilson served as Co-Directors. As the series grew, it moved from the barn in Killingworth to the Hammonassett School, later to Andrews Memorial Hall in Clinton, and, in 1985, to the historic First Congregational Church in Madison. Since 2010, Chestnut Hill Concerts has been in residence at the beautiful Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook. Throughout the changes in leadership and venues, Chestnut Hill Concerts has become widely regarded one of the finest chamber music festivals in New England.

Ransom Wilson returned as Director in 1984. Ronald Thomas led the series as Artistic Director from 1989 until health reasons forced him to retire in 2023. Chestnut HIll Concerts is now under the expert guidance of Mihae Lee, long-time Chestnut Hill board member and pianist, who began her tenure as Artistic Director in 2024.