Since 2008, Martha Frampton has been working to bring chamber music to Gloucester County.
She is the founder and executive director of Music at Bunker Hill, a program that hosts affordable chamber music concerts at Bunker Hill Presbyterian Church in Sewell.
As a lifelong musician and public school music teacher, Frampton wanted to make music more accessible, affordable and appealing to people of all ages in the community.
Every season, Frampton and her team secure diverse classical and chamber acts to perform in the small venue, which can hold up to 160 people, each season. Performers range from local musicians to top-selling Grammy winners. Over the years, the program has reached thousands of people, and it has a dedicated following of folks who consistently show up for the concerts.
This month, Music at Bunker Hill will enter its 19th season, and the organization still adheres to its same mission and love for live music.
“There is a value in presenting live music and letting people experience it really up close,” she said.
While there are classical and chamber performances in Philadelphia or New York City, they can be more difficult to travel to and more costly. With Music at Bunker Hill, the team strives to make attending a show easy and a fraction of the price of some showcases.
Currently, tickets are $30 for adults and seniors and $5 for students with ID.
Every show in its seasons is held on a Sunday at 3 p.m., as a way to make it accessible to more people, especially older folks who may not be as comfortable driving later in the day. Frampton said most of their audience tends to be an older crowd, but they are trying to appeal to younger demographics.
They try to reach younger audiences through partnerships with local schools, libraries and music organizations, as well as booking acts that may be of more interest to younger audiences. A way of doing that is being intentional about the six acts selected to be part of the series. Frampton said the musicians selected tend to differ in style, instruments or genre, which keeps it fresh and exciting for attendees.
The first of six concerts in the season is on September 20. Eugene Drucker and Friends will kick off the series. The quartet features Grammy winner Eugene Drucker on violin, William Frampton (Martha Frampton’s son) on viola, Roberta Cooper on cello and Gili Melamed-Lev on piano. They will perform some classics from Bach, Beethoven and more.
On October 18, Grammy-winning artists Sasha Cooke, a mezzo-soprano singer, and Jason Vieaux, a guitarist, will play their concert “Songs of the Americas,” which features songs by beloved American composers.
On November 22, a Latin concert titled “Musica en tus Manos” will be performed by flutist Mimi Stillman and the Dolce Suono Ensemble, featuring songs by Latin composers.
After a winter break, the season will start back up again on April 4 with the Hutchins Ensemble. The ensemble is made up of four highly regarded musicians who have been part of Philadelphia’s classical music scene for decades.
On May 23, Grammy-winning pianist Michelle Cann will perform her showcase “The Women of Chicago’s Black Renaissance,” which features pieces from Black American composers and musicians. Cann also is an educator at Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
Music at Bunker Hill’s season will wrap on June 6 with Marika Bournaki and Julian Schwarz, a piano-cello duo and married couple. Their set will feature works from Arthur Foote, Beethoven and Brahms.
The concerts are made possible through funding support from Gloucester County Cultural and Heritage Commission at Rowan College of South Jersey, which is a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State and the National Endowment for the Arts.
For more information, visit www.musicatbunkerhill.org.
The Hutchins Ensemble will perform at Music at Bunker Hill on April 4, 2027.
