Seven Hills Chamber Music is a hub of highly-acclaimed Classical musicians offering “dynamic performances with a palpable, effortless, and knowing energy” (Lynchburg Living) to energize and excite audiences in Central Virginia, New York City, and in national concert tours.

Who We Are

In the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the annual Seven Hills Chamber Music Festival has quickly become a stand-out event series and sought-after educational partner in the Lynchburg cultural community, with features in Nasdaq’s Ladderworks, WLNI, and Living in the Heart of Virginia on ABC 13.

Founded by violist and Lynchburg native Dudley Raine IV, our free concerts pair famous works of Classical music — like those of Mozart, Price, or Beethoven — alongside exceptional new music. With our composers-in-residence program — including today's leading composers, such as Joan Tower — our young composer mentorship program, and our educational initiatives, we're committed to inspiring the next generations of artists. "The creative energy among the artists is tremendous'' (The News & Advance), from our dynamic and thematic concerts programs to our immersive pop-up events and community engagement. During the summer festival each August, our artists work with students in public schools, give masterclasses, have open rehearsals, and interact with our audiences — all to forge meaningful community connections through our passion for chamber music.

Our Mission

Seven Hills Chamber Music brings together world-renowned musicians in an annual summer series of free concerts, performing the finest chamber music and engaging with the communities of Lynchburg, Virginia, New York City, and beyond. SHCM innovates through its programming of exceptional living composers alongside the canon of classical favorites, and spotlights Central Virginia with national performances each year. Our organization inspires young musicians through free educational engagements, and promotes local business with immersive pop-up events.

"The creative energy among the artists is tremendous''

— The News & Advance

Seven Hills Chamber Music Directors Dudley Raine IV and Nicole Brancato

Meet our Directors

Dudley Raine, IV is the founder and artistic director of the Seven Hills Chamber Music Festival in Lynchburg, Virginia, his hometown. Dudley recognizes there are many great unheard works lying outside the typical classical canon, and advocates for programming newer music and under-represented composers.

What originally started as a piano quartet with a few friends in 2017 eventually turned into a ten day chamber music festival in August 2021. Dudley formed a group of thirteen musicians from Lynchburg, New York, and other parts of the world to perform three chamber music concerts in the first season of SHCMF, in some of the first live concerts to play in Lynchburg since the start of the pandemic. Seven Hills’ debut season featured a performance at The Academy of Arts, at Westminster Presbyterian and First Presbyterian Churches, and a violin/viola masterclass for young musicians in Lynchburg.

Dudley has a breadth of experience in many veins of classical music- firstly as a freelance violist performing regularly around the country in orchestral, chamber, and contemporary music settings. He also has experience as an arts administrator, having worked for Concert Artists Guild. He also teaches violin and viola, working with the Opus 118 program in New York City public elementary schools as well as teaching privately.

Seven Hills Chamber Music Directors Dudley Raine IV and Nicole Brancato

Nicole Brancato makes music to unlock wonder. Fascinated with contemporary expressions of our shared human experience, the NYC-based pianist merges curation, composition and performance in collaborations across the arts. Described as “brilliant” and an “immense talent” (New York Magazine and Connect Savannah), Nicole is “redefining the very notion of classical music” (Atención San Miguel). Her credits range from the Guggenheim Museum and Rai Italia (television network Italy) to the Banff Centre and the “underground” performances in Brooklyn factories and warehouses.

An awardee of National Sawdust’s 2022 Hildegard Commission, Nicole has curated more than 100 productions featuring 200+ compositions and commissions over the last decade. Described as a “piano virtuoso” (The Daily Gazette, Saratoga Springs), Nicole focuses on the kinetic energy exchange in performances — with both her collaborators and her audience. Such collaborations range from .soundfullness — a salvaged piano installation that transforms outdoor spaces into places of deep listening — to Duo Extempore — a piano + bass duo that uses immersive improvisation to tell the stories of unusual places, from observatories to historical landmarks, and beyond.

A frequent guest presenter of workshops, masterclasses, and residencies, Nicole has delivered sessions for the Gesellschaftshaus Magdeburg, Germany; the University of Southern Mississippi; and for the Sphinx Organization. Nicole is a Yamaha Artist, and holds degrees from CUNY Hunter College, Georgia State University, and Manhattan School of Music. For more, visit www.nicolebrancato.com.

Staff

  • Dudley Raine IV

    FOUNDER, CO-DIRECTOR

  • Nicole Brancato

    CO-DIRECTOR

  • Gregory Hammontree

    EDUCATION DIRECTOR

  • Shannon Watts

    DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

  • (To Be Announced)

    PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Board of Directors

  • Dudley Raine IV

    PRESIDENT

  • Nicole Brancato

    SECRETARY

  • Robert Blevins

    TREASURER

  • Liz Dawson

  • Deirdre Serio

  • Noémi Szigeti Lee

  • William Susman