Music Lovers - NOW FREE!

Music Lovers is AB Academy of Music’s free program for people who want to experience music more deeply—through listening, observing, learning, conversation, and connection with a vibrant musical community.

Not everyone who loves music wants to perform. Some people are most inspired by being in the audience: hearing repertoire come to life, watching musicians develop their ideas, observing the process of teaching and performing, discovering new perspectives, and sharing the experience of live music with others.

Participation in Music Lovers is free. Music Lovers are invited to attend ABAM’s regular Musical Gatherings as audience members and become part of the ongoing musical and educational life of the Academy.

Listen, Observe, and Learn

At ABAM, listening is an active part of learning.

Music Lovers may attend Musical Gatherings that include performances, Piano Labs, master classes, special presentations, conversations, and other educational experiences offered as part of ABAM’s regular programming.

Watching a performer work through a musical challenge, hearing a teacher explore interpretation in a master class, discovering unfamiliar repertoire, or hearing musicians at different stages of their development can reveal aspects of music that are difficult to encounter through recordings alone.

Over time, these experiences create their own kind of learning journey—one built through careful listening, observation, reflection, discovery, and repeated encounters with live music.

Experience Music Beyond the Concert

ABAM’s Musical Gatherings are designed to bring audiences closer to the artistic process.

Rather than experiencing only a finished performance, Music Lovers may have opportunities to observe how musicians prepare, experiment, respond to feedback, develop interpretations, and communicate with an audience. Special events and conversations may explore repertoire, performance practice, artistic ideas, and broader topics connected with music and the performing arts.

There is something uniquely valuable about experiencing this process from the audience. Without the pressure of preparing to perform, listeners can focus on hearing closely, asking questions, making connections, and discovering the many different ways musicians approach their art.

Become Part of the ABAM Community

Being a Music Lover is about more than having a seat in the audience. It is an invitation to belong to the musical life of the Academy.

By returning to Musical Gatherings throughout the year, Music Lovers can become familiar with performers and teachers, follow musicians’ artistic growth, meet others who care about music, and experience a wide range of repertoire, ideas, and perspectives.

An engaged audience is also an important part of the experience for our performers. By listening, encouraging, and participating in the musical life around them, Music Lovers help create the supportive and curious community we want ABAM to be.

Free and Open to Music Lovers

There is no tuition or attendance fee to participate in the Music Lovers program or attend ABAM’s regular Musical Gatherings as an audience member.

ABAM is committed to making these listening and learning opportunities accessible to the broader community. Charitable contributions and community support help us sustain and expand this free access.

Come once because something interests you—or return throughout the season and make ABAM part of your musical life.

Listen. Learn. Connect. Be inspired.

Music Lovers participate in Musical Gatherings as audience members. Performance opportunities are reserved for participants enrolled in ABAM’s performer programs. Gala Concerts and other specially designated events may have separate admission policies.