On the weekend of June 25th-27th 2010, the first annual Chelsea Music Festival began. In its inaugural season, the Festival partnered with the historic Chelsea Art Museum, allowing guests to experience unique programs both visually and audibly. As June 2010 marked the 200th birthday of German composer and pianist Robert Schumann, a profoundly sincere and vulnerable artist, the Festival was honored to celebrate Schumann throughout the weekend. The 2010 program included works from Mendelssohn, Schubert, Mozart and Bach, all of whom Schumann greatly admired and often paid homage to throughout his creative output. In the same spirit, two Festival concerts featured new works that were musical reflections on Schumann. In addition, the opening night concert of the festival offered a reception menu entitled “Hors d'œuvres from Schumann’s Eck” from chef Steven Bookbinder.

2010 Festival musicians included: Bassoon | Brad Balliett - Clarinet | Romie de Guise-Langlois, Alicia Lee - Horn | Alma Maria Liebrecht - Violin | Zoran Jakovcic, Robert Meyer - Cello | Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf, Angela Lee, Joshua Roman - Piano | Helen Huang, Melinda Lee Masur - Composers | Jane Antonia Cornish, Nathaniel Stookey, Dan Visconti