EMF Is Now EF of M

If all goes according to plan, the Eastern Music Festival is to make a comeback as the Eastern Festival of Music. An email from Barbara Morgenstern, former wife of EMF founder Shelly Morgenstern and president of a newly formed board of directors, states that from June 29 to August 1, 2026, EFM will fill the EMF void. Other than rearranged initials, EFM is pretty much what the recently dissolved EMF was: It will run for five weeks on the campus of Guilford College in North Carolina, once again under Music Director Gerard Schwarz, with an anticipated 250 promising young musicians between the ages of 14 and 24  training and performing under an as yet-to-be-determined number of faculty.

In response to questions about faculty size and faculty union affiliation—the straws that broke EMF’s back—Morgenstern responded in an email:

“The orchestral, piano and conducting faculty from 2024 are all being invited back.  We have had a preliminary response from them that has been very positive and very heartwarming.  The actual contracts will go out within the next few weeks.  Since we are a new institution, the question of the union has not been addressed.  I'm not sure if the number is [the EMF’s] 61, but it is all of the musicians mentioned above.” 

Morgenstern says there will be two student orchestras and one professional. No Executive Director has been named as yet—Chris Williams held the post previously—but the EFM does have a director of admissions, which, says Morgenstern, is the “most important position at the moment.”  Board members are Morgenstern, president; George Lawson, VP; Sylvia Samet, Secretary; Jeanne Tannenbaum, Treasurer; and Sam LeBauer. She anticipates up to 1,000 applicants with more details about admission and dates revealed as they are confirmed. 

“I am thrilled that a group of artistically motivated supporters will lead us into the future through artistic integrity and deep commitment to music education,” said Schwarz. “Community leaders have taken up the mantle of the creation of the Eastern Festival of Music under the board leadership of Barbara Morgenstern.”

Morgenstern, named among the "Best Lawyers in America" in family law, thanked supporters for “their perseverance and unwavering vision to continue to bring classical music to Greensboro….We welcome student applicants for 2026 and look forward to many more years of music-making.”

easternfestivalofmusic.org

Pictured: Barbara Morgenstern