The Stauntonian

The Stauntonian

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The Man With Three Harpsichords and a $500 Budget

Staunton Music Festival returns for its 28th season on August 15, ten days and thirty concerts built from what its founder still calls, without much exaggeration, a house party that never really ended

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Brad Thomas
Aug 22, 2026
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brown and black violin
Photo by Providence Doucet on Unsplash

Carsten Schmidt keeps three harpsichords, three cellos, two fortepianos, and one Steinway in his Staunton house. That is not a metaphor for how seriously he take…

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