Mission
The mission of the Greencastle Summer Music Festival is to enliven the life of Putnam County by bringing the community together through performances, participatory music events, and educational offerings. We are friends making music for and with friends.
History
Greencastle Summer Music Festival (GSMF) is a non-profit performing arts organization that hosts free, weekly concerts throughout the summer in Greencastle, IN. The series was founded in 2005 by DePauw University School of Music professor Eric Edberg. A renowned cellist and valued teacher, Edberg began the Festival as a classical music series with the idea of exposing the surrounding community to breathtaking pieces of work performed by professional musicians from across the country.
Now in its fourteenth season of operation, GSMF hosts concerts in the genres of classical, jazz, blues, world, and folk music performed by musicians from around the world. The welcoming atmosphere, dedicated patrons and guest artists help create an atmosphere that truly is "friends making music for friends". Join us every Wednesday evening at 7:30pm in the beautiful main hall at Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church.
Eric Edberg, Founder & Artistic Director
Eric Edberg is a critically acclaimed classical and improvising cellist, concert organizer, workshop leader, and drum circle facilitator committed to connecting and enlivening people through music. Founder and artistic director of the Greencastle Summer Music Festival, which for thirteen years has “brought the community together with friends making music for friends,” he has performed internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. Dedicated to music as a healing force and to bringing classical music to nontraditional locations, Edberg has played in nursing homes, schools, hospitals, prisons and even the New York City subways. At DePauw University, where he is the Cassel Grubb Professor of Music, he coaches of one of the country’s few non-jazz improvisation ensembles and teaches courses on music entrepreneurship and innovative concert presentation. Edberg attended high school at the North Carolina School of the Arts, and also studied at Juilliard, Peabody, SUNY Stony Brook, and Florida State University.
Chris Flegal, Executive Director
A native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Chris Flegal joined GSMF during the summer of 2016. In addition, Flegal serves as Executive Director for the United Way of Putnam County—his official "day job". He holds a M.A. in Arts Administration from Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs, as well as a B.S. in Music Business from Greenville University (Greenville, IL). A lifelong guitarist, Chris is an avid participant in the arts. He is currently chair of the Putnam County Mural Project, a volunteer committee working to implement one of Indiana's largest murals in Putnam County. Prior to his United Way position, Chris served as the Community Engagement Coordinator & Production Assistant for DePauw School of Music. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, both of which are avid bicyclists and skiers.
Board Members
Stu Fabe, President
Joanne Kissinger, Vice President
David Greenburg, Treasurer
Carol Crag, Secretary
Marthe Chandler
Charity Pankratz
Steve Raines
Sally Sunkel
Ellie Ypma