Did you happen to read Alex Ross' thoroughly engaging story on the Marlboro Music School and Festival in the June 29 edition of The New Yorker.
I thought it really captured the soul of the place well. Marlboro is a magical, paradoxical place - a place where the highest ideals go to summer camp, where musicians at the top of the field cheerfully throw wadded paper balls in the cafeteria, then go on and explore Shostakovich together in earnest joy. Ross clearly had access few of us enjoy, and he made the most of it, with a story that skillfully weaves music, anecdotes and personalities.
I've had the pleasure of spending a day up there several times, and it's a marvelous look at the human side of this special place which most people only know from their concerts. Great as those performances are, they tell only a fraction of the story.
Though I suspect there is secretly a lot of burning desire to be picked to play in these concerts, the emphasis is on rehearsing, the deep exploration that comes from just playing a piece with other musicians, for a week, or two, or all summer if need be. That's why I've always relished the chances to go up, spend a day there and take in something of the real soul of Marlboro - the rehearsal process and the interchange between the musicians. That opportunity is available to you, too. Several times during the week, rehearsals are open to the public, up at Marlboro College. It's a great chance to heat amazing music - and also to see top-level musicians learn and explore together, to see what it is that challenges them and how they work through things on their way to something sublime.
To attend an open rehearsal, contact Marlboro ahead of time. For information, visit www.marlboromusic.org. In the meantime, read Ross' story in The New Yorker and get a taste with music clips which are available at newyorker.com.