The Swarthmore College Department of Music is thrilled to announce FetterFest, a celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the Elizabeth Pollard Fetter Chamber Music Program. Taking place during Garnet Weekend in the Fall 2025 semester, this event will mark a meaningful moment in our musical history as it also honors the 100th anniversary of Elizabeth Pollard Fetter’s graduation from Swarthmore.

The festival begins on Friday, October 24, 2025, with an evening performance by the Brentano String Quartet, featuring Serena Canin ’88, an alumna of the Fetter Program. 

On Saturday, October 25, the celebration will continue with a full day of music-making opportunities across campus. FetterFest will bring together alumni and current students for rehearsals, informal readings, and performances, offering an opportunity for former ensemble partners to reunite and even prompt new, intergenerational groups to be formed. If you are Fetter Chamber Music Program alumni, and would like to be included in the music-making activities, you can find more information and register here.

“I am so thrilled to welcome back alumni of the Fetter Chamber Music Program to make music together again, whether in groups that were formed in the past or in new combinations,” says Andrew Hauze ‘04, Senior Lecturer in Music. “All of the alumni we've spoken to so far are so excited to relive their days of playing chamber music in Lang Music Building. It will be wonderful for them to meet current students and explore the wide variety of musical styles the program embraces.”

Jenny Honig, co-director of the Fetter program, says she and Hauze have been brainstorming ways to celebrate the 50th anniversary for the past few years. "We felt there was no better way to celebrate all of the wonderful music that has been supported by this program than to invite all of its participants back to campus to celebrate and make music together," she says.

The Fetter Program, originally established as a gift from Elizabeth Pollard Fetter ‘25 in memory of her mother, Emilie Garrett Pollard, Class of 1893, has grown into an invigorating and beloved part of Swarthmore’s musical community. 

Save the date for this joyful, music-filled weekend—and stay tuned for a full schedule of events in the coming months!