Twelve String Quartets in 24 Hours in downtown Burlington Credit: Luke Awtry

Twelve String Quartets in 24 Hours, downtown Burlington, Saturday and Sunday, July 12 and 13:

As outrageous a claim as it is, I may now hold the record for seeing the most string quartets in downtown Burlington in a single day: 12 quartets, six locations, less than 24 hours. On Saturday, the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival held the first of its two downtown Quartet Hops. Starting at 11 a.m., performances by student quartets began at the top of each hour with two ensembles each at Muddy Waters, Frog Hollow Vermont Craft Gallery, Homeport and Hotel Vermont and a final hop to Phoenix Books at 3 p.m. for three more quartets. That is a mere 11 quartets at five locations, and I know of others with whom I would share that podium. But where were they between 10 and 11 a.m. on Sunday, when the incredible Skylark quartet performed for Burlington City Arts’ Sunday Classical series in City Hall Park? I surveyed the crowd and didn’t see the select few who also went the distance the day before, which means this crown of laurels rests firmly on my head. I know — being a live-music lover is not a competition. The reality is that anyone who caught any of these performances is already in the winner’s circle … with me.

This article appears in Jul 16-22, 2025.

Luke Awtry took the long way to becoming a professional photographer, with a path through music, technology and engineering, and he remains active in each. His first Seven Days assignment was on Town Meeting Day in March 2018, and he has since supported...