Chamber Music Society of the Carolinas (CMS Carolinas) is a beloved chamber music festival that promotes shared experiences of joy, creativity and transcendence through world-class chamber music. In a series of 13 concerts in July, CMS Carolinas is thrilled to share exceptional classical music performances with a wide audience in three welcoming venues in Asheville, NC, Waynesville, NC, and Greenville, SC.

Each program delivers a high caliber of music along with a unique approach to performance. Performances take place in small venues creating a close interaction between performer and listener cultivating a shared love of music.

CMS Carolinas is a program of Warren Wilson College. Located in the scenic Swannanoa Valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this festival is proud to call Warren Wilson College its home.

CMS Carolinas, formerly the Swannanoa Chamber Music Festival, was founded in 1970 by pianist Lili Kraus.

Artistic Leadership

Rachel Henderson Freivogel and J Freivogel
Artistic Directors

Rachel and J are the Artistic Directors of the Chamber Music Society of the Carolinas. Rachel and J are founding members of the Jasper String Quartet, celebrated as one of the preeminent American string quartets of the twenty-first century. In addition to concertizing throughout North America, Europe and Asia, the Quartet is director of the St. Paul Chamber Music Institute, a week-long chamber music institute in Minnesota, directors of Jasper Chamber Concerts, a concert series in Philadelphia, PA, and Ensemble in Residence at Temple University’s Center for Gifted Young Musicians.

Rachel and J met in the Quartet at Oberlin Conservatory and continued their musical training for Masters and Artist Diploma degrees at Rice and Yale Universities. Rachel and J have enjoyed performing at CMS Carolinas every summer since 2010 and live in Philadelphia with their two children, Leon and Evy.

Contact: directors@cms-carolinas.com

Director of Operations

Paula Hennon
Director of Operations

Paula joined the Chamber Music Society of the Carolinas in March 2026, bringing extensive experience in organizational leadership, strategic communications, resource generation, and audience development. Throughout her career, she has helped organizations secure more than $23 million in funding, managed complex multi-million-dollar programs, and built partnerships that strengthen long-term sustainability and growth.

Her professional work has centered on connecting people to ideas, stories, and causes that matter, making her uniquely suited to support CMS as it expands its reach while preserving the intimacy and artistic excellence that define the organization.

Music has been a lifelong part of Paula's life. A vocalist since childhood, she performed in the iconic 1970s Coca-Cola commercial I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing and later sang with the renowned Apollo's Fire Chorus and The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus. She currently performs with the Asheville Symphony Chorus, the Brevard Music Center Chorus, and the Cathedral of All Souls Choir.

Her passion for chamber music comes from the same qualities that make CMS special: close listening, shared presence, and the powerful connection that happens when music is experienced up close.

Contact: paula@cms-carolinas.com