Point CounterPoint Foundation launches campaign to preserve iconic Vermont Chamber Music Camp for generations to come

Jenny Beck, owner/Executive Director, works with musician campers at Point CounterPoint.

Campers perform at Point CounterPoint, located in the heart of the Green Mountains in Vermont.

“Play It Forward” sets goal of raising $3.5 million

LEICESTER, VT, UNITED STATES, October 13, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Point CounterPoint Foundation (https://pointcp.com/forward), a 501 (c)3 non-profit organization tasked with raising the necessary funds to purchase the 63-year old world-renowned music camp Point CounterPoint on Lake Dunmore, today announced the launch of a $3.5 million capital campaign to accomplish its objective.

The campaign, “Play It Forward: For the Love of PCP (Point Counterpoint),” seeks to raise the necessary funds to purchase the property and also establish an endowment to fund ongoing scholarships. At the conclusion of this multi-year campaign, Point CounterPoint will be under the ownership of the nonprofit Foundation and governed by a Board of Trustees.

This will represent a significant change in the camp’s history. Unlike many comparable music camps initially established as charitable foundations, Point CounterPoint has been privately owned since its inception. Founded in 1963 by Edwin and Helen Finckel, the property belonged to a succession of professional musician couples: Diana and Emory Fanning (1980-1988), and Margaret and Paul Roby (1989-2006). Soon thereafter Jenny Beck and her husband Steve purchased the camp and continued to run it.

As the Becks contemplated retirement, they entertained options including selling the camp to another musician family or selling the property outright. “After talking with business brokers and real estate professionals, I was concerned that the property might end up being home to large lakeside vacation houses and everything that the camp has accomplished and stood for could be lost,” Ms. Beck explained.

To the Becks, the Foundation seemed the most promising solution. When the Foundation purchases the property, it will ensure that the camp continues to run and follow its mission as it camp has for sixty-three years. Ms. Beck will continue to run the camp until the purchase is completed.
Since 1963, more than 5,000 musicians have been shaped by Point CounterPoint’s unique blend of chamber music training, community living, and the natural beauty of Vermont’s Green Mountains. Campers of all ages have flourished under the guidance of world-class faculty while forging lifelong friendships and a deep connection to music.

“With Jenny Beck’s blessing, we have established the Point CounterPoint Foundation, whose goal is to guarantee that PCP’s future is safe and secure for generations to come,” said Philip Boulanger, President of the Foundation’s Board. “Our campaign will remove the risks and uncertainties of private ownership and safeguard this magical place that has become such a cornerstone in so many young musicians’ lives.”

Ms. Beck, who has owned and directed the camp for the past 18 years, added: “Point CounterPoint has been my life’s work and greatest joy. I’ve seen thousands of campers grow as musicians and as people in this extraordinary place. The Foundation gives me confidence that PCP will flourish long after my tenure, preserving its mission and spirit for future generations.”

The Foundation invites alumni, families, faculty, and friends of the camp to contribute—through direct gifts, donor-advised funds, stock transfers, online giving, or legacy commitments. All contributions raised in the campaign will go directly to the Point CounterPoint Foundation.

About the Point CounterPoint Foundation
The Point CounterPoint Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN: 33-1508213). All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. For more information about the campaign, visit www.pointcp.com/forward.

About Point CounterPoint
Point CounterPoint was founded in 1963 by the late Dr. Edwin Finckel, a New Jersey pianist, composer, and teacher, with a goal of creating summer musical opportunities for his students. Among these first camper/musicians was his son, David Finckel, now well-known as the former cellist in the Emerson String Quartet, the cellist in the duo of David Finckel and Wu Han, and the Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Society of the Lincoln Center.

The next owners/directors were Emory Fanning, professor of music at Middlebury College, and Diana Fanning, a noted concert pianist, who directed the camp for ten years. Over those years, Point CounterPoint gained international recognition and attracted students from foreign countries including France, Italy, Germany, Turkey, West Africa, Japan, Israel, Switzerland, and Canada.

In 1989, ownership transferred to professional violinist/violist Dr. Paul Roby and pianist Margaret Johnson Roby, along with amateur musicians and family members Nick and Sue Jones.

In 2008, Jenny and Steve Beck purchased Point CounterPoint. Under Jenny Beck’s direction and leadership, many new programs appear on their summer calendar. One is a one-week camp (Prelude) which attracts young chamber musicians (ages 8-13) looking for a shorter sleep-away camp experience. In early fall, there is a 5-day Adult Chamber Music Workshop, providing amateurs with the opportunity to play music with new friends in a camp-like environment. In June 2011, Ms. Beck launched New Music On The Point (NMOP) for emerging, young musicians ages 21 and older interested in contemporary music.. Young composers, instrumentalists and vocalists’ workshop and perform the newest of new chamber music.

Point CounterPoint is known for its supportive, collaborative atmosphere. Young musicians learn and grow in a vibrant community of peers who share a passion for music. At PCP, students have the opportunity to receive intensive training and guidance from world-renowned professional musicians balanced with traditional camp experience. Various programs include chamber music ensembles, music theory, and private lessons. Students participate in daily rehearsals, masterclasses, and performances, allowing them to enhance their musical skills and develop a deeper understanding of ensemble playing.

To learn more about programs offered, please call 267-886-5359 or email pointcp@gmail.com. Point CounterPoint is located on Lake Dunmore at 1361 Hooker Road, Leicester, VT.

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