2026 will mark Music at Port Milford’s 40th summer of providing an immersive, nurturing environment for young people to grow both musically and personally. Founded in 1987 by Doris McLaughlin and Meg Hill, rooted in the power of chamber music to strengthen respect between people from all walks of life and build resilient communities, Music at Port Milford (MPM) has grown into a renowned institution. MPM hosts a celebrated chamber music academy and choral day camp for over 80 young musicians each summer, and presents resident artists in creatively programmed concerts for the Prince Edward County community. From the start, MPM’s mission has been to nurture each student’s unique musical voice by offering a joyful, collaborative, and rigorous environment for development.
To accommodate the growth of our summer sessions and our audiences, we have a pressing need to renovate our facilities. Practice cabins built in the 1980s, a barn loft and rustic washhouse built over 25 years ago, and a small deck for dining and concerts have served us well for the past many decades. However, to provide a learning environment that supports the calibre of MPM’s pedagogy and mission, we are turning to you, our MPM community of alumni, parents, and friends, to help us meet the needs of our students, faculty, staff, and audiences. To date, MPM has undertaken only two targeted capital campaigns, which enabled us to build the Charlotte Thorpe rehearsal studio in 2018 and the Health Hut in 2021.
Now, we need your support to:
Build two new weather-proofed practice cabins for students;
Expand our deck to make room for growing audiences, keep rain out at mealtimes, and prevent heat stroke on hot summer afternoons;
Build an additional student cabin to replace the barn loft; and
Renovate the 25-year-old student washhouse.
The cost to achieve these ambitious goals and secure MPM’s future is estimated at $300,000, with $7,000 already generously provided by the County Foundation’s Huff Family Fund this fall. This Giving Tuesday, December 2nd, through December 16th, we need to reach an initial goal of $30,000 to be in a healthy position to realize these projects. Your support is paramount in raising the remaining funds for this next chapter, ensuring that MPM can continue to realize its mission to provide life-changing experiences for students and audiences alike.
Thank you in advance for your help to sustain this community of music, collaboration, and connection into the next 40 years. Your gift will allow generations of young musicians to experience the joy and power of Music at Port Milford.
All contributions to MPM are fully tax-deductible and will be receipted.
Donations made in Canadian funds will be directed to Music at Port Milford Canada Incorporated, a Registered Charitable Organization with Canada Revenue. Charity Business Number(BN)/Registration Number 81946 1575 RR0001. View our Canada Revenue Agency listing here
Donations made in US funds will be directed to Music at Port Milford Inc., a registered non-profit 501c (3) with the IRS. Music at Port Milford U.S. employer identification number # 22-3234043
Thank you to MPM’s Capital Campaign Supporters!
Year-End Goal: $30,000
$12,380 CAD Raised
$6605 USD Raised ($9211 CAD)
Marjorie Alley
Paul Banfield & Mary-Alice Thompson
JoAnn Breitman & Alan Bernstein C.C.
Philip Carr-Harris
Hanna Fields
Ruth Gangbar
Leah Garfield-Wright
Gregory Garrett
Elizabeth Goldmann
Noah Goldmann
Christopher Harris
David Hill
Emily Hill & Fareed Khattak
Huff Family Fund
Brian Jackson
Andrew & Pronica Janikowski
Liz Johnston
Joowon Kim & Jonathan Craig
Joyce Lai
Callum McDonald
Jill & Elliot Mendelson
Leigh Meyer-Jackson
Jeannette Miller
Charmaine Polvara
Rosalind Reischer
Maud Rozee
Angela Rudden
Dr. Lois Russell & Dr. Phil Wattam
Ellen Wexler