Farmata is an experiment (for now). We believe that a rural community such as ours - a place historically "out of the path" of top-tier performers - can become a place where musical excellence can thrive. We want Farmata to be a place where beauty, truth and goodness are cultivated through the presentation of excellent music, thoughtfully grown and prepared food, and intentional opportunities to slow down.
We are setting out to establish a concert series that presents classical music at its highest level in a rural setting. We are also providing a place for students and professional artists to come to learn, practice, and rest on the farm.
Farmata concerts feature the highest level of classical music thoughtfully paired with food and drink that is raised and grown on our farm or by local partners. The concerts are intimate, with room only for 15-20 audience members, and each are unique. Learn more here.
Offering in-person and virtual lessons on cello, double bass, and viola da gamba with Steuart Pincombe. Open to players of all levels, including adult amateurs and professionals. Learn more here.
Advanced students and professionals are invited to spend time at Farmata to learn, practice and rest. Each retreat is uniquely tailored to the musicians goals and to the season. Learn more here.
We are Steuart and Michelle Pincombe and we’ve been married for sixteen years. We live on Farmata with our young son and an assortment of animals. Steuart is a cellist, but these days he is usually outside digging in dirt, hauling water, tending an animal or building something . I (Michelle) help to organize the concerts, maintain everything in the background, and keep everyone well-fed. Until our son is old enough to drive fence posts, he is getting lots of practice herding ducks, climbing on tractors and eating pears right off the tree. We never expected to be living off-grid in Missouri, growing vegetables, tending fruit trees, raising and butchering our meat. You can continue reading about how a series of unexpected turns led us here.
Two years after we got married Steuart won the opportunity to play a very special and rare instrument from a foundation in the Netherlands. We decided to move to the Netherlands after he finished graduate school so that he could pursue a performance career in Europe (and because who doesn’t want to move to Europe when they’re young and broke?). We ended up staying a few years longer than expected. I was working in the Peace Palace at an international court and Steuart quickly established a dream career, traveling across Europe, playing with incredible colleagues, in the world’s most beautiful halls and for engaged, enthusiastic audiences. But constant travel, high-pressure performances, and time away from home caught up with him. We realized that most of our time together was spent recapping our time apart. We made the difficult decision to leave our very special friends, successful careers, and beautiful old apartment and move back to the US. Which brings us to the next unexpected turn …
We decided to do something together. After hardly seeing each other over the previous four years, we moved into a 13-foot camper from 1959 and traveled North America for 14 months. We called the tour Music in Familiar Spaces, and it had the aim of bringing classical music of the highest level to places that are familiar to folks, like cafes, homes, breweries and book stores. It was a great success and we were able to present over 60 concerts to packed, enthusiastic and diverse audiences. But at the end of year we were exhausted and felt the need for a consistent community. And thus, another unexpected turn …
We moved back to the place where we met: Oberlin, Ohio. While there, we built our tiny house and lived in the woods of a very kind and generous couple. That year we learned some really hard lessons about being off-grid in Ohio’s coldest winter on record. While Steuart was back in Europe for some concerts, I was left to deal with a freezing drain pipe, solar panels that weren’t getting enough sun, and a generator that wouldn’t start. Steuart will never forget getting an angry phone call as he was about to step on stage, and hearing about our shower that wouldn’t drain because everything was frozen. I forgave him.
We built our home on wheels because at the time, we didn’t know where we wanted to settle. The idea of moving our house wherever we moved made sense, and we were used to small spaces. That brings us to the most unexpected turn yet. We decided to move to Missouri. Steuart’s parents live in southern Missouri and he spent his teenage years here. But we never expected to move here! Steuart was ready to step back from his busy performance and travel schedule and we both wanted to settled into a quieter, more self-sufficient life.
We have lived in southern Missouri for over six years now. We are grateful for how this place has changed us, through its beauty and its challenges. We knew early on that we wanted to share our farm with others and we wanted it to be a place where beauty and rest are cultivated. We are nearing the end of a multiyear barn renovation and while much work remains, we are ready to welcome you (you can read about the renovation on our blog). Steuart is already teaching from the barn and is looking forward to welcoming his first apprentices who will live, work and learn on Farmata for a few weeks. We will start by hosting a few concerts to try out our ideas related to music and food pairings. We thank you for taking the time to visit our website and hope to see you in person soon.
Once we get Farmata off the ground we look forward to inviting friends and colleagues from all around the world to come and perform. For now, Steuart will be the featured musician. You can read his artist biography below.
The American cellist, Steuart Pincombe, quickly made a name for himself as an exquisite interpreter of early and contemporary music who was keen to experiment. Steuart is regularly featured as a soloist and chamber musician in leading venues across North America and Europe including Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Concertgebouw Brugge, RADIALSYSTEM V Berlin, Bozar Brussels, Tivoli Vredenburg, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and the Kauffman Center, but he is equally at home playing in your local cafe or brewery. His playing has garnered wide acclaim from the public and critics alike: The Philadelphia Inquirer calls him “a gorgeous player with perfect intonation, imaginative phrasing”, The Strad Magazine refers to him as a “superb soloist”, virtuoso cellist Giovanni Sollima calls Steuart “a complete artist, true virtuoso and poet, totally at ease with all languages and musical styles”, and an audience member once said “You’da asked me a week ago if I’sa gonna be here, I’da said ‘hell no’. Well I’m here - and I love this stuff [Bach]”.
In addition to his numerous chamber engagements, he has appeared as soloist with ensembles such as Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop (DE), Holland Baroque (NL), Wallfisch Band (UK), Symphonie Atlantique (NL), Apollos Fire (US), and the Springfield (MO) Symphony (US). He is currently Principal Cellist of Philharmonie Austin. His concert 'Bach&Beer' was selected by the Cleveland Plain Dealer as one of the 'Top 10 Classical Events of the Year' and a concert in which he appeared as soloist with Rene Schiffer and Apollo's Fire was numbered in London's '5 Best Classical Music Moments of 2014' according to The Telegraph (UK). Steuart has made radio and T.V. appearances on BBC, CBC, NPO, and NPR. His album the cello in my life was awarded the Edison Klassiek Discovery Award.
