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Pianists and Chorus on Retreat

at Avaloch Farm | Boscawen, New Hampshire

August 14-August 19, 2026

||: Eat. Sleep. Practice :|| Record

Pianists and Chorus on Retreat at Avaloch Farm is a collaboration between pianists and chorus, the “Co-LAB,” AND a solo piano practice intensive and professional video recording. It is four full days of rehearsals and coaching, repertoire class and as much practicing as you want. Pianists sharpen their collaborative skills and perform daily for their peers. On the final day of the retreat, each pianist performs a short program of solo repertoire that will be professionally videorecorded, edited and made available for personal use.

It is our privilege to take up residence at Avaloch Farm. The Concert Barn houses a Steinway D and a Steinway A, giving pianists the opportunity to play concert-prepared pianos during practice, repertoire class and for the short program video recording.

Early afternoons are kept free for rest and recreation. Take a walk, read a book, visit the farmstand or other local points of interest, or do whatever it is that inspires you. The wonders of nature and the New Hampshire countryside are right outside your piano studio door.

The Co-LAB
This year’s collaborative piece is Brahms Liebeslieder for piano, four hands, and chorus. Each piano four-hands team will work on a single movement to rehearse with conductor and chorus. Not only is the piano four-hands team a partnership, the four-hands team collaborates with chorus to form a larger ensemble, a double partnership. Additionally, each pianist will work on a different chamber piece for chorus and one pianist, refining and further developing their skills as a répétiteur. When not at the piano, pianists are encouraged to step in and sing with the chorus.

The Solo Piano Practice Intensive
Pianists rehearse with the chorus for two periods during the day, and the rest of the day is open for practicing. Pianists have the use of a designated piano studio for the entire day and a different studio each day. In the afternoon, pianists meet for repertoire class in groups of 5 pianists to share progress on their solo repertoire. The format of the class is non-heirarchical, with each listener offering insights and feedback to their fellow classmates.

Professional Video Recording
On the final day of the program, pianists gather for an “in house” performance that is video recorded live by a professional recording engineer. Pianists perform up to 18 minutes of solo piano repertoire, and the Co-LAB will perform 5 movements of the Liebeslieder. The recording engineer edits the audio/video and makes the file available to each pianist for their own purpose.

Tuition
Resident  $1515
Non-resident (room off-campus) $1235

Upon completing the application, you may opt to pay the full tuition or make a deposit of $655. The tuition balance of $860/$590 (plus any additional payments) is due August 1, 2024

Additional payment (optional)
Bring a Guest (non-participating) to share your room $345

Tuition covers the entire program: full access to piano studios, lessons, coaching, rehearsals, repertoire class, informal recitals, faculty recital and guest artist presentation.

Accommodations and meals on campus at the Adamant Music School are included. Day excursions to local points of interest are optional and are to be arranged individually.

Transportation to and from Adamant, VT is arranged by the participant. Your guest is welcome to stay for the duration of the residency at Adamant. Guests share a double room and meals are included.

Adamant Music School
1241 Haggett Rd.
Adamant, VT 05640

There are several ways to get to Adamant, Vermont:

  1. Car – the drive from New York City to Adamant, VT is approximately 315 miles. Allow 6 hours to drive, which includes a 1/2 hour stop. There are no tolls on these scenic roads, once you leave NYC.
  2. Train – take Amtrak to Montpelier, the capital city of Vermont, and we will pick you up at the station. The ride from New York City to Montpelier is approximately 8 hours, and a train ticket costs approximately $70 (one way), and. The drive from the train station to Adamant is 15 minutes (7.5 miles).
  3. Plane – a flight to Burlington, VT from NYC is one hour and costs approximately $200 (round trip). Rent a car at the airport, or take a taxi,  and drive 45 miles to Adamant, VT.

For music, bring the usual – musical scores, a notebook, pencils and a metronome. Concert wear for recitals is a matter of individual preference – anything from dressy casual to something more formal.

Sheets, towels and blankets are provided. Bring you toiletries and any other personal items.

The climate can be unpredictable in Vermont so plan for weather that is hot during the day and chilly at night. Be prepared for rain. If you like to swim, there are freshwater ponds nearby. If the need arises, there is a washing machine on campus.

The dining room of Barney Hall is a common space for work or simply to gather. There are two refrigerators to store personal food or drinks. Coffee and tea are available all day. Wifi is available.

Your guest (non-participating) is welcome to stay for the duration of your residency at Adamant. Enjoy peaceful, natural surroundings and have the opportunity to plan a workday, a special project or simply keep the day open, joining the group at meals and on day-excursions. Guests share a double room, and meals are included. Wifi is available in Barney Hall.

The fee for your guest is $345 for the entire stay.

Accommodations are simple in each of the three quaint houses: Barney Hall, Henry House and Chase House. Bedrooms line the halls, with shared bathrooms on each floor. Beds are either single or double, and sheets and towels are provided. There are plenty of blankets. Wifi has been upgraded and extends to all of the houses.

Playing good music demands good eating. PWIP Vermont places equal emphasis on having an exceptional food experience as well as a musical one. The kitchen creates a balanced menu, accommodating food intolerances, while celebrating the bounty that is Vermont in late August, with an abundance of regional ingredients sourced from farms, fields and woods.

Immerse yourself in country living! The Adamant Music School is surrounded by trees and flowers, grassy meadows and ponds. The main building, Barney Hall, houses the dining hall, bedrooms and a piano studio. Chase House and Henry House each have bedrooms and a piano studio. In addition, there are dozens of piano studios, each with two grand pianos, scattered around the grounds. You may play any time, day or night, without worrying about disturbing your neighbors.

Day excursions to local points of interest can break up intense daily practice: wineries, farms, Cabot Creamery, Bread and Puppet museum, Vermont State House Capitol, Burlington, Lake Champlain, Ben and Jerry’s, hiking and swimming are just a few options. Excursions are arranged by the participants and their guests.

Pianist Adrienne Kim has performed in New York’s Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Bargemusic, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Washington D.C.’s Phillips Gallery and Ravinia’s Rising Stars series in Chicago. She has appeared as soloist with the Central Philharmonic Orchestra of Beijing, the Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Mexico, the Portland Chamber Orchestra, and the Richmond Orchestra.

Adrienne was a member of Chamber Music Society Two, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s two-year residency program for emerging young artists. She is the pianist of the Alcott Trio and a founding member of the New York Chamber Music Co-Op, a new creative performance collaborative based in New York City. She performs regularly as a member of the Bronx Arts Ensemble and the Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival, New York Chamber Ensemble, Garden City Chamber Music Society, Lighthouse Chamber Players, Salt Bay Chamberfest, Carnegie Chamber Players, the Sherman Chamber Ensemble, the Society for New Music, the Skaneateles Festival, and was the resident pianist of the Seal Bay Festival for American Chamber Music in Maine for 15 years.

She participated in the National Endowment for the Arts/Chamber Music America Rural Residency as a member of the West End Chamber Ensemble, which was also ensemble-in-residence at the North Carolina School of the Arts. She has recorded the solo and chamber works of Daniel S. Godfrey with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra on the Koch label, the violin and piano sonatas of Charles Ives with Lisa Tipton on Capstone Records and the sonatas of Niels Gade with violinist, Katie Wolfe on the Centaur label. A recording with violinist Jorge Avila, featuring the sonatas of Granados, Turina and Rodrigo has also been released on Centaur. Her newest recording of solo piano and chamber works by the composer Ilari Kaila, with the Aizuri Quartet and flutist Isabel Lepanto Gleicher, was recently released on Innova Recordings.

Adrienne is the founder and director of Wild Plums Recording Retreat in Vermont, a boutique festival devoted to the art of recording, and ScherziMusic Academy, offering online workshops in piano and composition.

Adrienne teaches at Mannes College, The New School, in the Prep and College divisions, and served for three years as head of the Piano Department in the Prep division and is currently the Coordinator of Secondary Piano in the College division. She recently joined the faculty of Manhattan School of Music, Precollege Division. Previously, she was Affiliate Artist at Syracuse University and was on the Concert Artist Faculty at Kean University in New Jersey, and taught at the Kinhaven Music School in Vermont for 12 summers in the senior session and currently teaches at the Kinhaven Young Artists’ Seminar. She also served as Treasurer on the Executive Board of the Piano Teachers’ Congress in New York City.

Ms. Kim studied with Menahem Pressler at Indiana University where she earned her Bachelor’s degree and earned her Master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music, where she was a student of Leon Fleisher.

Dr. Deirdre O’Donohue is a member of the artist piano and chamber music faculty at NYU’s Steinhardt School in the Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions, and also the college and precollege faculties of Manhattan School of Music.

She has performed solo and chamber recitals in Austria, the Netherlands, Italy, Canada and the United States. She has also given masterclasses and lecture/demonstrations at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, the Shanghai Conservatory, the Poona Music Society in India, the Rotterdam Conservatory, the World Piano Pedagogy Conference and at numerous music institutions throughout the United States and Canada. Dr. O’Donohue received the Sparrendam Medal for performance in the Netherlands, and the Roger Phelps Award from New York University for her dissertation entitled “The Concept of Unity and Uniqueness in the Multi-Movement Works of Beethoven.”

Recent engagements: Summer faculty, coach, and performer: Interharmony International Music Festival (Germany); Adamant Music School in Vermont; Summer Trios (Pennsylvania); Lectures/demonstrations: the Uniwersytet Muzyczny Fryderyka Chopina (Warsaw, Poland); the Piano Teachers’ Congress (Steinway Hall); the National Feis Ceoil Competition (Dublin); Adjudicator: Young Artists Festival in Seattle; the Royal Irish Academy of Music’s Piano Festival; the MTNA National Conference; Ithaca College of Music; Leschetizsky Association, NYSMTA, NJMTA, NHMTA, and external examiner for the Royal Irish Academy; Masterclasses at Interharmony International Music Festival (Germany); Yahama (NY); NYU, Queens College, New Hampshire, South Carolina; intensive week-long courses in piano technique and interpretation at the Gijon Conservatory in Spain; solo recitals in Weill Recital Hall, NYU; Convention Clinician for the South Carolina MTA.

She has co-edited (with Prof. Henk Hillenaar) the book Schubert and Friendship by Michael Davidson, which was published by the London publisher Kahn & Averill in the Fall of 2012.

O’Donohue is Past President of the NY State Music Teachers’ Association, former Chairperson of the MTNA’s Eastern Division High School Competition, and former Chairperson and founder of the NYSTMA Empire State Performance Competition. Since the summer of 2001 she has been on the faculty of the Adamant Music School in Adamant, Vermont, where she is also the Coordinator for week-long piano masterclasses of Menahem Pressler, John O’Conor, and Andre Laplante. She is also on the piano faculty of the Interharmony International Music Festival and coaches chamber music at Summertrios.

Dr. O’Donohue holds degrees from New York University, the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna, Austria, and Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts.

Pianist Nathaniel LaNasa lives at the intersection of song, story, and image. His recital-exhibition “Memory Prosthetic” explores the mechanics and conventions of musical notation through projections that accompany a live performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Nate recently originated the role of Mel, a graduate student pianist, in Bryce McClendon’s play, “The Smallest Sound in the Smallest Space,” off-Broadway. 

Nate is an enthusiastic advocate for new music: he played sixty performances of Ricky Ian Gordon’s new opera for two pianos, Intimate Apparel, at Lincoln Center Theater, which was later broadcast on PBS Great Performances. He has premiered works for quarter-tone pianos by Dimitri Tymoczko at Princeton, made first recordings of chamber works by Tobias Picker for Tzadik, and performed works written for him by Molly Joyce, Shawn Jaeger, Matthew Ricketts, and Nate Wooley.  

A consummate collaborator, he has been praised for his “stormy lyricism” (The New York Times) as well as his “poise and elegance” (Feast of Music). Nate and partner baritone Gregory Feldmann made their sold-out Carnegie Hall debut in February 2020. Nate also frequently partners with vocalist Lucy Dhegrae; they have performed together in the candlelit crypt of the Church of the Intercession, as part of the Resonant Bodies Festival, and at the American Music Festival (Albany Symphony). He’s also appeared in song partnerships at the Musée d’Orsay, Wigmore Hall, Royaumont Abbey, Brooklyn Art Song Society, and New York Festival of Song, where he curates their annual new music series, NYFOS Next. Nate’s NYC credits include Alice Tully Hall, MoMA, and (le) Poisson Rouge. 

A graduate of the Juilliard School and a former fellow at Tanglewood, Nate continues his studies with Robert Durso. He has taught at festivals in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and France, and teaches the Taubman Approach in his private studio in Manhattan. Nathaniel-LaNasa.com

Rosemary Caviglia has been teaching piano for three decades to students of all ages, but over the past 5 years, she has dedicated her work to teaching adults exclusively. It was early in her teaching life that she discovered an affinity for mature students. In 1991, she produced her first adult-only recital which featured 13 performers, from early to advanced levels of playing. It was the transformative aspect that impressed her the most; it begins with the desire to play a piece and moves toward realizing it with one’s own hands. There was excitement in participating with that meaningful process!

In 2010, Ms. Caviglia retired from Third Street Music School as piano teacher, chamber music coach and Chair of the Piano Department. During those 20 years as a faculty member, she listened thoughtfully to the work of her colleagues and observed effective methods of teaching. She learned that adults who study the piano learn differently from kids, and when she created the Adult Piano School in 2011, she designed the school to support the particular needs of the adult pianist. The school takes into consideration the issue of time commitment and schedule as well as provides a framework for developing the pianist. The overall tone is one of “no guilt” piano lessons where one can learn at any pace, while building a strong foundation as a musician.

At the heart of Adult Piano School is Works-In-Progress, which is a group playing class. It is a place to share one’s work at the piano within a community of kind and supportive musical peers. It encourages the practice of music as one of the performing arts, allowing the pianist to experience performance in an informal environment. WIP is a non-recital; pieces may be shared in part or whole, and sharing music with ones peers becomes one of the most effective tools for learning.

Ms. Caviglia grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area to parents who are artists. Her father, a trumpeter, taught instrumental music in the public school during the day and played with the orchestra at night. Her mother had the desire to paint all of her life and began to study at age 55. It was perhaps her mother’s bold move, recognizing herself as an artist, that most inspired Rosemary to value and appreciate the adult learner.

As a teenager, Ms. Caviglia studied with Janet Goodman Guggenheim, who is Itzhak Perlman’s accompanist. Ms. Guggenheim encouraged chamber music and collaboration. The greatest influence came from her teacher Aiko Onishi, who cultivated the relationship between expression and sound through touch at the keyboard. This remains her work of a lifetime.

In 1987, Ms. Caviglia moved to New York City to study music. She explored Dalcroze Eurhythmics with Robert Abramson, and continued on to earn a Master of Music degree in piano performance at the Manhattan School of Music. At New York University, she became enamoured with the music of Leo Kraft, whose music became the subject of her doctoral dissertation “The Piano Music of Leo Kraft.”

Known for the passion and authenticity he brings to his performances, pianist Walter Aparicio has dedicated his career to championing the music of Latin America. He has conducted workshops and delivered recitals nationwide and abroad, introducing audiences to seldom-heard pieces from the Latin American repertoire, with a special focus on his homeland, Bolivia. In doing so, he forges connections to dance, language, and folk traditions, aiming to inspire inquiry on matters of cultural heritage and identity.

Most recently, Mr. Aparicio has been seen in FUTUROS: new ideas in composition at the Lincoln Center Atrium, co-presented by New Latin Wave. This program highlighted the diverse voices of Latin America composers writing for the piano today. Other notable New York credits include alternative spaces such as the Cell Theatre, Firehouse Space, and Soapbox Gallery as well as more traditional venues like Steinway Hall, Carnegie Hall & Symphony Space. Outside of the US, he has presented performances at the International Academy of Music in St. Petersburg (Russia), the Beijing International Music Festival & Academy (China), and Barcelona Piano Academy (Spain) and in his native Bolivia for the Festival Internacional de la Interculturalidad.

His debut album “Aires Indios: Piano Music of Bolivia” (MSR Classics) showcases compositions by Eduardo Caba, Simeón Roncal, and Marvin Sandi—three trailblazing Bolivian composers. Mr. Aparicio is affiliated with Cayambis Music Press, a prominent publisher of works by Latin American music. In this capacity, Walter advocates for and records the latest works from the publisher’s talented composers. 

An adventurous artist, Walter has participated in performance installations such as Allora & Calzadilla’s Stop, Repair, Prepare: Variations on Ode to Joy for a Prepared Piano. Taking place at the Gladstone Gallery, NY, the work involved the pianist performing backwards – from a hole cut inside a grand piano – while moving the instrument around the gallery space. The work transforms the player/instrument dynamic, and this experience has been part of Mr. Aparicio’s ongoing inquiry into the nature of performance and the artist-audience relationship. Other ventures have included collaborations with the Nouveau Classical Project (where fashion meets music) and Notes on Fiction, a series where musical references in literature are presented as a fluid reading/concert hybrid.

Breaking new ground in the nonprofit sector, Walter serves as the Founder & President of the Foundation for Bolivian Artists, Inc. This organization is committed to discovering, promoting, and providing support to musicians of Bolivian heritage through its programs. Through these initiatives, he endeavors to foster a close-knit community of Bolivian musicians, granting them visibility and underscoring the significance and unique perspective they bring from their distinct cultural background.

To learn more about Mr. Aparicio or his foundation please visit: www.walteraparicio.com or www.bolivianartistfoundation.org 

Tuition $1140

Upon completing the application, you may opt to pay the full tuition or make a deposit of $440. The tuition balance of $700 (plus any additional payment) is due August 1, 2024

Additional payment (optional)
Bring a Guest (non-participating) to share your room $80/day

All participants, including duo and chamber ensemble members, pay full tuition. Tuition covers the entire program for eight days: full access to piano studios, daily repertoire class and three recitals at the conclusion of the program.

Accommodations and meals on campus at the Adamant Music School are included. Day excursions to local points of interest are optional and are to be arranged individually.

Transportation to and from Adamant, VT is arranged by the participant. Your guest is welcome to stay for the duration of the residency at Adamant. Guests share a double room and meals are included.

Your guest (non-participating) is welcome to stay for the duration of your residency at Adamant. Enjoy peaceful, natural surroundings and have the opportunity to plan a workday, a special project or simply keep the day open, joining the group at meals and on day-excursions. Guests share a double room, and meals are included. Wifi is available in Barney Hall.

The fee for your guest is $80/day.

Accommodations are simple in each of the three quaint houses: Barney Hall, Henry House and Chase House. Bedrooms line the halls, with shared bathrooms on each floor. Beds are either single or double, and sheets and towels are provided. There are plenty of blankets. Wifi has been upgraded and extends to all of the houses.

Playing good music demands good eating. PWIP Vermont places equal emphasis on having an exceptional food experience as well as a musical one. The kitchen creates a balanced menu, accommodating food intolerances, while celebrating the bounty that is Vermont in late August, with an abundance of regional ingredients sourced from farms, fields and woods.

Wednesday
August 28, 2024

6:15 pm   Campus tour
7:00 pm   Dinner

Thursday
August 29, 2024

8:00-8:45    Breakfast
8:50-9:30     Practice
9:40-10:20   Lesson
10:30-11:10 Break
11:20-12:00 Coaching
12:15-1:00  Lunch
1:00-3:30     FREE
3:30-4:10     Coaching
4:00-5:00    Open Snack
4:20-5:00     Practice
5:15-6:15     WIP #1
6:30-7:15    Dinner
7:30-8:45     Pianists’ Choice
9:00-10:00  Dessert

Friday
August 30, 2024

8:00-8:45    Breakfast
8:50-9:30     Practice
9:40-10:20   Lesson
10:30-11:10 Break
11:20-12:00 Coaching
12:15-1:00   Lunch
1:00-3:30      FREE
3:30-4:10      Coaching
4:00-5:00     Open Snack
4:20-5:00      Practice
5:15-6:15      WIP #2
6:30-7:15     Dinner
7:30-8:45     Artist Concert
9:00-10:00  Dessert

Saturday
August 31, 2024

8:00-8:45    Breakfast
8:50-9:30     Practice
9:40-10:20   Lesson
10:30-11:10 Break
11:20-12:00 Coaching
12:15-1:00   Lunch
1:00-3:30      FREE
3:30-4:10      Coaching
4:00-5:00     Open Snack
4:20-5:00      Practice
5:15-6:15      WIP #3
6:30-7:15     Dinner
7:30-8:45      Faculty Concert
9:00-10:00   Dessert

Sunday
September 1, 2024

8:00-8:45      Breakfast
9:00-10:00       Mindfulness
10:10-10:30      Rep check-in
10:40-11:00      Break
11:10-11:30        Rehearsal
11:40-12:00       Practice
12:15-1:00       Lunch
1:00-2:15            FREE
2:15-3:45            Informal Recital #1
3:45-4:45        Savory snack
4:45-6:15           Informal Recital #2
6:30 pm         Dinner/dessert

Monday
September 2, 2024

8:00 am      Light breakfast

Sunday
August 18, 2024

7:00 pm   Campus Tour
8:00 pm   Dinner

Monday
August 19, 2024

9:00 Breakfast
11:00 WIP
1:00 Lunch
4:30 Snacks
5:00 WIP
7:00 Dinner

Tuesday
August 20, 2024

9:00 Breakfast
11:00 WIP
1:00 Lunch
4:30 Snacks
5:00 WIP
7:00 Dinner

Wednesday
August 21, 2024

9:00 Breakfast
11:00 WIP
1:00 Lunch
4:30 Snacks
5:00 WIP
7:00 Dinner

Thursday
August 22, 2024

9:00 Breakfast
11:00 WIP
1:00 Lunch
4:30 Snacks
5:00 WIP
7:00 Dinner

Friday
August 23, 2024

9:00 Breakfast
11:00 WIP
1:00 Lunch
5:00 Dinner
7:00 Concert #1
8:30 Snacks

Saturday
August 24, 2024

9:00 Breakfast
11:00 WIP
1:00 Lunch
5:00 Dinner
7:00 Concert #2
8:30 Snacks

Sunday
August 25, 2024

9:00 Breakfast
11:00 WIP
1:00 Lunch
3:00 Concert #3
5:00 Dinner
7:00 Concert #4
8:30 Snacks

Monday
August 26, 2024

9:00 am   Light breakfast

Adamant Music School
1241 Haggett Rd.
Adamant, VT 05640

There are several ways to get to Adamant, Vermont:

  1. Car – the drive from New York City to Adamant, VT is approximately 315 miles. Allow 6 hours to drive, which includes a 1/2 hour stop. There are no tolls on these scenic roads, once you leave NYC.
  2. Train – take Amtrak to Montpelier, the capital city of Vermont, and we will pick you up at the station. The ride from New York City to Montpelier is approximately 8 hours, and a train ticket costs approximately $70 (one way), and. The drive from the train station to Adamant is 15 minutes (7.5 miles).
  3. Plane – a flight to Burlington, VT from NYC is one hour and costs approximately $200 (round trip). Rent a car at the airport, or take a taxi,  and drive 45 miles to Adamant, VT.

For music, bring the usual – musical scores, a notebook, pencils and a metronome. Instrumentalists, please bring your own music stand. Concert wear for recitals is a matter of individual preference – anything from dressy casual to something more formal.

Sheets, towels and blankets are provided. Bring you toiletries and any other personal items.

The climate can be unpredictable in Vermont so plan for weather that is hot during the day and chilly at night. Be prepared for rain. If you like to swim, there are freshwater ponds nearby. If the need arises, there is a washing machine on campus.

The dining room of Barney Hall is a common space for work or simply to gather. There are two refrigerators to store personal food or drinks. Coffee and tea are available all day. Wifi is available.

Immerse yourself in country living! The Adamant Music School is surrounded by trees and flowers, grassy meadows and ponds. The main building, Barney Hall, houses the dining hall, bedrooms and a piano studio. Chase House and Henry House each have bedrooms and a piano studio. In addition, there are dozens of piano studios, each with two grand pianos, scattered around the grounds. You may play any time, day or night, without worrying about disturbing your neighbors.

Day excursions to local points of interest can break up intense daily practice: wineries, farms, Cabot Creamery, Bread and Puppet museum, Vermont State House Capitol, Burlington, Lake Champlain, Ben and Jerry’s, hiking and swimming are just a few options. Excursions are arranged by the participants and their guests.