In the summer of 2015, three musicians from the National Arts Centre Orchestra and one invested entrepreneur sat down to organize a series of classical concerts in intimate, friendly spaces at some spectacular wineries in Prince Edward County. These concerts turned out to be fun, relaxed, stimulating, and magical — players, listeners, friends were bathed in that late afternoon golden dusty glow that seems to touch all wineries. The Classical Unbound Festival was born.

Over the next three summers, the Festival evolved to include 5-6 performances over two weekends at 4-5 unique winery locations, host guest musicians, collaborate with local businesses, and connect to local communities. Audiences included enthralled locals and delighted tourists – no one could get enough of experiencing chamber music in such special environments.

In 2017, one of the featured guest groups was the Ironwood Quartet, a string quartet made up of NAC Orchestra musicians. After a period of considering evolving goals on behalf of the founders and original directors, it was agreed that Ironwood would take on the Festival as its new directors. For 2019, the festival will take place from July 26-28 with concerts at The Grange and Hillier Creek wineries and the Old Church Theatre.