Allenberry Acoustic Guitar Retreat 2026 - featuring Peppino D'Agostino

About this event

Mansion Concerts Inc. (Harrisburg, PA) is presenting its very first acoustic guitar retreat, featuring Peppino D'Agostino, November 16–20, 2026, and we're looking for a small number of interested students to join us for our inaugural retreat. Please read below to get a better sense of what we have planned and whether this retreat might be a good fit for you.

But first — when was the last time you took three days just to play guitar, learn something new, meet some interesting people, and enjoy the instrument the way you did when you first started playing? That's what we have in mind for the Allenberry Acoustic Guitar Retreat. If you love acoustic guitar and would like to become a little better at it — while spending a few days with people who enjoy the same thing — you should feel very much at home here.

The beautiful Allenberry Resort and the time between classes will be a big part of the experience too — sharing meals, talking music, playing guitar and listening to others play. Come to Allenberry with your guitar, and we hope you'll leave three days later playing a little better, knowing a little more, having made some new friends — and feeling glad that you came.

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In spite of the suggested Monday night check-in and Friday morning check-out, this retreat will be an immersive 3-day instructional retreat at one of central Pennsylvania's most beautiful and luxurious resorts. For three days starting the morning of November 17th and extending through the evening of Thursday, November 19th, students will learn from one of the world's finest guitarists, Peppino D'Agostino. Class time, tree/free time, and one-on-one instructional opportunities will fill your days at the Allenberry.

REGISTRATION FEES (before November 12, 2026)

Tuition & Meals -- $1,275 per student – all instruction and meals Overnight accommodation - $145 plus 6% tax paid by and upgradable by the student) Spouse/Partner - $400 per student spouse – all food and all gatherings

All tuition & meal fees associated with the Retreat shall be paid online in advance (or in person directly to Mansion Concerts Inc.) before November 12, 2026. Overnight accommodations/room reservations are to be made by the student directly with The Allenberry.

HOUSING: We have secured 16 rooms for students (single/king bed occupancy) at the group rate of $145 in The Stone Lodge. Registered students must secure their overnight room in the Stone Lodge directly with the Allenberry Resort. Students may upgrade their accommodation by reviewing the other opportunities directly with Allenberry. Housing fees are paid directly by students to Allenberry, subject to Allenberry’s refund policy. https://allenberry.com/

Other housing options – students are encouraged to be on campus 24/7, but other options can be developed (speak to Tim Alexander, 717-418-9670)

Expected maximum student capacity of the camp – We have secured a room block for 16 students and spouses/partners (private suite/Single occupancy/King Bed/climate-controlled/private bathroom). Coffee/tea service in room/self-service; camp administrators will be on call for evening emergencies only. If demand for this Retreat requires it, we may be able to expand our capacity in a second overnight lodge – to be determined by Mansion Concerts Inc.

Special needs/ADA – first-floor rooms will be assigned for those who have trouble with stairs or hills. The Allenberry staff provides campus golf cart service for cross-campus needs on demand. The dormitories are not ADA-compliant, but the private bathrooms have grab bars in showers – all rooms have a King Bed except for 2 rooms in the Pine Lodge with 2 queens, which can be secured separately by students.

Meals -- All continental breakfasts will be delivered and served in the Stone Lodge lobby. All lunches and dinners will be served in The Cellar/Patio (Fairfield Lodge lower level – under The Barn).

Skill level of students – all students are asked to self-identify their fingerstyle acoustic guitar skills as 1) inexperienced, 2) experienced/intermediate, and 3) advanced. Feel free to email Peppino directly with a short video or audio recording before camp to assess your skill set. Let us know if you are using special guitar tunings or techniques and whether these have helped or hindered your creativity with your music. Are you a flat picker? Are you a fingerpicker? Are you a songwriter? Do you prefer to compose or arrange?

Philosophy -- No one will be treated as a beginner nor as an expert. We will all learn from one another: students from teachers, teachers from students, and often, students from students. Please bring at least one unfinished song, tune, or arrangement that you would like special one-on-one instructional attention. Our goal will be to help you understand and develop concrete practice strategies for you (during and after camp) that will help you feel more comfortable with your instrument and the music you want to play. This camp is designed as the safest possible place for you to share your music, express your ideas, and develop your craft. We will all be here to share ideas. Let’s discover each other’s approach to guitar and then decide if it can apply to our own music.

Performance - We love to hear students perform, but we also understand the anxiety that can be associated with performance. And we’ll talk about this honestly, sharing our own struggles with performance anxiety, and then try to understand the normal and healthy physical and psychological responses that we all experience.

What do you want to learn or get out of this camp? Finally, when you register (and then after you’ve registered), you will be asked to email Peppino an overview of your musical interests and learning objectives for this camp. If you take the time to send us this, we will do our best to adjust one-on-one instructional sessions. With just 12 students, we will provide ample one-on-one opportunities.

This is our first year – We want this first year’s Retreat to lead into the next. So, we are pulling out all stops to make this a great experience and one that you (and others) can look forward to in the future. We may have the ability to grow this camp, but the facility we’ve chosen will not allow a doubling or tripling in attendance year over year. Just like the house concerts hosted by Mansion Concerts Inc., “bigger” is not always better and “more” is not always best. Please support our first year, and you will forever be in a special club

/Peppino D’Agostino/ https://www.peppinodagostino.com/ Allenberry Acoustic Guitar Retreat Coordinator

Production of Mansion Concerts Inc. - www.mansionconcert.com Retreat Coordinator – Peppino D’Agostino (PDA) and other instructors as needed TBD Administrative Support – Tim and Polly Alexander (Mansion Concerts Inc. - MCI)

Why attend the first Allenberry Acoustic Guitar Retreat 2026?

There are moments in a musician’s life when stepping away from the routine—away from the noise, the clock, and even our own habits—can open the door to something new. The Allenberry Acoustic Guitar Retreat is designed to be one of those moments. Over three immersive days (and four relaxed evenings), a small circle of guitarists will gather under the guidance of Peppino D'Agostino to explore not just technique, but musical expression, creativity, and the deeper art of listening.

This is not a typical workshop. With enrollment limited to 16, the retreat offers a rare chance for meaningful, one-on-one engagement with world-class instruction. Whether you are an experienced player refining your voice or someone earlier in your journey seeking direction and confidence, the structure of the retreat is designed to meet you where you are. There are no labels here—no “beginner” or “advanced”—only musicians learning from one another in a setting built on respect, curiosity, and shared discovery.

At the heart of the experience is time—time to play, time to listen, and time to work closely with Peppino and fellow instructors in small, focused sessions. Participants are encouraged to bring an unfinished piece, a musical idea, or even a question they’ve never quite resolved. The goal is not perfection, but progress: to leave with clearer practice strategies, renewed inspiration, and a deeper connection to your instrument and your music.

The setting plays an equally important role. Nestled along the Yellow Breeches Creek in Boiling Springs, the Allenberry Resort offers a uniquely peaceful and restorative environment. Participants will stay in the Stone Lodge, enjoy shared meals in the resort’s welcoming dining spaces, and move easily across the campus between sessions, gatherings, and quiet moments of reflection. It’s a place where conversations linger, ideas take shape naturally, and music feels at home.

Just as important as the instruction is the atmosphere. This retreat is intentionally scheduled for the week before Thanksgiving—a time when the pace of life begins to soften, but before the obligations of the holiday fully arrive. It is an invitation to pause, to recharge, and to spend a few days in the company of like-minded musicians in a setting that values both excellence and ease. Evenings are relaxed and social, with informal playing, conversation, and the kind of spontaneous moments that often become the most memorable part of the experience.

For spouses or partners, the retreat offers a welcoming parallel experience, with access to meals, gatherings, and the natural beauty of the Allenberry grounds. And for participants, the small size of the group ensures that every voice is heard, every question can be asked, and every musician has space to grow.

This is our first year offering the Allenberry Acoustic Guitar Retreat, and we are committed to making it something truly special—an experience that feels both personal and lasting. Like the house concerts that inspired it, this gathering is built on the idea that smaller can be better, that listening matters, and that music is best shared in an environment of attention and care.

We hope you will consider joining us for what promises to be a memorable and meaningful few days.

Tim and Polly Alexander, Founders Mansion Concerts Inc. (a PA-based, 501©3 Non-Profit Organization) Email Tim to learn more à tim.alexander@live.com

From Tim and Polly Alexander