ABOUT US

Nearly half a century ago the Minneapolis Friends of Chamber Music was founded by concertmaster Louis Krasner and conductor Dimitri Mitropoulos of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra.  Devoted to the highest musical ideals, they were pioneers at a time when chamber music was neither widely played nor appreciated. Their efforts met an enthusiastic response, and Twin Cities audiences were thereby introduced to many master works and premieres.

The Chamber Music Society of Minnesota (CMSM) has been created to continue this tradition. The CMSM supports the performance and teaching of chamber music as well as the commissioning of new works. The heart of the society is a musical ensemble consisting of nationally recognized artists, with Young-Nam Kim, a protégé of Louis Krasner, as the artistic director.

The mission of the Chamber Music Society of Minnesota (CMSM) is fivefold.

• to promote top quality performance of classical and contemporary chamber music to a diverse regional audience in formal concert halls, community centers, retirement homes, and schools
• to welcome internationally acclaimed guest artists to perform with Society artists and to teach in Minnesota
• to commission and premiere new works by emerging and established composers
• to cultivate young artists and audiences through master classes, residencies, and performances with Society artists
• to collaborate with other community organizations in multicultural and multimedia projects

Since its incorporation in 1992, CMSM has served as Minnesota's chief ambassador for chamber music. We have united Minnesota's finest instrumentalists with renowned guest artists to perform extraordinary works before full houses. We have nurtured young musicians and introduced audiences to the intimate artistry of the chamber ensemble.

CMSM is made up mainly of artists who are the principals in their sections at either the Minnesota Orchestra or the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Under the artistic direction of violinist Young-Nam Kim, the Society has attracted a loyal and often standing-room-only audience. Our concerts, described as 'all too rare' by one critic and 'the best kept secret in town' by another, are regularly broadcast by Minnesota Public Radio. Our first compact disc recording - offering works by Schumann, Beethoven and Mahler - has been well received by critics and the public.

From our first season onward, CMSM has coaxed world-class guest artists - such as Samuel Rhodes, Joel Krosnick, Timothy Eddy, David Shifrin, and Gilbert Kalish - to join resident artists for our annual subscription series at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul. These collaborations also reach beyond our state borders. In February 1998, Mr. Kalish and several other virtuosi joined us in the second of our two presentations at Harvard University. This concert was enthusiastically reviewed by the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and New York Times. Last May, we presented revered violinist and conductor Joseph Silverstein in a special free concert at the University of Minnesota to an overflowing 1200-member audience.

Under the leadership of Mr. Kim, who has premiered more than twenty five works by prominent composers such as Gunther Schuller, Paul Schoenfield, and George Perle, CMSM has commissioned and premiered at least one new work every season and has nurtured a lively interest in new music in its audience in Minnesota and elsewhere.

CMSM has long been committed to welcoming a diverse array of artists to perform with us - including dancer Maria Cheng and actor Lou Bellamy, artistic director of the trailblazing Penumbra Theater. Their presence on our stage has helped to draw lovers of other art forms toward music.