Community and educational outreach has been a central tenet of the Concord Chamber Music Society’s mission since its creation in 2000 by Boston Symphony Orchestra violinist Wendy Putnam. Concord Chamber Music Society (CCMS) outreach programs bring musical performances to individuals who ordinarily would not have the opportunity to attend a CCMS concert. Enriching the core concert experience for our audiences with lectures and pre-concert performances by gifted young musicians is essential to our philosophy. These programs aim to foster an awareness and appreciation of chamber music in people of all ages.

Community outreach events feature pre-concert lectures given by musicologist Steven Ledbetter and concert artists, as well as pre-concert performances by students from Project STEP and the New England Conservatory.

Educational outreach events have included performances in the Thoreau, Alcott, and Willard Schools in Concord, MA, and free public master classes for local music students given by Boston Symphony Orchestra piccoloist Cynthia Meyers and CCMS founder and Director Wendy Putnam. Among other CCMS efforts have been classroom visits and performances at the Carlisle Middle School and the Concord Elementary Schools, and string workshops for the Concord-Carlisle High School Orchestra. Additionally, CCMS has provided free public masterclasses and workshops given by composer Michael Gandolfi, BSO Concertmaster Malcolm Lowe, BSO Principal Violist Steven Ansell, and music educator Sally O’Reilly, Professor of Violin at University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and a Senior Fulbright Lecturer. At no charge, members of the Concord Orchestra, Concord-area music students, and young musicians from the Greater Boston Youth Symphony have participated in these classes.