The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) announces the launch of the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Initiative for Music and Community Engagement, a two-year pilot program to bring CMS’s exceptional chamber music concerts, educational programming and world-renowned artists—for free—to under-resourced communities in The Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens.  CMS will present these free programs with three partner organizations: Harmony Program (a nonprofit that serves students with little access to music education), Brooklyn Public Library, and New York Edge (one of the city’s largest providers of after-school programs for children). 

The Diamonstein-Spielvogel Initiative for Music and Community Engagement will provide six concerts and two lectures over two years, starting this fall. One-hour concerts (identical to performances being presented at Alice Tully Hall, with the same repertoire and artists) will enhance CMS programming currently offered for elementary school-age children at Harmony Program’s Bronx schools and for families at the Brooklyn Public Library. Selected from CMS’s mainstage season, the concerts include discussion and Q&A with CMS artists. The Initiative will also support a collaboration between New York Edge and CMS to bring CMS’s longstanding and popular Inside Chamber Music program with host Bruce Adolphe, to families in Queens. Designed to appeal to both children and parents, the program offers fascinating and humorous insights on classical repertoire, with excerpts from featured works performed by CMS musicians. 

“Bringing the experience of world-class chamber music performances to broader communities is central to our mission. We are thrilled to provide the exact same programming we offer at Lincoln Center directly to audiences in their own neighborhoods,” said Suzanne Davidson, Executive Director of CMS. “We’re very grateful to the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation for helping us to achieve our dream of making this new Initiative possible.” 

Dr. Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvoge, Chair of the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation, said, “This initiative is part of the long-term commitment of the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation to provide first-rate artistic experiences to diverse and under-served communities throughout the five boroughs. We are pleased to support CMS in this new expansion of their community outreach programming to Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.”

About the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) is one of eleven constituents of the largest performing arts complex in the world, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Through its many performance, education, recording, digital, and broadcast activities, CMS brings the experience of great chamber music to more people than any other organization of its kind with a full season in New York, as well as national and international tours. Under the artistic leadership of David Finckel and Wu Han, CMS presents a wide variety of concert series and educational events for listeners of all ages, appealing to both connoisseurs and newcomers. The performing artists constitute a revolving multi-generational and international roster of the world’s best chamber musicians, enabling CMS to present chamber music of every instrumentation, style, and historical period. The CMS Bowers Program, its competitive three-season residency, is dedicated to developing the chamber music leaders of the future and integrates this selection of extraordinary early-career musicians into every facet of CMS activities. Its incomparable digital presence, which regularly enables CMS to reach hundreds of thousands of viewers and listeners around the globe annually, includes: a growing number of live-streamed programs; more than 1,000 hours of performance and education videos free to the public on its website; a 52-week public radio series across the US; radio programming in Taiwan and mainland China; appearances on American Public Media; the monthly program “In Concert with CMS” on the ALL ARTS broadcast channel;  the NY-Emmy-nominated documentary “Transcending: The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Celebrates 50 Years;” the PBS documentary film, "Chamber Music Society Returns;" and performances featured on Medici.tv, Tencent, and SiriusXM’s Symphony Hall channel.

Thousands of children, teens, and adults discover the joys of chamber music and deepen their knowledge and appreciation of this beautiful art form through CMS education and community engagement programs. CMS offers an extraordinary number of learning formats and experiences to engage and inform listeners of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of musical knowledge, and to provide unique educational opportunities for the most talented early career chamber musicians. This includes school-based programs for elementary school students, family concerts in both traditional and casual and accessible formats, teen-centered programs, master classes throughout the United States and internationally, pre-concert composer chats, and insightful lectures for adults on the season’s repertoire.

About the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation

The Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation was established by Dr. Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel and Ambassador Carl Spielvogel to continue and extend their long-term commitment to the common good and the public interest. The Foundation creates, supports, and seeks out original projects based on results-driven and innovative strategies. All funding initiatives are by invitation only.