About Us
About SJCMS
OUR MISSIONS
- To present chamber music concerts in San Jose performed by top ensembles from the Bay Area, across America, and around the world.
- To enrich our audience experience through post-concert Q&As, program notes, and meet-the-composer opportunities.
- To educate students in chamber music by presenting outreach at San Jose public schools, and by residency activities for San Jose State University music majors.
- To support chamber music in our region by publicizing other nearby chamber music concerts, by cooperating in marketing with fellow presenters, and by joint programs with The Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies at San José State University.
OUR 38-YEAR HISTORY — A STORY TO CELEBRATE!
In 1986 Lawrence Bryan and friends founded SJCMS so that South Bay audiences could enjoy a quality professional chamber
music concert series here in San Jose. All concerts were presented in First Unitarian Church downtown until 1993, when our audience outgrew
the rotunda’s capacity. From 1994 on, all of our concerts were held in the acclaimed 318-seat Trianon Theatre — until May 2019 when Trianon
was sold and ceased being a concert hall. For 2019-20 we relocated our series close by to the Concert Hall at the San José State University
School of Music and Dance, until Covid-19 orders closed the campus in March 2020. Starting with our 2022-23 season we have been presenting our
concerts at the newly renovated St. Francis Episcopal Church in Willow Glen at 1205 Pine Avenue (at Newport Avenue), San Jose 95125.
You can download the current and previous years' brochures here:
EDUCATION
We provide music appreciation, experience and education. Audiences attending our concerts receive both informative program notes and frequent post-concert discussions with the artists.
Each season we teach chamber music appreciation to the students of several public schools in San Jose by engaging some of our professional chamber music ensembles to present discuss-demonstrate-and-perform programs for assembled classes — presentations which delight students and receive teacher praise.
We also enable our concert performing ensembles to do residency activities for San José State University music majors when we can.
VOLUNTEERS
Our volunteers make each concert happen by helping in many ways — including ushering, marketing, and artist hospitality. If you'd like to join this team, contact us and let us know your interests.
DONATIONS
Ticket sales cover less than 50% of our concert expenses. Your tax-deductible contribution to the San Jose Chamber Music Society is greatly appreciated and helps ensure that you and our community will continue to enjoy educational programs and concerts of the highest quality.
As a donor, you will be listed (if you wish) in each program booklet of the season. Contact SJCMS for more information on individual and corporate donations. You can also include a donation with your ticket order. We welcome all business donations and referrals.
Some employers will match your donation to a non-profit organization. Please check with your company to find out if you can double your gift to SJCMS. Thank you for your patronage and support.
SJCMS is supported in part by an Operating Grant from SVCreates, in partnership with The County of Santa Clara, and by a take pART grant from the City of San José's Office of Cultural Affairs.
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SOUTH BAY AREA MUSICAL COMMUNITY
The San Jose Chamber Music Society actively works with other arts organizations by regularly listing chamber music performances of South Bay area musical organizations in our programs, by co-sponsoring concerts (such as with the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies), and by cooperating in marketing with fellow presenters.
San Jose Chamber Music Society is a long-standing member of the Silicon Valley Arts Coalition.
Visit the SVAC website at www.artssiliconvalley.org.
