Chicago Chamber Musicians Records, 1986-2014

Gift of Chicago Chamber Musicians, Kathleen Butera, Executive Director, 2014-2015; Michael H. Woolever, 2015.

The Chicago Chamber Musicians Records are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 1 box at a time (Priority III).

The Chicago Chamber Musicians Records are the physical property of the Newberry Library. Copyright may belong to the authors or their legal heirs or assigns. For permission to publish or reproduce any materials from this collection, contact the Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections.

Chicago Chamber Musicians Records, The Newberry Library, Chicago.

Martha T. Briggs and Alison Hinderliter, 2015.

The Chicago Chamber Musicians (CCM) was founded in 1986 by a group of prominent musicians and chamber music devotees for the purpose of building an internationally-recognized Chicago institution devoted to the study and performance of chamber music.

CCM began in 1986 as the resident ensemble of WFMT and that same year inaugurated its year-round, free First Monday Series at the Chicago Cultural Center. Repeated requests from listeners led CCM to create its annual subscription series in 1988. CCM also started offering education programs in Chicago public schools in 1988, and created its annual Family Concerts in 1996 to nurture the enjoyment of chamber music among young audiences. Ten years later it launched an annual series dedicated to fostering greater exposure and appreciation for contemporary composers and piloted the first phase of its Chamber Music Professional Development Program (PDP) to pass on its significant knowledge to the next generation of professional musicians. In later years, the organization offered school groups free transportation to its First Monday series and offered concerts at architecturally interesting city venues.

The Chicago Chamber Musicians voted to discontinue artistic operations after 28 years at the close of the organization's 2014 fiscal year. Declining audiences and difficulty in avoiding operational deficits lead to the organization’s demise.

Records dating from the CCM’s founding in 1986, including minutes and annual reports, financial and fundraising papers, season records, photographs, press clippings, awards, and files relating to the Centennial celebration, general program files, special program files (children's and family concerts, school programs, music at the Millennium, professional development), recording and commissioning files, materials relating to a collaboration with the Chicago String Quartet, and concert programs.

Organized by type of record.

• Names
  • Chicago Chamber Musicians.
  • Combs, Larry
  • Genualdi, Joseph
  • Sobol, Deborah
  • WFMT (Radio station : Chicago, Ill.).
  • Williams, Gail
• Subject
  • Chamber music
  • Chicago
  • Clubs and Organizations
  • Manuscripts, American -- Illinois -- Chicago
  • Music