Better than a playlist: Why live chamber music belongs on your calendar

Eighty-four consecutive seasons. For a nonprofit arts organization, that kind of longevity doesn't happen by accident. Chamber Music Albuquerque (CMA) has not only endured but also flourished because it has instinctively understood how to engage its devoted, knowledgeable audience while continuously attracting new listeners to the fold. 

Founded in 1942 as the "June Music Festival," CMA has built that balance by diversifying programming, commissioning bold new works, blending genres, and welcoming the next generation of both performers and listeners.

"We've lasted 84 years because we deeply respect what our longtime patrons love about chamber music, while never losing sight of where the art form is heading," said Operations Manager Laurie Thomas. "That balance is everything."

Nationally, chamber music organizations are incorporating living composers, non-traditional venues, and cross-genre collaborations to present the classics in fresh, engaging ways. CMA is squarely at the forefront of that movement.

CMA’s final performer of the season, Caroline Shaw, is a prime example. A Juilliard graduate and multi-Grammy-winning composer-performer, Shaw’s music spans chamber music, orchestral pieces, and film scores — including Fleishman is in Trouble and The Sky Is Everywhere — and she has collaborated with artists as varied as Kanye West, Rosalía and Nas. This June, Shaw brings her boundary-dissolving Ringdown program to Albuquerque alongside Sō Percussion in what promises to be the season's most electrifying night.

"Caroline Shaw is exactly the kind of artist who shows younger audiences that chamber music belongs to them too," Thomas said. "There's simply nothing like experiencing that live. No streaming service can replicate it."

CMA has also deepened its investment in emerging musicians through education outreach and newly commissioned works. Further, the organization’s ticket prices remain among the most accessible in the nation: $35–$50, with $10 student tickets at the door.

Three remarkable concerts remain this season:

• Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Wind Ensemble — 3 p.m. Sunday, April 12

• Viano Quartet with Avi Avital — 3 p.m. Sunday, May 3

• Sō Percussion with Caroline Shaw — 4 p.m. Sunday, June 21

Performances are at Simms Center for the Performing Arts, 6400 Wyoming Blvd. NE. For tickets, visit chambermusicABQ.com or call (505) 886-1251, ext. 2.