OUR HISTORY

Founded in 1952 by Joe Vandewart, a refugee from Nazi Germany and ten other music lovers, the Asheville Chamber Music Series began modestly. After setting up a table in the lobby of the Battery Park Hotel, the group quickly found 800 people willing to pay the $4 price for a season subscription for “an unspecified number of concerts.” The Alberni Trio gave the first concert on October 16, 1952. Since then, chamber ensembles from around the world have performed for the Series. These include the Budapest, Emerson, Fine Arts, Juilliard, and Kodaly Quartets, along with trios, piano quartets, quintets and larger chamber ensembles as well as duos, such as the one featuring cellist Janos Starker and flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal.

The legendary Amadeus Quartet performed in the first season and returned seven times, partly due to the friendship and hospitality of Mr. Vandewart, who was a leading force in the organization until his death in 1985. Each year, one concert is designated as the Joe Vandewart/Annie Westall Memorial Concert. (Ms. Westall, an Asheville native and tireless supporter, served on the board from its second season until her death in 1984.)

In keeping with its mission, the ACMS created a robust Educational Outreach Program in 2009 to reach out to the next generation, expand music education opportunities for area students and inspire a lifelong love of music. The Opal String Quartet joined immediately in this effort and continues to be our partner in bringing music instruction into the public schools.

Rather than continuing to rent a concert grand piano for its concerts, and not being able to be assured of its quality, the ACMS raised funds to purchase its own Steinway grand piano in 2012. Formerly owned, it continues to receive high praise from our distinguished guest pianists.

ACMS has participated in the bi-annual Amadeus Festival mounted by the Asheville Symphony Orchestra by presenting world-renown chamber groups since 2015. Responding to the 2020-21 national COVID pandemic, the ACMS presented its first virtual season rather than go dark. It returned to in-person performances in 2022. After a COVID hiatus, the ACMS participated in the 2023 Festival by presenting featured banjoist Bela Fleck performing with the Opal String Quartet in concert.

In 2022 the ACMS launched its first Rising Star Series presented in collaboration with the Asheville Art Museum. These recitals held in the atrium of the Art Museum feature promising North Carolina musicians embarking on a concert career.

In 2022, the ACMS received a competitive North Carolina Arts Council “Spark the Arts” grant to expand its marketing and communications objectives. Working with Asheville-based Elly Wells Marketing & Project Management, the ACMS introduced a new graphic identity in the spring of 2023. A fresh appearance was applied to all promotional materials. As a result of this collaboration the ACMS received major feature news coverage in local media resulting in significant increases in concert attendance. ACMS was also the recipient of the 2023/2024 NC Arts Council Organizational grant and 2024 Walnut Cove Members Association grant to help support its Music Education Outreach Program.

At the end of the 2022-23 season the ACMS received proclamations from both North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer recognizing its 70th anniversary of bringing world class chamber music to Asheville and Western North Carolina. In addition, both recognized the significant impact the ACMS has made on the cultural life of the City of Asheville.