OUR MISSION The mission of Chamber Music at The Barn is to enhance the variety of summer cultural events available in the Midwest by offering professional chamber music concerts of artistic excellence performed in an intimate, yet casual, country setting, and by providing educational opportunities for persons of all ages and diverse backgrounds.
OUR HISTORY YEAR ONE (1997) Musicians with ties to Wichita performed three concerts, 400 attendees.
YEAR TWO (1998) CMB incorporated as a 501(c)(3) corporation. The series expanded to five concerts, two nights each, total of 10 concerts.
YEAR THREE (1999) Concert series same as 1998.
YEAR FOUR (2000) CMB presented two pre-season concerts along with four regular season concerts, two nights each, total of 10 concerts.
YEAR FIVE (2001) CMB presented four concerts, expanding to three nights each, total of 12 concerts. Began sponsoring the Northeast Area Strings Academy of Wichita (NASAW) program, a summer program that provides private string lessons to African American children, 55 participants. Started CMB Rocks, a week-long auditioned chamber music camp for high school students, 24 students.
YEAR SIX (2002) Expanded to five concerts, three nights each, total of 15 concerts. Forty students participated in CMB Rocks. Started Camp Allegro, a music day camp for children 4 -14, 72 students. Wichita Arts Council awarded NASAW the "Emerging Arts Organization" award. Started CMB Rocks II, a weekend adult amateur music camp, 18 participants. Started an annually published newsletter.
YEAR SEVEN (2003) CMB presented five concerts, three nights each, total of 15 concerts. Built 10 rehearsal barns for use in conjunction with the music camps.
YEAR EIGHT (2004) CMB presented six concerts, three nights each, total of 18 concerts, 3,000 attendees. Expanded Camp Allegro to two weeks, 230 students. CMB Rocks, 50 students. CMB Rocks II, 30 participants. NASAW, 50 students.
YEAR NINE (2005) Added a 3-day Acoustic Music Camp. Added a string quartet residency for CMB Rocks! 13 of the 15 concerts sold out. Recipient of the 35th Annual Wichita Arts Council's "Excellence in the Arts" Award for 2004.
YEAR TEN (2006) Tenth Anniversary with special programming increased attendance by 20% Adult camp, Camp da Capo (formerly CMB Rocks II) attendance doubled over previous year.
YEAR ELEVEN (2007) Achieved our goal of attracting a younger audience The Young Eight, an African American string octet, mentored NASAW and CMB Rocks! students.
YEAR TWELVE (2008) The Boston Brass were artists in residence at CMB Rocks! Added vocal music to Camp da Capo.
