Section Styles video-banner

Igniting
passion &
purpose
in promising
young
musicians

Our visionary program design, world-class faculty & inclusive community transform students into exceptional musicians & inspiring young adults.

Through collaboration, we spark transformation.

Young musicians playing piano, violin, and cello in a Chamber Music Center of NY chamber music group.

Chamber music awakens a deep and expressive conversation beyond words.

Performing masterpieces side-by-side with peers, young musicians learn to communicate with each other, themselves, and their audience through music. They discover how to connect the world through their hard work, collaboration, commitment, and compassion. It is a powerful shared experience.

Led by founder and Artistic Director Dr. Mary Jo Pagano, our unique programs and exceptional faculty teach so much more than music. We give young musicians the skills that will transform the world.

What our students have to say about our programs:

We interviewed current and former students about their experience in our programs, and how it has impacted their lives. They spoke of skills learned, personal growth, access to opportunities, inspiring teachers, and more.

Listen to their reflections here.

Group of young musicians on a stage smiling with their hands up in the air after a performance.

Applications are now open for the 2024-2025 season!

Apply to audition for our upcoming season! Learn more about our requirements for Chamber Music and Chamber Orchestra.

“CMC is a great place for children who are passionate about music. It provides the perfect balance of engagement and challenge without competition. This creates a context for deep friendships.”
— Emmanuelle, CMC Parent

Youth & Teen Programs

  • Youth chamber music group playing violin, cello, and piano on a stage.

    Chamber Music

    Through individualized attention from an award-winning faculty, repertoire and groups hand-selected to inspire success — and numerous performances over the year, culminating in a season finale at Carnegie Hall — young musicians flourish alongside a supportive community of friends. The collaborative nature of chamber music inspires students to take pride in their performance and progress as a group while encouraging each other to grow as individuals.

    Learn more about chamber music
  • Young violin and cello players performing in a chamber orchestra.

    Chamber orchestras

    Modeled after chamber orchestras such as The Knights Collective and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the intimate chamber music experience is amplified by a larger orchestra. With repertoire including the great works from Beethoven, Mozart, and Mendelssohn, students are motivated to become masters by taking ownership over their section and sharing responsibility for exceptional performances.

    Learn more about chamber orchestras

What the music community has to say about our programs:

Composer Jessie Montgomery talks about how CMC’s programs benefit young musicians.

Watch the interview in the video here.

An Exceptional Performing Faculty

Music teacher instructing a young violin student.

Students learn from New York’s finest musicians and chamber coaches. Through our unique rotational coaching approach, our experienced faculty work together to foster individual excellence and group success.

Faculty members perform with organizations such as Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Harlem Chamber Players, Exponential Ensemble, and have received their training from Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, and other prestigious musical institutions.

Student Achievements

We empower students to become successful in all they endeavor, whether pursuing music as a profession or a lifelong passion. Our graduates go on to tackle their ambitions at prestigious universities and music conservatories such as:

Section Styles bullet-boxes

  • The Juilliard School

  • Eastman School of Music

  • New England Conservatory of Music

  • Manhattan School of Music

  • Mannes College of Music

  • Yale University

  • Harvard University

  • Brown University

  • University of Pennsylvania

  • Northwestern University

  • Wesleyan University

  • Vassar College

  • Ithaca College

  • Cornell University

  • Syracuse University

  • Indiana University School of Music

  • Oberlin College

  • U.C. Berkeley

  • Harvey Mudd College

  • Southern Methodist University

  • Frost School of Music

  • Penn State University

Group of young CMC music students holding their instruments and smiling outside.

Support Us

Generous donor support enables CMC to achieve our mission:

to transform a diverse community of music students into passionate young musicians and purposeful young adults. We seek to instill not only a lifelong love of classical music, but to build the skills that will, in turn, transform our world: compassion, commitment, communication, and collaboration.

Please help us grow a new generation of musicians who are transforming the world through chamber music.