IN THE COMMUNITY
In addition to sponsoring an annual concert series and offering free tickets to students and EBT/SNAP holders, Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music encourages community members to engage with chamber music in other ways. Opportunities include an annual competition for young chamber musicians, participation in other activities with the larger Central New York community, and the CHAmber Music PlayerS (CHAMPS), an informal group of amateur musicians who enjoy playing chamber music with other congenial people.
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YOUTH CHAMBER MUSIC COMPETITION
Early each spring, SFCM sponsors a Youth Chamber Music Competition. The primary purpose is to encourage students in the Central New York area, grades 7-12, to discover the joy of preparing and performing chamber music under the guidance of a coach. The 2026 competition will be held on February 28, 2026 at Park Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Syracuse. LEARN MORE
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music has identified community engagement as a strategic priority. Initial efforts were focused on Grant Middle School, the host of our 75th anniversary season. Members of the SFCM Board's volunteer Community Engagement Committee met with music teachers and administrators to learn about Grant, its music programs, and its needs. The committee sought to understand how SFCM's support might bring interesting and accessible music programs to children across the Syracuse City School District. During the 2024-2025 school year, SFCM funded the purchase of supplies and T-shirts for students in Grant's band and orchestra; performances at the school by quartets and quintets drawn from The Syracuse Orchestra, Syracuse University Jazz, and other local ensembles; and the commissioning of a composition for the school's combined orchestra and band by a local composer.
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SFCM would like to broaden its community focus in the future. Can you contribute an idea? Please respond to this short survey!
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SFCM Sponsored July 22, 2025 Young Artists Concert at Tucker Baptist Church
Because SFCM is committed to fostering the development of an appreciation for fine classical music through the promotion of concerts in the Syracuse area, we sponsored a Young Artists Concert this summer, one component of the Festival of Music Series 2025 created by Gregory Sheppard and David Ross. Three outstanding young students from the Syracuse area—Abby Feng, cello; Ava Tyler, soprano; and Hudson Brenner, piano—performed with an orchestra of professional musicians led by Music Director David Ross. Repertoire included music by Joplin, Haydn, Puccini, J. Strauss, and Saint-Saens. The well-attended concert was free and open to the public.
CHAMPS
As a contribution to the Central New York music scene, SFCM has organized a service for amateur musicians of all abilities who want to play chamber music with other congenial people – just for fun. We invite you to dust off that cello, take that flute down off the shelf, and start playing some chamber music yourself!
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There is no charge for this service. For more information about CHAMPS, or to find out when the group will meet, call 315-383-7269, or send an email to dsvendsen@verizon.net.
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