Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) is an American group that performs and promotes chamber music in New York City and around the world. It is the largest chamber-music organization in the United States. CMS is based at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, New York.
Founded in 1969 by pianist Charles Wadsworth with support from patron Alice Tully, the first performance at Alice Tully Hall was on September 11, 1969. The current artistic directors are cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han.
CMS presents mainstage concerts at Alice Tully Hall. Each December, they perform all of the Brandenburg Concertos, a New York holiday staple noted by The New York Times. The Daniel and Joanna S. Rose Studio hosts other events, including contemporary works, lectures, and classes. The Bowers program is a residency for musicians (formerly CMS Two) renamed after a donation from Ann S. Bowers. Alumni include Inon Barnatan, Lang Lang, Hilary Hahn, Paul Huang, Nicholas Canellakis, Anthony McGill, Alisa Weilerstein, and the Escher String Quartet.
CMS gives more than 80 concerts per season outside New York City, in North America, Europe, and Asia. The organization is known for focusing on older works. In 2019, the New York Public Library celebrated CMS’s 50th anniversary with an exhibit.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:57 (CET).