HISTORY OF FOCM

Friends of Chamber Music of Miami, Inc. is a Florida not-for-profit corporation organized in 1955. Formed to present a subscription series of chamber music concerts, "Friends" is one of the oldest continuously-operating chamber music presenters in the United States, and one of the only remaining such organizations regularly featuring world class chamber ensembles.

Programs were initially presented at the Miami White Temple Methodist Church. The Series was moved to the 2,500-seat Dade County Auditorium in 1965. Seeking the more intimate environment needed for chamber music, the Series was moved to the First Presbyterian Church in Coral Gables in the early 1980's. Since 1988 Friends of Chamber Music of Miami's programs have had their home in the acoustically superb Gusman Concert Hall on the University of Miami campus. This intimate 600-seat hall is considered by many to be the ideal setting for chamber music in South Florida. Performances have occasionally been offered at the Lincoln Theater on Miami Beach when Gusman was unavailable.

Over the years Friends of Chamber Music of Miami, Inc. has presented the greatest chamber ensembles in the world. In the early years such legendary ensembles as the Budapest, Paganini and Amadeus String Quartets were regularly featured on the concert schedule. Such top names as the Juilliard, Guarneri, Tokyo and Emerson Quartets have made regular visits, along with such famous trios as the Beaux Arts and Kalichstein/Laredo/ Robinson. A regular feature has been performances by South Florida's own Florida Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble under the baton of James Judd, often in collaboration with other guest artists to perform some of the rarely heard repertoire for larger chamber ensembles. Recent collaborations include performances by Audiofon recording artist Valentina Lisitsa with musicians from the Florida Philharmonic.