Chamber Music Lehigh Valley began in 1951, when two Lehigh University professors, Ralph Steinhardt and Robert Kleinschmidt, invited the Curtis String Quartet to play four concerts a year in Bethlehem. More than 200 people signed on as members, at $7.50 a year.
For over 25 years the Curtis Quartet played for us at the Parish House of the Cathedral Church of the Nativity and at Moravian College's Prosser Auditorium. When they stepped back, the society broadened its outlook, bringing in young ensembles and international groups new to American audiences. A 1980 fundraising dinner at the Morgan home, featuring the Brainerd Trio, brought the membership back to life. When Moravian opened Foy Concert Hall, we moved in, and we have been there ever since.
On July 1, 2023, the Chamber Music Society of Bethlehem became Chamber Music Lehigh Valley, a name for the whole region we serve.
With the 2026–27 season, violist Hsin-Yun Huang became our Artistic Director, and we began Reimagining the Stage, a multi-year plan to bring world-class chamber music closer to more people. That means artist residencies that spend several days in the Lehigh Valley: in schools, libraries, senior communities, and open rehearsals, before a concert ever starts. It means new works next to the music you already love. And it means more ways in, for people who have never been to a chamber music concert.
What isn't changing is the music. World-class artists, serious musicianship, and the closeness that only a small group of players in a room can create.
We can always be reached at info@cmlv.org. Share your thoughts and feedback with us!
