In our 97th season, we are excited to present concerts and continue the mission of our founders to make world-class music affordable to all residents of central Iowa.
We sincerely want to say thank you.
Your generosity makes it possible.
Highlights from this year
Community outreach
A summer of free, outdoor music
We presented free performances by the Belin String Quartet Tuesday evenings throughout the summer at the Salisbury House and Gardens.
Scholarship program
More than $10,000 in Music Scholarships
We awarded more than $10,000 in scholarships to six young Iowa musicians (middle school through collegiate freshmen) to fund music study.
Community Impact
New work in honor of Marjorie Spevak
We commissioned "The Gift to Sing," a brand-new work that premiered at the 2022 Marjorie Spevak All-City Middle School Music Festival on April 5, 2022.
World-class artist
The Manhattan Transfer’s 50th Anniversary
GRAMMY-winning Manhattan Transfer performed on CMA’s stage during their 50th Anniversary and Final World Tour alongside the all-female DIVA Jazz Orchestra.
Education Program
Wu Fei & Abigail Washburn
We presented GRAMMY-winning banjoist Abigail Washburn and guzheng virtuoso Wu Fei, a duo spanning genres and cultures, to hundreds of DMPS students.
Community Impact
Healing Modes
We explored the connection between healing and music with Brooklyn Rider, Drs. Andrew Nish and Richard Deming, and a panel of health and wellness professionals.
Enriching the community through music education
Civic Music Association’s impact ranges from touching a single life to being an integral part of building and sustaining strong communities.
To the left, students at Hoover High School listen in awe to a multicultural performance by Abigail Washburn and Wu Fei on November 11, 2022.
Our mission
What makes Civic Music Association unique today, yet continuous with its past, is that it takes world-renowned musicians into the schools, corporations, and retirement facilities ~ free of charge through your support. Over the course of 95+ years, at approximately 1,000 students reached annually, that equates to a legacy impact of nearly 100,000 students and residents in greater Des Moines
95
Years of service
1,000+
Students reached annually
100,000+
Legacy student impact
Your support matters
We extend our gratitude to you for being able to produce another season of artistic and educational excellence. The second half of the 2022/23 season features artists who have, undoubtedly, been influenced by a moment, person or event that spurred their passion to pursue a musical career.
We hope you will join us this season and for many more to come.