In our 100th 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.
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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
$5,000+ in Scholarships & Awards
We awarded more than $5,000 in scholarships to 6 young Iowa musicians and 1 Iowa educator to fund music study and continuing education.
Education Programming
CMA Studio Workshops & Clinics
Guest artists worked with area students in clinics, workshops, masterclasses and more, impacting the lives of young musicians in countless ways.
World-Class Music
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma opened our 100th season in November of 2025 to a sold-out crowd at the Civic Center. It was a magical way to celebrate a century of Civic Music!
Community Partnerships
See the Music
We partnered with Ballet Des Moines in February 2025, with the Aizuri Quartet providing live music on stage while dancers performed new choreography.
World-Class Music
Rising Stars
From Nobuyuki Tsujii (NOBU) to Sona Jobarteh, 2025 featured rising stars of classical and world music.
Celebrating a Century
Raised $2 Million!
We marked our 100th Anniversary Season by completing a $2 million campaign and hosting a party, with hundred of guests enjoyed a roaring good time at the celebration.
World-class artists
Lauridsen Great Pianists Series
Nobuyuki Tsujii (NOBU), an up-and-coming pianist who has been blind since birth, performed a program of Chopin, Beethoven and Liszt, complete with multiple encores.
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 rest of our 2024/25 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.
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