Ames Town & Gown Chamber Music Association

In Ames, Iowa, the Ames Town & Gown Chamber Music Association presents five chamber music concerts featuring artists of international renown, as well as its annual Musicale--a gala fundraising event featuring esteemed local musicians. It also brings chamber musicians to the larger community through various outreach events for school children, university students, senior citizens, and many others. Our association is affiliated with Chamber Music America.

Mission Statement

THE MISSION of the Ames Town & Gown Chamber Music Association is to enrich the quality of life in central Iowa by presenting world-famous musical ensembles, as well as brilliant emerging artists, in intimate concert settings. Equally important is the commitment to share our artists' enthusiasm for chamber music with people of all ages and needs through educational outreach activities.

Toward these ends, Ames Town & Gown:

• Presents five chamber music concerts each season.
• Introduces young people to the joys of fine music by providing free concert tickets for students of all ages.
• Sponsors a variety of educational outreach activities such as master classes and interactive presentations by the musicians, involving the schools, the public library, senior centers, and others.
• Encourages informal exchange between audience and performers at post-concert gatherings.
• Brings concerts to listeners throughout the state of Iowa via broadcasts of the series on public radio station WOI-FM.

Who we are

In Ames, Iowa, the Ames Town & Gown Chamber Music Association hosts outstanding artists who give world-class performances in intimate settings, and who also interact with our community, especially with our young people.

In order to further enrich our community, and to build the audiences of the future, we frequently offer additional activities that bring our artists into contact with students. Iowa State University often sponsors the artists in college master classes, as well. Last year, QuinTango performed for nearly 600 elementary students in Perry. This year in September, Ames Town & Gown partnered with the Ames Public Library to present The Rose Ensemble in an informal workshop, and in November, the Cavani Quartet will make an appearance at the Marshalltown Veterans Home.

The Ames Town & Gown Chamber Music Association brings great music to all of us--both the City of Ames and the academic community. In this spirit, Town & Gown presents chamber music in two venues: the newly refurbished and re-named Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall in Iowa State University's Music Building, and the handsomely restored City Auditorium at Ames City Hall, which allows nearly three times as many people to enjoy concerts in a convenient downtown location. In either hall, the audience hears great music performed by outstanding musicians in a setting well-suited to chamber music.

Our history

The Ames Town & Gown Chamber Music Association (then the Ames Concert Association) presented its first concert on November 26, 1950. It was reorganized as the Ames Town & Gown Concert Association in 1969 in recognition of the relationship that had been established with Iowa State University. At that time the decision was made to focus on chamber music since Stephens Auditorium was booking larger groups for its own concert season. In 1977 the name was changed again to Ames Town & Gown Chamber Music Association in recognition of this focus.

The Ames Town & Gown Chamber Music Association is run by a board of directors. Each director, except for the Artistic Director, is a volunteer with a three-year term.