Don’t be misled by the word “society.” Carmel Music Society (CMS) is a world-famous, forward-looking annual music series and is not your grandmother’s white-glove, cucumber sandwich, chamomile tea-type affair. In the 100 years since its humble beginnings in a Carmel private home, it has hosted some of the most illustrious classical music talents on Earth: Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Leontyne Price, Arthur Rubinstein. Household names all, even to those not steeped in the classical music world. And that tradition continues into the beginning of CMS’s second century, launching Oct-ober 11, 2026, with the ex-citing and innovative Ander-son & Roe Piano Duo, and winding up with a May 2, 2027, performance from cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and pianist Benjamin Gros-venor. Carmel’s sublime Sun-set Center auditorium, the home of CMS presentations for many years, is this year joined by The SandBox, an intimate venue perfectly suited to chamber music.
In 1926, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea had been incorporated for merely a decade. The streets were unpaved and services were spare, but the little village was a thriving hotbed of artistic energy. Painters, sculptors, musicians and writers of all kinds walked those streets, generating a heady bohemian culture based on the love of art. Into this bubbling creative stew arrived a pair of San Francisco women, Dene (pronounced “Deen”) Denny and Hazel Watrous. When they registered to vote in Carmel in 1924, Denny was listed as “musician” and Watrous as “artist.” David Gordon, author of a fascinating and deeply and painstakingly researched biography, “Car-mel Impresarios: A Cultural Biography of Dene Denny & Hazel Watrous,” says, “Dene and Hazel immediately fell in love with Carmel on their first visit.” So much so that they purchased a lot on Dolores Street between First and Second Avenues. “Watrous designed a small cottage with a large central space, called the ‘performance room’ on blueprints,” he adds. Oddly for a home, it had seven entrances to allow easy ingress and egress for gatherings. This place was intended to be a venue for musical performances. And that’s what it became.
After hosting concerts in their home, in 1927 Denny and Watrous set up what Gordon says is “One of the oldest performing arts nonprofit organizations in California. They immediately set up a board and that’s why it’s endured—because it wasn’t dependent on one individual.” That was—and is—the Carmel Music Society. Early concerts were held at the Theatre of the Golden Bough in its original location on Ocean Avenue. It would be hard to underestimate the lasting influence these two women had on Monterey Peninsula arts culture. Among other endeavors, they also initiated the Carmel Bach Festival and founded The Troupers of the Gold Coast, a group that performed old-time melodramas in California’s First Theatre in Monterey from 1937 to 1999. “All three flourished long after the women died. They intended that the orgs would outlive them,” Gordon explains. “And all my research shows that they were absolutely adored. People genuinely liked them and appreciated their contributions.”
Architect (and classical pianist) Erik Dyar is today’s board president. “We have a long and storied tradition of presenting the world’s greatest classical music and musicians. We’re continuing this amazing legacy into our next century by bringing in previous favorites such as classical superstar [pianist] Jean-Yves Thibaudet and introducing new and exciting performers such as violinist Alexi Kenney and pianist Janice Carissa, among many more.”
Also performing is the Monterey Peninsula’s own Michelle Djokic, cellist and CMS lead artistic advisor. “CMS has been cherished by our community for 100 years. It’s a literal gem. And it might be one of the oldest chamber music organizations in the country. Anyone who has performed here remembers it fondly. It really sticks out in musicians’ minds as a place that you’re honored to be invited to. As a performing artist, to see and be involved in an organization so solidly planted in the community and respected and recognized by artists worldwide speaks volumes about how well CMS is organized. It’s no wonder it’s been going strong for a century.”
Pianist Elizabeth Joy Roe concurs. Indicative of the level of instrumentalists that CMS attracts, Rowe is half of the acclaimed and genre-defying Anderson & Roe Piano Duo. She made her concerto debut with the Chicago Philharmonic at age 15 and has since graced the world’s most iconic stages, including the Kennedy Center, Seoul Arts Center, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and Salle Cortot in Paris. With the Duo, she’s played on chart-topping songs featured in Emmy nominated videos with Bobby McFerrin, Daniel Hope and Chick Corea. A San Francisco resident, she’s visited the area many times for pleasure as well as professionally. “Carmel is one of the most beautiful and idyllic places,” she says. “I love that the audience is always filled with enthusiastic, passionate and cultured patrons. It’s a pleasure to play there. The natural beauty of the Monterey Peninsula area is an inspiration to artists.”
“I’m honored to be part of this very special season,” Roe adds, “and we’ve prepared a diverse program that represents the arc of the human experience.” Diverse indeed. That October 11 program includes a set of uniquely interpreted pieces from Brahms, Stravinsky, Star Wars film composer John Williams, Leonard Bernstein and…rock band Radiohead.
Simone Dinnerstein is another supremely accomplished pianist invited to CMS’s 100th anniversary schedule. The Washington Post praised her as “an artist of strikingly original ideas and irrefutable integrity.” On Valentine’s Day 2027, she’s leading a group of five friends at Carmel’s Sunset Center, including Michelle Djokic and violinist Rebecca Fisher. “I met Michelle through her work with The New Century Chamber Orchestra,” Dinnerstein recalls. The rarified world of top-flight chamber musicians is smaller than many might imagine. “People don’t realize how frequently we cross paths. We have a wide network. Michelle and I connected in a special, musical way.”
On November 15, also at Sunset Center, a young, Grammy- and Emmy-winning trio made of two violinists and a bassist—all three also vocalists—named Time For Three (TF3) will present a mind-bending and mesmerizing mashup of classical, jazz and contemporary music, all performed with incredible technical precision. “I hope to see a lot of young people at these concerts. They’re going to be inspired by these masters,” says Erik Dyar. “It’s going to be a spectacular season.”
For the complete schedule and tickets, visit www.carmelmusic.org.