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RBCMS Donation Levels
Participating Members: Under $100
Supporting Members: $100 - $199
Partner Members: $200 - $499
Patron Members: $500 - $999
Sponsor’s Council: $1000 - $1999
Leadership Council: $2000 & up
MAJOR DONOR - $500 (couple); $300 (individual)
If you prefer, checks may be written to "RBCMS" and sent to RBCMS, PO Box 772, Red Bank, NJ 07701
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(Memorial Donations, Additional Member Donations)
You may also click the Donate Only button below If you are a current member making an additional donation. Anyone who wishes to make a memorial donation to RBCMS may do so with or without joining; the memorial will be gratefully acknowledged in our printed programs.
Note: Donations are not required to attend our concerts. If you would like to be added to our membership list without a donation, click the button below and you will be taken to the Join Only option.
Learn more about our concerts and programing from our June 2023 Annual Report
JUNE 2023 ANNUAL REPORT AND FUND APPEAL
Previous Season
Our 2022-2023 season was full of memorable highlights from groups that were familiar to our members, namely Frisson and the Manhattan Chamber Players, as well as exciting young ensembles, Balourdet Quartet, the Ulysses Quartet, and the Hermitage Piano Trio. We also had a concert that fell in both categories – the group was new to most RBCMS members, but the concert re-united high school friends, Chris Hewitt, who programs the RBCMS concerts, with Douglas Boyce, the founder of the counter)induction ensemble.
Frisson Winds
We were happy that we were able to present our entire season in person and that the COVID-19 situation improved sufficiently that we were able to relax our masking requirements for the second half of the season. Even though the COVID-19 situation has improved, our attendance at the live concerts has remained significantly lower than before the pandemic. Our average attendance prior to the pandemics was about 150 people per concert and since then, the average attendance for the 2022-2023 season was 86 people. Our videos typically get about 50-60 views each and this season we increased the number of broadcasts for each concert on the Brookdale Community Channel from 3 to 5, so there are increased opportunities to see our concerts.
Our season included a broad range of music. We heard pieces ranging from a Gregorian chant performed by the American Brass Quintet to several world premieres presented by the Aizuri Quartet. We also tried to reflect the diversity of chamber music, in both the composers and the performers we presented. One common feature at each concert, however, was how much the musicians appreciated playing for a live, attentive audience, and how much they appreciated the efforts of the Society to continue to support performances during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Manhattan Chamber Players
Hermitage Piano Trio
Balourdet Quartet
counter)induction
Ulysses Quartet
One common factor across all our concerts has been feedback from the musicians on how much they enjoy playing for the Red Bank Chamber Music Society. While we may not have the most luxurious venue, one musician commented “It’s not the venue, it’s the audience that matters.” The musicians value playing to an attentive, engaged audience which is why we can continue to attract such talented and accomplished musicians to our concert series.
Plans for 2024 - 2024 Season
The schedule for the 2023-2024 is available clicking on 2023-2024 Schedule . Our friends from Frisson will be starting the season with a bang with a concert featuring Mendelssohn’s Octet for Strings. They will be followed by the American String Quartet, joined by noted clarinetist Richard Stoltzman performing Brahms’s beloved Clarinet Quintet. After their exciting concert in October 2022, The Hermitage Piano Trio will join us again, playing the Dvořák “Dumky” Trio, as well as trios by Rachmaninoff and Turina. The Escher Quartet will start the spring portion of our season with performances of quartets by Haydn and Janáček and the always popular “Death and the Maiden” Quartet by Schubert. The Ardelia Piano Trio will end the season with the Brahms Piano Trio No. 1, and two trios by Johann Hummel and Rebecca Clarke that RBCMS members have not heard before.
We are planning to continue to hold our concerts at Trinity Episcopal in Red Bank.
Finances
Trinity Episcopal Church — Concert Venue
A Musical Offering
Observant readers will have noticed that we have scheduled five concerts for 2023-2024 season rather than six. This is not without precedent– prior to the 2013-2014 season, the typical RBCMS season consisted of five concerts. Our decision to present five concerts next season is primarily a reflection of our financial situation.
We continue to be extraordinarily fortunate in the loyalty and generosity of our members. Our donations for 2022-2023 were almost 20% higher than the previous season, but even that is 20% lower than the average per season prior to the pandemic. At the same time, our expenses have continued to be higher than in previous years. While artists’ fees have increased to some extent, one of the largest increases has been in piano rentals. The price of renting a piano has increased almost 4 times in the last couple of years. The costs of mailings and other administrative costs involved in communicating with members and with putting on a concert have also increased.
We also remain committed to making video recordings of our performances, so they are available for broadcast over the Brookdale Community College cable network and on-line access on demand on YouTube. The recordings are important to serve those of our listeners who still might be wary of attending concerts in person, but they are more expensive than audio-only recording. They are an important means, however, of making chamber music available as broadly as possible, both in the Red Bank area, and beyond.
It is with extreme pride that we have been able to affirm our core mission of providing world-class chamber music concerts at no charge. To maintain this objective in light reduced financial resources, the Board of Trustees decided to reduce the number of concerts from six to five for the up-coming season. We hope that increased donations and attendance during the 2023-2024 season will allow us to resume a six-concert season, as soon as possible.
As always, since RBCMS is a 501(c)(3) organization, your contribution is fully tax deductible in accordance with applicable law.
MEMBERSHIP FORM AND SURVEY
We are always interested in getting opinions from our members about our organization. In addition to our standard membership form, this year we also have a survey to get your opinions on our concerts. Your opinion is important to us so click on the update your membership button below to make a contribution and complete your survey.
THANK YOU
We always have many to thank – the musicians, Doug Clark of Glass Bottom Studios (our recording engineer), Brookdale Community College, the Trinity Episcopal staff, and others.
Most of all, however, the Board of Trustees of the Red Bank Chamber Music Society thanks you, our members, for your generosity and hopes you will enjoy the up-coming season.
With thanks and best wishes,
Chris Foard,
President, RBCMS Board of Trustees