Casper Chamber Music Society

10/08/2025

Join CCMS for a lively program this Sunday of classical music and favorite bluegrass tunes from Casper's favorite sister act! The Oct. 12 concert starts 4 p.m. at Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church, 4600 S. Poplar. Tickets are $10 adults, $8 seniors, free to children and students.

Ana Lockwood and Rachel Merchant began learning classical violin at age 5 in a preschool violin program. At the same time, they began to learn old-time fiddle music with their father. As they grew up, both took their turns as Wyoming State Fiddle Champions, in each age division, and still challenge each other as adults.

Today, both Ana and Rachel play in the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra. Rachel currently works at Casper orthopedic center and is in the process of applying for medical school. Ana owns and runs WyoHarmonic Music studio in Sunrise Center while continuing to work part-time as an occupational therapy assistant.

The duo will begin the program with a variety of classical duets, including Telemann and Mozart canons and Shostakovich’s “Five pieces for 2 violins and piano,” also featuring Casper College instructor Paula Flynn. They will conclude the program with their father Kim Merchant on guitar, playing a variety of old-time fiddle and bluegrass music.

08/27/2025

Welcome back to the start of the Casper Chamber Music Society's 2025-2026 season. We look forward to presenting wonderful local and regional artists in a series of exciting classical concerts - nothing beats the sound and feel of live music. Please join CCMS for this year's series:

4 p.m. Sunday Oct. 12, 2025, Shepherd of the Hills Church: Ana, Rachel and Friends, playing both fiddle and classical music, from Jay Unger’s “Ashokan Farewell” to duets by Dmitri Shostakovich. These beautiful sisters and their beautiful playing will fill your heart with joy!

4 p.m. Sunday March 8, 2026, Wheeler Hall, Casper College: The return of the Ventis String Quartet – Don’t miss this thrilling, dynamic group, featuring Jennifer DePaolo and Katie Smirnova on violin, Gary DePaolo, viola, and Tim Jones, cello.

4 p.m. Sunday March 29, 2026, Shepherd of the Hills Church: A program of “classical mischief,” led by Wyoming Symphony principal flautist Norman Menzales, features Mike Mower’s Sonata Latino and Claude Bolling’s Suite No. 1 for Flute and Jazz Piano, blending classical elegance with jazz flair and lively Latin rhythms

7:30 p.m. Wednesday April 8, 2026, Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church: the Valencia Baryton Project, co-sponsored with ARTCORE. This group, based in Spain, first performed with us in 2024 to enthusiastic acclaim. (The baryton is a beautiful viol de gamba-like instrument with sympathetic strings that can simultaneously bowed and plucked.)

4 p.m. Sunday April 19, 2026, Shepherd of the Hills Church: Colorado State University’s Mendelssohn Trio, featuring former UW cello professor Barbara Thiem, will perform for us the program they will subsequently be taking on a tour to Germany.

Watch your mail for a brochure with the full concert schedule. Please see https://www.facebook.com/CasperChamberMusicSociety for updates and details. Send a facebook message or text 307-251-4967 to join our mailing list. See you at the concerts!

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04/06/2025

Don't forget, today at 4 pm! There will be a reception afterward. See you there!

This Sunday, April 6, 4 p.m., join us for our final concert of the season, featuring the Reverie Trio (flute, viola, harp), led by Wyoming Symphony Orchestra principal flute Norman Menzales. Don't miss this delightful afternoon of beautiful melodies and classical favorites. This concert will be held at Shepherd of the Hills Church, 4600 S. Poplar, with a reception to follow.

04/03/2025

This Sunday, April 6, 4 p.m., join us for our final concert of the season, featuring the Reverie Trio (flute, viola, harp), led by Wyoming Symphony Orchestra principal flute Norman Menzales. Don't miss this delightful afternoon of beautiful melodies and classical favorites. This concert will be held at Shepherd of the Hills Church, 4600 S. Poplar, with a reception to follow.

03/30/2025

Don't forget, today at 4 p.m., Wyoming Baroque will be playing the greatest hits of 1725, including Vivaldi's "Spring" from the Four Seasons. At Shepherd of the Hills Church, 4600 S. Poplar (corner of Wyoming Blvd.) See you there!

03/26/2025

The CCMS spring season is finally here! Join us Sunday, 4 p.m. March 30:

CCMS Presents Wyoming Baroque: a Musical Journey Through 1725:
Tradition, Innovation, and Cultural Crossroads

Step back in time to the world of 1725, a pivotal year in music history, featuring the exciting sounds of Wyoming Baroque, 4 pm Sunday, March 30, at Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church (4600 S. Poplar).

This program brings together masterpieces and historical treasures that reflect the dynamic spirit of the Baroque era, from virtuosic instrumental works to expressive sacred music and early glimpses of Creole heritage. Telemann’s Les Nations anciens et modernes transports us through a cosmopolitan fusion of national styles, capturing the elegance of French dance, the brilliance of Italian virtuosity, and the energy of Eastern European folk traditions. Vivaldi’s La tempesta di mare plunges us into the heart of a raging storm, while his beloved Spring Concerto from The Four Seasons awakens the senses with its vivid depiction of nature’s renewal. Telemann’s cantata Gott will Mensch und sterblich werden brings the grandeur of Lutheran sacred music to life, while Bach’s pastoral aria Frische Schatten offers a moment of serene beauty. The program also highlights the resilience and cultural interweaving of the early 18th century with Lisette quitté la plaine, the earliest known Haitian Creole poem, set to a popular French melody. Possibly sung in colonial Louisiana’s first music school, this piece serves as a poignant reminder of the diverse voices shaping music in 1725 and beyond.

The Sheridan-based Wyoming Baroque, led by former Sheridan College music professor and bassist Mark Bergman, features local musicians who regularly tour Wyoming and conduct masterclasses at schools and community centers.

Tickets available at the door - free for students and SOTH members, $10 adults, $8 seniors (60+).

01/01/2025

Thank you again to all of our donors and concert attendees for a wonderful fall 2024 season! Our concerts with Mark and Maggie O'Connor, the Ventis String Quartet, and Wyoming Symphony concertmaster Megan Karls were extraordinary and drew large, appreciative audiences. We are looking forward to similar successes in the spring portion of our season, which will feature the return of Wyoming Baroque on March 30, led by Mark Bergman, and the Reverie Trio on April 6, featuring Wyoming Symphony principal flautist Norman Menzales.

We want to give a special thanks to the Wyoming Community Foundation and its Casper Area local board for grant support to CCMS so that we can present these wonderful local artists. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The Wyoming Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works with donors to support the charitable causes they care about most. In 2023 the Wyoming Community Foundation granted $8 million to charitable causes across the state. For information call 307-721-8300 or visit their website at www.wycf.org.