About Us
Community Concerts at Epworth is a neighborhood concert series whose mission is to bring high quality concerts of diverse styles and genres to the North Berkeley area in an accessible format for all. The concerts are free of charge so that all can have access to great music. We accept donations at the performances which will be used to bring our musicians to the larger community where music is hard to come by, such as homeless shelters, prisons and inner city schools. The concerts are about one hour in length and accessible for all ages.
Community Concerts is a service of Epworth United Methodist Church to the wider community.
Message from Caroline Lee,
Artistic Director of Community Concerts at Epworth
At the end of last season, one very animated audience member came up to me and told me “you can’t keep these concerts a secret! We need to get more people to these events!” It reminded me of something Bobby Mann, founding member of the Juilliard Quartet, had said while coaching a group of students: “It’s not enough to play chamber music. You must be evangelists for chamber music.”
When I started this series nine years ago, it was my way of responding to that call. For most of us musicians, chamber music is something that we do for our souls. When shared in an intimate space with an attentive audience, there are no words to describe the transcendent power of that experience, and we are all humbled and changed by it.
I hope the lyricism, virtuosity, and the intimacy of the programs presented this season will provide opportunities for such experiences. I know that it will for us performers. And please help us to not keep it a secret- bring your friends to share in the journey!