The ChamberMusicBox journey originally started in the most unlikely of ways when, halfway through 2015, the weekly delivery of organic vegetables landed on the doorstep of the food-obsessed household of violinist Yuri Kalnits and cellist Julia Morneweg, both at that point already well-known on the chamber music circuit. As Julia marvelled at the wonderful quality and variety of these ingredients in her veg box that had led her to discover so many new flavours and recipes, a thought came to her mind: “Why not come up with a similar concept for chamber concerts? Why does it always have to be a whole programme of string quartets, piano trios or cello sonatas when there is so much fabulous chamber music repertoire out there that barely gets heard and we have so many amazing musician friends from all over the world to play it with?” She shared her thoughts over dinner with Yuri – a man well-accustomed to his other half’s late-night musings – and, several glasses of wine later, the idea had a name: ChamberMusicBox!

Six months later, in January 2016, the first ever CMB concert took place in the cosy surroundings of Burgh House in Hampstead, North London, a picturesque historic building and museum that became our first ‘home’ for two seasons. The artist roster grew quickly, with renowned soloists, members of leading ensembles and principals of top UK and European orchestras all joining forces to perform programmes that are as diverse as they are unique. Having outgrown the capacity of Burgh House by 2018, ChamberMusicBox moved its base to nearby Rosslyn Hill Chapel, a wonderful concert venue boasting ample space and a Steinway concert grand piano. In the first four seasons, more than 55 CMB artists from over 20 nations performed more than 60 different works ranging from duos to nonets!

Then came the 2020 season and with the arrival of Covid-19 everything changed. As lockdown #1 dragged on, the loss of live performance was keenly felt, by our musicians as much as by our audience. A couple of hastily arranged, but hugely successful, outdoor concerts confirmed our instincts that live chamber concerts had to return as quickly – and as safely – as possible. With our Hampstead base having decided to keep its doors shut to concerts until further notice, ChamberMusicBox suddenly found itself homeless, forcing a total rethink of our plans. With audiences not just in London, but especially further afield so deprived of live classical musical performance, our Artistic Directors and Trustees quickly agreed that we shouldn’t find “a” new venue, but as many as we could make Covid-secure on short notice. Within less than two weeks, we had agreed dates with venues in London, Surrey, Kent, Sussex and Suffolk and in early October we performed our first indoor concert since the start of the pandemic in front of a large, but socially distanced audience at St Cuthbert’s Earl’s Court. With the incredible support – both financial and otherwise – of our loyal and ever-growing audience, we managed to put on a sold-out autumn season of concerts in between lockdowns before everything ground to a halt once again in December 2020.

Little did anyone know that this silence would last for almost five months, but this painfully difficult period also gave birth to CMB’s most ambitious project to date: the ChamberMusicBox Fermata Festival in June 2021 that brought together concerts by some of the UK’s most renowned artists with an exhibition of over 100 visual artworks created by classical musicians during the pandemic. At once a celebration of the arts as well as a tribute to the sheer resilience, resourcefulness and indefatigability of those within the profession, the festival was featured in publications such as The Strad, Pizzicato, and Australia’s Limelight Magazine.

Since 2022 ChamberMusicBox continues to perform concerts of exceptional calibre across London and the rest of the UK, both in our own series as well as by invitation for some of the country’s leading chamber music promoters. Recent appearances include the 2023 Swaledale Festival, a tour of South West England for Concerts in the West, a recital at the London School of Economics as well our international debut in the prestigious Pharos Arts Foundation Series in Nicosia, Cyprus. We look forward to the next chapter of this unique journey that is made so special by the incredible talent, friendship and dedication of all those involved.

ChamberMusicBox is a registered charity and continues to be run entirely by its players and trustees.

For further information on ChamberMusicBox please follow this link.