Our History

It all started in 1930 when Mrs. Ruth Sanborn and two fellow music teachers worried that the people of Concord, and children especially, knocked off their pins by the Great Depression, would never have the chance to hear great live music. Meanwhile, in New York, Columbia Artists Management Inc. (CAMI) worried that the professional artists it represented would never have the chance to earn a living as performers. In one of the rare instances where distant planets align, CAMI and the Ruth Sandborns of many small communities banded together and created a National Community Concert Association. The artists would tour small communities and be able to earn a living, and the small communities would receive the classical concert opportunities they craved. Mrs. Sanborn's first season offered membership/subscriptions for $3.00 with accompanying children admitted free.

Since 1931, the Concord Community Concert Association has brought a varied and entertaining series to City Auditorium. The series began when a representative from Columbia Artists Management, at that time America’s major artist management organization, visited a small group of music lovers in Concord to explain a new concept they were introducing to the performing arts world. Up to that time, touring artists traveled from one large city to another leaving a void in the entertainment scene of smaller cities and towns.

A new plan was introduced. Local groups were urged to form associations which would introduce the "pre-paid" subscription, a plan to bring well-known, successful artists as well as rising newcomers to communities through a system of "block booking". Rather than touring only from one large city to another, artists would also contract with Community Concert Associations in smaller venues located en route. Thus, artists who were scheduled to travel from New York to Boston and perhaps on to Cleveland would also perform in smaller towns such as Concord and Nashua in New Hampshire while traveling between the large metropolitan areas.

To ensure financial stability, associations were obligated to carry out membership drives prior to each season, not relying upon sales of tickets at the box office. Through its all-volunteer organization operating within its own constitution and by-laws, Concord Community Concert Association has offered a series of at least three concerts yearly without interruption throughout the past 95 years.

At some time in the 80's Community Concerts, Inc. became a separate division of Columbia Artists Management. The division subsequently became Community Concerts, LLC, a privately owned entity which unfortunately encountered financial difficulties. Next, the Concord Community Concert Association became affiliated with a performing arts service organization, “Live on Stage, LLC”, based in Nashville, Tennessee. The concept, goals and services remained the same. Each local Association is assigned a representative to assist in the process of choosing and booking touring artists for the yearly series. Finally, the Concord Community Concert Association became its own independent nonprofit, outliving all its sister organizations in the state.

Hundreds of volunteers dedicated to the original goals of the organization have made its survival possible. Looking toward building audiences of the future, the Association offers free tickets to area students with the help of generous grants. Born in the aftermath of the Great Depression of 1929, the Association has survived throughout the past 94 years, despite increased competition from television and increasing numbers of area presenters. Currently, the Concord Community Concert Association is preparing to enter its 96th anniversary 2026-2027 season.