History

Chamber Music Wilmington (CMW)

Programs of all past concerts (pdf file format)

Chamber Music Wilmington, orginially known as The Chamber Music Society of Wilmington, was founded in November 1995 by Port City residents Barbara McKenzie and Petrea Warneck, both established musicians.

When Barbara McKenzie and Petrea Warneck both ended up in Wilmington it was perhaps inevitable that the two musicians should meet. They had much in common including an interest on bringing chamber music to Wilmington. Chamber Music Wilmington is an artist driven organization that brings together musicians who otherwise might never have an opportunity to play together, showcasing North Carolina artists as well as international talent. The artists strive to present programs that are unique, featuring a thoughtful combination of musical compositions.

Today, Chamber Music Wilmington works in partnership with UNC-Wilmington to present the concert series and educational outreach programs for the community. Concerts are held at Beckwith Recital Hall in the UNCW Cultural Arts Building.

Ms. McKenzie, an internationally recognized pianist, serves as the Artistic Director of CMW. She has played at music festivals and concert halls all over the world and has received many honors and awards including First Prize in the International Chamber Music Competition in Paris. She toured Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East as the musical ambassador for the US State Department and made appearances in Leningrad and Moscow. She also serves as artistic director of the American Music Festival in Beaufort, NC.

Petrea Warneck, the group's Executive Director Emertius, is a distinguished oboist and currently performs extensively throughout the Carolinas as an orchestral and chamber musician. She is a member of South Carolina Philharmonic and a substitute musician with the Charlotte, Charleston, Greenville and North Carolina Symphony Orchestras. She has a distinguished reputation as an oboe instructor in the southeast. Covering the Carolinas from east to west, she has a private studio at home in Columbia and she is the oboe instructor at Furman University and the SC Governor’s School for the Arts in Greenville, SC. She is currently teaching oboe at the University of South Carolina-Columbia as sabbatical replacement and has in past years taught oboe at USC-Columbia, Presbyterian College (Clinton, SC), and UNC-Wilmington.