Intertwined with our performing activities, Chameleons in the Community has been an important part of our work and our mission since the Ensemble’s inception. It is born out of a belief that access to music should not be a “luxury” item, and through it we give everything we do a sense of social responsibility. The program serves an urban, economically disadvantaged population with the goal of increasing the accessibility of classical music and creating connections between the arts and everyday life. Annually, it includes: a free ticket program; a benefit concert drive to raise books, food, clothing or other items for a local public service agency; and our spring music education program, including a free family concert and instrument demonstrations, education concerts, and workshops for students from the Boston Public Schools.

Free Ticket Program

For more than two decades, Chameleon has been donating free concert tickets to area public service organizations and youth orchestras. We are also proud to participate in the Card to Culture program, a collaboration between Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, Massachusetts Health Connector, and WIC Nutrition Program, by providing free tickets to our chamber music series for EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders. For information on how you or your organization can participate, please call 617-427-8200 or email info@chameleonarts.org. See the full list of participating organizations offering EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare discounts.

Benefit Drive

Each year, we dedicate one of our chamber music series programs as a benefit drive for a local public service charity and participants receive 25% off regularly-priced tickets. The drives are a unique model to unite the arts with public service, and designed to keep both musicians and patrons connected with the world around us.

Music Education Program

Chameleon’s music education program is designed to actively connect participants with the process of creating and enjoying music through a series of interactive concerts, hands-on instrument demonstrations, and in-class workshops. With each component, we encourage students to become participants rather than spectators, instill a sense of ownership over the creative process, and help them learn to collaborate and work as a team. We are currently engaged with grades 3-5 from four Boston Public Schools. The program was launched in 2004 and since that time, we’ve brought more than 6,000 students a first experience with classical music.