Our Story
The Little Chamber Music Series That Could Society started in 1990 and quickly became highly regarded as an innovative presenter of new music in Vancouver. As resident series at the Cultch, it gained acclaim for commissioning and producing original work (The White Album Concert, Cam Wilson’s Playground Rhymes for Grownups).
In 2005, the society fell dormant after the death of one of the artistic directors. The legacy of the series was strongly felt in the community as the original core of the organization continued to perform and champion new music: Leslie Dala (Vancouver Opera), Allen Stiles (Standing Wave), Cam Wilson (Joe Trio) and many more.
At the suggestion of President Allen Stiles, Mark Haney, with the help of Diane Park, reactivated The Little Chamber Music Series That Could in 2012 to invite new audiences into contemporary music performances through the ‘hook’ of great stories told with warmth.
From 2012-2015 Little Chamber Music was in residence with the Vancouver Park Board as part of their Field House Artist program, and in January 2015, Mark Haney became the first Composer in Residence for Vancouver’s Mountain View Cemetery. In the five years that followed, LCM created more than 25 free events at the cemetery that welcomed a total audience of more than 8000.
Mark Haney, LCM Artistic Director / 2012 – 2023
During the pandemic year of 2020, Little Chamber Music was a leader among Vancouver arts organizations. First, the Isolation Commissions saw $30,000 donated by the community and redistributed to almost 150 artists who created 130 short videos, which have accumulated over 85,000 views to date.
On August 6, 2020, LCM gathered 42 professional string players under conductor Janna Sailor to perform “Human Shadow Etched in Stone” at the Polygon Gallery. This concert marked the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima atrocity and featured 3 new commissioned works by Robyn Jacob, Jordan Nobles, and Rita Ueda. “Human Shadow” was performed live for 2 people: Hiroshima survivor Sachi Komura Rummel and her husband Charles.
In January 2024, LCM welcomed new leadership with Molly MacKinnon stepping in as Artistic Director. Molly has a long history of working with the organization as a performer, producer, and artistic associate. She is extremely excited to continue and expand on LCM’s reputation for innovative, interdisciplinary, community-minded projects.
Molly MacKinnon, Current LCM Artistic Director
