President’s Letter – June 2026
Dear Friends ~
I’m delighted to let you know that our 2026-27 subscription campaign is doing exceptionally well and that we have already passed the half-way mark on our way to our goals. Many thanks to all the new and renewing subscribers who have signed up already for a brilliant new season.
I do have to apologize, however, to those (and we have heard from a number) who, having purchased their subscriptions, tried to take advantage of the early subscription incentive we’re offering – 50% off a special non-subscription concert “Music for a Summer’s Eve” at the RCA on June 24 – and ran into road blocks.
This add-on event is a bit of an experiment for CMK and has proved very challenging for the Box Office who are still trying to make sure that everyone who is entitled actually has an opportunity to purchase discounted tickets for the June 24 concert. If you are among those who have had difficulties in securing your $25 tickets, please call our Box Office contacts, Terri-Lynn or Avrielle, directly at 250-469-8940 and they will ensure you receive them pronto!
And, of course, if you are planning to purchase or renew a subscription for next season, you can do so now and qualify for the deeply-discounted seats for June 24. Subscriptions are available at theboxoffice.ca (https://chambermusickelowna.ca/box-office/) or you can call during business hours.
We are more grateful than we can say to our June 24 sponsor, Bistro Roma Nord, who will be offering a celebratory glass to ticket purchasers at the end of the evening – when it will still be light outside.
Quails Gate Winemaker’s Dinner & Concert
Coming up on June 23 is a very special evening at Quails’ Gate Winery with music performed by Quatuor Amis (https://chambermusickelowna.ca/concert/quatuor-amis-music-for-a-summers-eve/) . Coming up on June 23 is a very special evening at Quails’ Gate Winery. There are 2 seats left at time of writing.
RSVP Here (https://www.opentable.ca/r/old-vines-restaurant-at-quails-gate-winery-kelowna)
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And, as promised:
Stakeholder Survey Results BELOW!!
P. Diane Bond, President
Survey Results…And Next Steps!!
The 2026 survey was sent out on March 11 and 103 friends of CMK completed it. We really appreciate your help in planning for a prosperous musical future! Here’s a quick summary of what we learned:
🎼 Over 90% of respondents are “satisfied: or “very satisfied” with our venue, availability of information about CMK events, Box Office services, variety of programs offered and concert days and times. 99% found excellent or good value in the musical experiences offered by CMK.
🎼 Many respondents provided constructive comments about all these aspects of our activities and services, providing excellent feedback for the RCA and for the Box Office. We will be meeting with the RCA to discuss how we can improve the experience for everyone. We will be reviewing policies with respect to such items as “scent-free” theatre.
🎼 Some of us (including your President!) are finding that as we get older, comfort and accessibility become increasingly important to fully enjoying performances. Suggestions included offering occasional matinee performances or earlier start times, expanding accessible seating options, and, perhaps most creatively, installing center-aisle handrails in the RCA to help navigate the steeply pitched aisles with greater confidence and ease. We will explore each of these ideas to determine what is practical and achievable.
🎼 Those of us who have been attending for decades are occasionally distracted by what we may consider to be less than perfect concert etiquette observance by some audience members. You may have noticed at the last concert the ushers intervening to get cell phones put away. The house staff are always instructed to allow late seating only during breaks in the program. As to clapping between movements, we love to hear it because it means there are new fans in the house!
🎼 Parking in the cultural district is a problem. We are not sure what can be done about this, but we will speak to our assigned contact at the City. The best remedy seems to be arriving early.
🎼 CMK attendees have a wide range and variety of musical interests, whether viewed by period or sub-genre. This is probably as it should be. We recognize the programming challenge posed by our relatively short season and look forward to the day when we can offer more programs and therefore give subscribers more options, for example “string series” vs “piano series.” This, however, would require higher costs, hiring permanent staff and improved availability of dates in the MIT. Mere bagatelles!
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