The Quincy Civic Music Association (QCMA) was organized in 1927, with the purpose of presenting seasons of four to six concerts by professional musicians and dancers. It is the oldest existing cultural organization in Quincy devoted to professional entertainment. It was a founding member of the Quincy Society of Fine Arts when it began in 1947 as the very first community arts council in the United States.
The QCMA is an all-volunteer organization whose non-profit status enables it to qualify for numerous grants and gifts. As a result, it has been able, despite its modest ticket prices and Quincy’s modest size, to bring some of the world’s best musicians to the city. The 25-year-old Isaac Stern performed during the 1945-1946 season. There is reliable verbal testimony that the great pianist and composer Rachmaninov earlier played for QCMA members. The Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo and the Joffrey Ballet were brought to Quincy by the QCMA. Within the past 30 years the QCMA as brought here the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as well as the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra under Kurt Masur. Other world-class ensembles on recent seasons are VOCES8 and the Kronos Quartet.