Massachusetts especially fosters outstanding small performance groups. The Cape and Islands Chamber Music Festival is certainly one of them, hailed recently by the New York Times as "a triumph of quality." Founded in 1979 in North Chatham, the CICMF presents both world-class ensembles and artists -- Yo-Yo Ma, Emmanuel Ax -- and emerging young artists, to a wide variety of audiences .

Whether presenting the "Best of Beethoven" to local elementary schools, or master classes for advanced string students, or the entire cycle of Beethoven's string quartets to sophisticated audiences, or free performances for the elderly, the Festival has held itself to the highest of standards while weaving itself into the lives of Cape residents. Here indeed is a "private initiative for the public good, focusing on quality of life."

CICMF has no concert facility of its own; instead, it brings music to libraries and churches, towns and neighborhoods. Among many other tasks, this requires special efforts to provide and maintain first-class instruments for the use of first-class performers. You can be a patron.