Two-Part Film CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY RETURNS airs on PBS April 8 and 15 at 10 PM

Two- Part PBS Film CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY RETURNS A Joyful Return to Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and Tour Across America

Broadcast Nationally on PBS April 8 and 15 at 10 pm ET

Check local listings

New York, March 17, 2022 — In March 2020, when the world shut down, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center closed its doors. Now, a new two-part PBS film, CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY RETURNS, tells the story of CMS’s return to live concerts at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and on a six-city national tour. The documentary captures the passion for making music that pushed the CMS community forward at every turn. The film features behind-the-scenes footage in CMS’s rehearsal studios, backstage, and offices; musicians revealing their relief at finally leaving the isolation of the pandemic behind; and the jubilant performances that represented the long-awaited return to the stage, full of emotion, embraces, and tears of joy.

Even in the early days of the pandemic, when live concerts were impossible, CMS found ways to keep audiences and musicians connected and provide the desperately needed comfort that music can provide in times of crisis and loss. David Finckel and Wu Han, CMS artistic directors, created more than 180 digital programs during the lockdown, and CMS led the way for chamber music organizations around the country, providing digital concerts for them to share with their communities. Throughout the lockdown, CMS and its artists yearned to be back at Lincoln Center with live audiences, and when in-person concerts once again became possible, they were ready to take on the unprecedented logistical challenges that awaited them.