History of the Family Concert Series

The Family Concert Series began in the fall of 2000, as the brain child of Greg Grove, the Vocal Music Director at City High School. It began as an effort to make it possible for families of modest means to attend concerts and workshops of performing groups of a world class caliber. This is made possible through the generosity of donors and supporters in our community who give generously to support the program and allow us to keep our prices at an extremely inexpensive level.

Since its inception, The Family Concert Series has hosted a wide variety of performing groups in workshops, master classes and concerts. Those groups have included the Grammy Award-winning Turtle Island String Quartet, the internationally famous a capella group, Rockapella, the Boston Brass, the Dallas Brass, the Canadian fiddling sensations Barrage, the Boni Pueri Boy Choir from the Czech Republic, the Hampton String Quartet, the King's Singers from England, and many others. In addition to playing before large and enthusiastic audiences, these groups have been face to face with the students of the Iowa City Community School District in workshops and master classes.

An integral facet of the Family Concert Series program is the free ticket distribution program. Any student or family that does not have the means to attend a concert has only to request tickets, and they are provided for them. Additionally, tickets are provided to several United Way supported groups to allow the developmentally disabled, and those who have endured extraordinary hardships to attend concerts free of charge.

The Family Concert Series is an all volunteer organization that depends exclusively on the generosity of its volunteers and donors.