2025 marks 100 years since visionary music educator and pianist Edna Lieber organized what would become the Community Music School dedicated to offering high-quality music education to all.
Over the years, you may have known us by different names including the Conservatory and School of the Arts (CASA), the St. Louis Symphony Music School, or Community Music School of Webster University (CMS) but we've always remained true to our original commitment of quality and accessibility.
Join us as we celebrate our Centennial, reflecting on our journey and looking forward to our future.
About the Community Music School (CMS)
Transcript
[Subtle electronic music plays]
[Footage of Webster University Campus including the exterior of CMS Center]
Text on Screen: Community Music School of Webster University
Narrator Since 1925, the Community Music School of Webster University has been a beacon of musical education in the St. Louis region.
[Footage of students playing in an orchestra and a jazz band]
Narrator: Formerly known as the Conservatory and School for the Arts or CASA, and the St. Louis Symphony Community Music School, today, it stands as a proud department of the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts at Webster University.
[Black and white still photos of students playing instruments then fade to inside of CMS Concert Hall]
Text on Screen: Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts of Webster University
Narrator: With over 90 dedicated faculty members and more than 1,200 students, the Community Music School offers a diverse range of programs tailored to students of all ages and abilities. At the heart of the school are individual lessons on a variety of instruments, including all band and orchestra instruments piano, guitar, and voice.
[Footage of teachers giving music lessons to music students in multiple locations ending in blurred photo of hands holding a piccolo]
Text Centered on Screen: Individual lessons Band and Orchestra Piano Guitar Voice
Narrator: Unique to the Community Music School is a traditional Suzuki Strings program offering lessons to beginning students starting at age 4, along with their parents.
[Footage of instructors with very young children and their parents and group classes of very young children]
Narrator: The school also offers early childhood classes through Kindermusik International and group piano classes, fostering a love of music from a young age.
[Footage of parents with toddlers and pre-schoolers in group classes]
Narrator: For school-aged students seeking a collaborative experience, there are ensemble programs in chamber music, jazz , strings and a sequential Young People’s Orchestra Program, which includes two full orchestras. Summer camps keep the music momentum going all year long.
[Footage of school-aged children receiving awards, playing in small groups and large orchestras]
Narrator: There’s even a nationally recognized Young Composers Competition, which brings guest composers from across the nation and features professional musicians playing award-winning works.
[Group photos of winners and guest artists, and adult musicians playing in small ensemble on stage]
Narrator: With two convenient locations in Webster Groves and Chesterfield, the Community Music School is accessible to all in the St. Louis area.
[Arial footage of CMS Center on Webster University Campus and the Leon R. Strauss Center in Faust Park, Chesterfield]
Narrator: And with 85% of our faculty holding advanced degrees, students can trust they are receiving top-notch instruction.
[Footage of interiors at Strauss Center of instructors and students playing instruments in a lesson]
Narrator: Join us at the Community School of Webster University, where music education has been a tradition for a century.
[Footage of young children in a pre-school class and in group piano class fade to white]
Text on screen: Community Music School of Webster University, webster.edu/cms
[screen fade to black]
Quality
CMS instructors and conductors are professional musicians who are also master educators. They are evaluated on a regular basis, and more than 85% have advanced degrees. Faculty Biographies
Locations
CMS has convenient locations in Webster Groves and Chesterfield. Our headquarters on the Webster University campus includes 15 teaching studios, two rehearsal halls and a 470-seat concert hall. More on Locations
Financial Assistance
Need-based tuition assistance, as well as endangered instrument awards, family and multiple instrument discounts, orchestra student discount, and artistic merit scholarships are available. More on Assistance
Performance Opportunities
Monthly recitals give individual lesson students the chance to polish and perform music for others — building goal-setting skills and performance poise. In addition, CMS offers multiple orchestras, ensembles and chamber music for school-aged musicians.
Cancelled: Fall Faculty ConcertOctober 12th at 2:00 pm |
Cancelled: Spring Faculty ConcertMarch 15th at 2:00 pm |
Prep Program Fall ConcertNovember 17th at 6:00 pm |
23-24 Young Composers Competition Concert March 29th at 4:00 pm |
High School Jazz Ensemble ConcertDecember 6th at 8:00 pm |
Prep Program Spring ConcertApril 23rd at 6:00 pm |
String Ensemble/String Orchestra ConcertJanuary 12th at 2:00 pm |
High School Jazz Ensemble ConcertApril 25th at 8:00 pm |
YPSO Fall Concert*DATE & TIME CHANGE* January 13th at 7:00 pm |
String Ensemble/String Orchestra ConcertApril 27th at 2:00 pm |
YPCO Fall ConcertJanuary 19th at 6:00 pm |
YPCO Spring ConcertApril 27th at 6:00 pm |
NEW DATE: Prep Program Winter ConcertFebruary 26th at 6:00 pm |
YPSO Spring ConcertMay 4th at 6:00 pm |
Masterclasses and Coachings
Through Webster University, the St. Louis Symphony, the St. Louis Classical Guitar Society, Chamber Project Saint Louis and other local partners, CMS students periodically have the opportunity to participate in or observe masterclasses or coaching sessions with nationally and internationally renowned artists, such as Pinchas Zuckerman, violin; Ron Leonard, cello; Gabrielle Cassone, trumpet; Keith Aleo, percussion; Emanuel Ax, piano; and many more.
Affiliations
CMS students benefit through our partnerships with the Webster University Department of Music, the St. Louis Symphony, The Sheldon Concert Hall, St. Louis Public School District, and other arts and community organizations. The CMS is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music and benefits from membership in the National Guild for Community Arts Education. About CMS
Take a Virtual Tour
Community Music School News and Events

Community Music School of Webster University Celebrates 100 Years of Musical Education
February 3, 2025

Community Music School of Webster University Named International Top Program in Early Childhood Music Education
September 12, 2024

Community Music School Now Accepting Applications for the 2024-2025 Young Composers Competition
September 11, 2024
Highlights from the Community Music School
YPSO Concerto Competition Winner and Guest Artists
February 1, 2025
The insert that featured the biographies of Norah Murphy, Brian Owens and Thomas Owens was left out of the program for...
CMS Announces Winners of 2024-2025 Young Composers Competition
January 31, 2025
The Community Music School of Webster University (CMS) proudly announces the winners of the 2024-2025 Young Composers...
Community Music School: Rooted in Settlement Movement’s Vision of Empowerment and Inclusivity
January 30, 2025
The Community Music School (CMS) of Webster University traces its origins to the Settlement Movement, a social reform...
Contact Us
Phone
314-968-5939
Mailing Address
470 E. Lockwood Ave.
Webster Groves, MO 63119