The Aberdeen Civic Music Association (later Aberdeen Community Concert Association) was started in 1938 when a representative of the National Civic Music Association and a number of interested Aberdonians met to discuss the possibility of forming a local concert association under the auspices of the national organization in order to provide a series of regularly-scheduled, high-quality concerts to music enthusiasts in the Aberdeen area.
That same year, the Aberdeen Civic Theater and Arena had been completed, and the new theater with its large stage, state-of-the-art-lighting, inclined floor and seating capacity for 1,500 plus offered an attractive performance setting for visiting concert artists as well as audience members. The availability of this facility plus the push from the national representative convinced the local group to organize the Civic Music Association.
During the group’s early years, its concert seasons included artists of international renown such as Marion Anderson, Andres Segovia, Isaac Stern, Victor Borge, Ferante and Teicher, The Vienna Boys choir, The Cincinnati Symphony and Ballet Russe. In the early 1950’s each year brought a sell-out membership, but by 1957 a change was desired and the organization voted to change its national affiliation from the Civic Music Association to the Community Concerts Organization. Community Concerts, a subdivision of Columbia Artists, was organized in 1927 to connect artists and audiences from coast to coast.
The Aberdeen Community Concert Association was restructured and incorporated as a non-profit group in 1965. It continued the tradition of bringing high-quality entertainment to the Aberdeen community. Since the 2004-2005 season, the Aberdeen Community Concert Association has been booking their concerts through Live on Stage, based in Nashville, TN.
The association is managed by a board of eighteen directors who are elected by the membership and equally as dedicated to providing quality musical/dance entertainment to the citizens of the Aberdeen area as the six organizers of the Aberdeen Civic Music Association were over 80 years ago.