Since Chamber Music Amarillo started 22 years ago, it has grown from hosting performances in houses to hosting performances in its Fibonacci Space, located at 3306 SW 6th Ave.

With the Amarillo Symphony recently announcing its merger with Chamber Music Amarillo, the organization is continuing its growth, expanding the organziation’s ability to bring chamber music concerts and performances featuring smaller ensembles of professional musicians to members of the Amarillo arts community, as well as the rest of the 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle.

According to a news release from the Amarillo Symphony, the missions of both organizations are closely aligned, “bringing high quality music and music education to the Texas Panhandle,” which they believe can “be accomplished more effectively and efficiently together.”

“The merger of Chamber Music Amarillo with the Amarillo Symphony will ensure that music will reach more and more people in the Panhandle of Texas,” Andrew Hay, executive director of the Amarillo Symphony, said in the release. “The partnership between these two performing arts organizations broadens our artistic horizons, allows for flexibility in service and will positively impact future musicians and music lovers.”

David Palmer, artistic director of Chamber Music Amarillo, said the conversations about this merger began in June 2019. Since then, officials of the two entities met a few times each month, having conversations with each organizations’ board of directors and forming different committees envisioning what a merger may look like, even though the brands of the individual organizations are different.

“They are two distinct and different brands. That was one of the first things that Andrew (Hay) said to me (when we started the conversation about the merger),” Palmer said. “(He said) ‘I don’t want to change a single thing about your brand. I just want to make it stronger. I want to put some muscle behind it to make it better known.’”

Through all those conversations, Palmer said everyone just saw a lot of green lights, envisioning a positive outcome if the two entities merged.

An opportunity to join with the Amarillo Symphony was an opportunity for Chamber Music Amarillo to merge with a strong institution that could make its mission, product and overall genre stronger, Palmer said.

But even with the merger, Chamber Music Amarillo will retain its identity, Palmer added.

“We anticipate, going forward, that our brand will remain distinct and to celebrate it within the symphony,” he said. “We also look forward to learning from the symphony and their staff, in terms of how to better operate — how to be more efficient, to have a more effective product, if you will. As far as that bohemian style is concerned — how we present and so forth — that will remain, and I am very grateful for that.”

Through this relationship, Chamber Music Amarillo will continue to have its concert series, Palmer said, as well as its outreach opportunities with area seniors and youths. The upcoming 2020-21 season will not be affected.

Another thing that this merger will not affect is the upcoming performance of the Missa Solemnis, a performance that representatives from multiple arts organizations around the area have been involved in. According to previous Globe-News reports, the performance was originally scheduled for May but had to be postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Palmer ensured a performance of Beethoven’s work is still going to happen in Amarillo in the future. While a firm date has not been set, Palmer said it will likely be in May 2022.

Through this partnership, Palmer said he expects to see growth for Chamber Music Amarillo. The relationship will help expand its reach by furthering its outreach as well as its marketing and fundraising, he said.

Palmer added that he is looking forward to what his organization can bring to the symphony.

“Chamber Music, as an ideology, is very present inside of an orchestral experience. The kind of connectivity that is among all of the musicians as well as to the conductor and from the conductor points directly to chamber music,” Palmer said. “It’s kind of a shared platform, in many respects. We are really looking forward to the concept of how effectively chamber music experience, chamber orchestra experience, which we will also be doing, and symphony experiences can share this kind of synergy.”

This merger also demonstrates what Palmer said he thinks is special about the Amarillo arts community as a whole.

“I think it demonstrates, not only to (Chamber Music Amarillo) but to all the arts organizations, that the value of what art is is enormous for people in this community,” he said. “They just simply will not let it fail. We have to roll up our sleeves and we have to work hard for what we do for our quality of life here in the Panhandle, but I think that’s what gives us that Panhandle spirit.”

Chamber Music Amarillo’s 2020-21 season will begin with the “Gathering our Community” performance scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at Street Toyota, 4500 S. Soncy Road. The program will consist of a repertoire featuring works by Schubert and Brahms.

For more information about the Amarillo Symphony and Chamber Music Amarillo, visit https://amarillosymphony.org.