Starting a cultural activity in the middle of a world war might sound crazy, but in 1944, Melba Schmidt and 25 other music lovers launched the first Columbia Community Concert Series at Houston Hall on the Mesa Junior College campus. 

The first season featured world-renowned harpist Margaret Dilling, followed by child violinist Patricia Travers, who later appeared in movies. On April 6, 1945, piano duo Bartlett and Robertson performed, and the season closed on April 18 with Helen Jepson—known for singing with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra and later as a soprano with the Metropolitan Opera.

Schmidt and her fellow volunteer board members met each artist at the Grand Junction train station and arranged for lodging, often in private homes. The organization eventually became Mesa County Community Concerts, Inc. In 1953, concerts moved to the 1,500-seat Grand Junction High School auditorium, where performances continued until the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Today, the group is known as Community Concerts of the Grand Valley, presenting world-class performers at the historic Avalon Theatre. Though the name has changed, the mission remains the same: to bring high-quality music and dance to local audiences. Over the past 80 years, the organization has inspired similar nonprofit concert groups across the country.

“We try to vary our acts, genres and types of music to bring joy and fun to many different patrons,” said Board President Penny Jansen. “I just got off the phone with a season ticket holder who said, ‘We recently moved here from Denver, where we had the Buell Theater, and I’m so glad you have this here!’”

Each season, Community Concerts presents four to six performances spanning a variety of genres. Past highlights include dancers from the Joffrey Ballet, StepToe and the New York Theatre Ballet, as well as renowned musicians like the Vienna Boys Choir, Peter Nero and The Glenn Miller Orchestra. Country and folk fans have enjoyed a Hank Williams tribute artist, Riders in the Sky, The Kingston Trio and a tribute to John Denver.

A team of up to 22 dedicated volunteers works year-round to research, plan and present the best national and international acts—offering affordable season tickets in three pricing tiers or single-event tickets when available. 

Jansen expressed her gratitude as the organization celebrates this major milestone.

“As president, I have many shout-outs! First, I want to thank our all-volunteer board of directors. They bring energy, enthusiasm, ideas and a ‘can-do’ attitude,” she said. “Next, I want to thank our season ticket holders—their joy and appreciation make the work worthwhile. And finally, I want to thank the BEACON. Many of our ticket holders have told me they learned about CCGV through this great magazine!”

Looking ahead, Jansen added, “We are always exploring new genres and performances to appeal to the next generation of audiences while continuing to provide great concerts for our loyal season ticket holders.”

To volunteer or learn more, call 970-778-4941 or visit CommunityConcertsGrandValley.org.