Fall 2026

D on’t be misled by the word “society.” Carmel Music Society (CMS) is a world-famous, forward-looking annu- al music series and is not your grandmother’s white-glove, cucumber sandwich, chamomile tea-type affair. In the 100 years since its humble beginnings in a Carmel private home, it has hosted some of the most illustrious classical music talents on Earth: Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Leontyne Price, Ar thur Rubinstein. Household names all, even to those not steeped in the classical music world. And that tradition continues into the beginning of CMS’s sec- ond century, launching Oct- ober 11, 2026, with the ex- citing and innovative Ander- son & Roe Piano Duo, and winding up with a May 2, 2027, performance from cel- list Sheku Kanneh-Mason and pianist Benjamin Gros- venor. Carmel’s sublime Sun- set Center auditorium, the home of CMS pre- sentations for many years, is this year joined by The SandBox, an intimate venue perfectly suited to chamber music. In 1926, the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea had been incorporated for merely a decade. The streets were unpaved and services were spare, but the little village was a thriving hotbed of artistic energy. Painters, sculptors, musicians and writers of all kinds walked those streets, gener- ating a heady bohemian culture based on the love of art. Into this bubbling creative stew arrived a pair of San Francisco women, Dene (pronounced “Deen”) Denny and Hazel Watrous. When they registered to vote in Carmel in 1924, Denny was listed as “musician” and Watrous as “artist.” David Gordon, author of a fascinating and deeply and painstakingly researched biography, “Car- mel Impresarios: A Cultural Biography of Dene Denny & Hazel Watrous,” says, “Dene and Hazel immediately fell in love with Carmel on their first visit.” So much so that they purchased a lot on Dolores Street between First and Second Avenues. “Watrous designed a small cottage with a large central 140 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 6 Dene Denny and Hazel Watrous founded CMS in their Carmel Cottage in 1927. The tradition of bringing the world’s finest classical music performers enters its second century at Sunset Center auditorium and the intimate SandBox in Sand City. Photos: Courtesy of David Gordon