El Paso Pro-Musica was founded in 1977 by Bruce Nehring, its first Artistic Director. The inaugural concert was a performance of Handel's “Messiah” in December of that year. The following spring, El Paso Pro-Musica went on to present an ambitious series of four performances featuring Bach cantatas and instrumental compositions. 1978-79 marked the organizations first complete year of performances.
Over the years, El Paso Pro-Musica has established itself as one of the city's most respected organizations with a celebrated annual concert series and a history of bringing great music to our city and region. The El Paso Chamber Music Festival, co-founded by Bruce Nehring and Stephen Prutsman in 1990, brought internationally renowned musicians to El Paso . Under the leadership of Kwang-Wu Kim, Artistic Director of El Paso Pro-Musica from 1993-2001, and now President of Longy conservatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the Festival and the organization developed a national reputation for artistic excellence and innovation, aided in great part by live broadcasts each year of Festival concerts on National Public Radio.
Based on a firm conviction that the experience of live music is an essential one and that a concert series alone cannot suffice to provide access to musical excellence for everyone, El Paso Pro-Musica has been dedicated to promoting educational and cultural development in the community. An extensive outreach program takes performances to schoolchildren, the elderly, and others who may not have the opportunities to attend performances. Every effort is made to encourage young people to attend concerts through a generous ticket pricing policy for students. Pre-concert talks, open rehearsals, and master classes provide further opportunities for audience members to share in the exciting process of learning about music.
In 2001, El Paso Pro-Musica celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary season and the beginning of a new chapter in its history with the appointment of Artistic Director, Zuill Bailey who comes to us with an education from the Juilliard School of Music and the Peabody Conservatory. He has an established career as a concert cellist and an international reputation as a musician. There are many milestones ahead for El Paso Pro-Musica. Each concert season lifts the artistic bar to an even higher level.
