The East Bay has known “Music at the Mission” (MAM) for giving beautiful and intimate chamber music performances at private residences and local churches. Although the group got its start at Old Mission San Jose in Fremont, they’ve expanded far beyond their original setting. So fittingly, in 2025 for their 20th anniversary they’re rebranding by changing one word. Now, the group is Music with a Mission: in Fremont and around the Bay. The rebrand was unveiled at their “Chamber Rock & Roll-Out” fundraiser on May 31, 2025.
Music with a Mission pianist Aileen Chanco says, “We recognized a gap in classical chamber music offerings in the Tri-Cities area, as established presenters existed in the North (Berkeley and Oakland), the South (San Jose), and across the bridge (San Francisco).”
Music at the Mission was Chanco’s vision. She shares, “Prior to 2005, I was a concert pianist living in New York City after earning my master’s in piano performance from Juilliard. When I returned to my hometown of Fremont to get married, I found the Old Mission San Jose and joined as a part-time accompanist.” While she enjoyed performing, she also felt a sense of isolation.
‘We recognized a gap in classical chamber music offerings in the Tri-Cities area, as established presenters existed in the North (Berkeley and Oakland), the South (San Jose), and across the bridge (San Francisco)’
Aileen Chanco
In February 2005, Chanco organised a chamber music concert at the historic Fremont mission. “Father Manny and Julie Wind—St. Joseph’s music director at the time—were incredibly supportive, envisioning the Mission as a welcoming space for both parishioners and the wider community,” she says.
This first program included a newly commissioned piece by Bay Area composer Mark Fish; Chanco was joined by local singer Anna Keevey and pianist Patricia Diaz. The community responded positively and clamored for more. The next season included string quartet Ethel on tour from New York and Turkish violinist Ertan Torgul.
Along with husband and artistic director (and bassist) Bill Everett, Chanco began “curating programs that combined music with spoken word, featuring actors like David Ogden Stiers and Roscoe Lee Brown alongside talented Bay Area chamber musicians.”
Concerts were occasionally followed by warm after-parties at Mission Coffee across the street, where the musicians could connect further with the audience. While Old Mission San Jose was the group’s home, they later expanded to include the South Bay when Julie Wind moved to St. Joseph’s Cathedral Basilica in San Jose.
During the pandemic, MAM went online with their performances, recording from various Fremont locations. Additionally, with the new pastor at the Mission feeling more doubts about how chamber music aligned with the church’s focus, MAM started performing from alternate venues, including private homes, Niles Discovery Church and All Saints Episcopal Church in San Leandro.
Over the years, the group has also expanded to a more global focus, doing fundraising concerts after the Japanese tsunami in Touhoku, Philippine hurricane Haiyan, the war in Ukraine—and most recently for the California Wildfires Red Cross Fund. Chanco notes, “As you can see, our former name, ‘Music at the Mission’ no longer fits.”
‘We are rooted in a mission of bringing to light important causes and social justice issues through impactful music programs’
Aileen Chanco
Going forward, Music with a Mission plans to perform in San Leandro and Marina (in Monterey) as well in their home city of Fremont. Although they are no longer rooted at the Old Mission, Chanco states, “We are rooted in a mission of bringing to light important causes and social justice issues through impactful music programs.”
Music with a Mission debuts with a series of June concerts titled, “In the Company of Friends,” showcasing music from Shubert along with a composition by Music with a Mission composer Steve Huber. Performers are pianist Aileen Chanco, violinists Ertan Torgul and Steve Huber, Chad Kaltinge on viola, Michael Graham on cello and Bill Everett on double bass.
A press release from Music with a Mission shares, “Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet, composed during a joyful summer in Austria, captures the spirit of nature and friendship.” In the same release, Everett states, “His music was most at home in small gatherings, like ours.”
Huber’s Piano Quintet No. 1, which will accompany the Trout Quintet in two of the June concerts, is a tribute to his parents’ 50th anniversary, blending personal storytelling with influences from Peruvian folk music and faith.
musicatmsj.org
Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet
Wednesday, June 11
7:30pm
All Saints Episcopal Church
911 Dowling Blvd., San Leandro
Free
Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet & Huber’s Quintet No. 1
Saturday, June 14
Reception at 6:30pm for donors and ticket holders
7:30pm
Niles Discovery Church
36600 Niles Blvd., Fremont
$40
($70 w/ Reception)
Schubert’s ‘Trout’ Quintet and Huber’s Quintet No. 1 Program
Sunday, June 15
4:30pm
Private Residence, Marina (address provided with ticket)
$48
