January 22, 2026

WINCHESTER, MA — Since 1981, the first year of offering private lessons out of classroom space at McCall Middle School, Winchester Community Music School has grown into a regional leader in community music education. WCMS is now excited to announce the public launch of “SoundBreaking,” a $5.7 million capital campaign to support a major expansion of its “Home for Music” building at 407 Highland Avenue in Winchester. This campaign is a crucial step toward furthering the school’s mission to provide exceptional, accessible music education and performance opportunities for students of all ages—both now and for years to come. Construction is underway, with the expansion slated to open in Fall 2026.

Designed to meet the evolving needs of today’s musicians, the project will expand WCMS’s capacity to serve students and adult learners, support faculty excellence, and embrace modern music technology while ensuring a warm, welcoming environment and full accessibility for all. Executive Director Laurie Russell states, “As the leader of WCMS, I see SoundBreaking as both a responsibility and an opportunity to honor our legacy while building a future rooted in access, creativity, and excellence in music education and performance. This project allows us to serve our students more fully and strengthen WCMS as a cultural home for our community.”

A New Era for Students and Faculty

The project will reinvent Nichols Performance Hall as a new 135-seat concert venue featuring state-of-the-art acoustics, recording, and livestreaming capability. The hall will provide a premier setting for the more than 150 student recitals, faculty concerts, and guest artist performances that WCMS holds each year. The existing Nichols Performance Hall will be reimagined as a large classroom to support group instruction and ensemble-based programs.

The new Programmatic Wing will also add purpose-built studios that directly support WCMS’s growing enrollment and diverse offerings, enabling it to better serve the 1,100 students and adult learners they currently teach every year. These spaces include dedicated Ensemble and Percussion Studios and multiple new private lesson teaching studios, bringing the total number of specialized instructional spaces to 27. Faculty will benefit from environments designed specifically for focused instruction, rehearsal, and collaboration, while students gain access to state-of-the art facilities in which to learn and perform.

Innovation, Access, and Inclusion

A key feature of the expansion is the Music Technology Lab, a cutting-edge creative space equipped for composition, recording, digital audio production, and multimedia sound design. This lab will allow students and adult learners to engage with music beyond traditional performance, preparing them for the musical landscape of the 21st century.

Universal accessibility is central to the project. The building will receive comprehensive ADA-compliant upgrades, ensuring that every student, family member, and visitor can fully participate in school programs. Barrier-free access underscores WCMS’s long-standing commitment to inclusion and equity in arts education.

A Cultural Asset for Winchester

Beyond its impact within the school, the expansion positions WCMS as a cultural hub for the greater community. With a state-of-the-art performance venue and expanded programming capacity, WCMS will host top-caliber concerts, community events, and educational programs that enrich local cultural life and foster connection through music.

Making the Vision a Reality

The expansion is supported by the SoundBreaking Capital Campaign, a $5.7 million fundraising initiative. The campaign has raised 57% of the total $5.7 million goal during the initial “quiet phase,” and the SoundBreaking Campaign Committee is excited to announce the public launch on a foundation of robust community support. Speaking of the expansion, campaign committee co-chair Annie Bartlett said, “SoundBreaking is more than an expansion of our building, it’s an expansion of possibility. The campaign allows us to give back to WCMS what it has provided for our family by creating a welcoming, accessible, and outstanding community where students, families, faculty, and audiences find their home for music.”

For more information about the expansion or to support the SoundBreaking Capital Campaign, please visit our SoundBreaking page or contact Executive Director Laurie Russell at SoundBreaking@winchestermusic.org.

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