CMS’s Improvisers Orchestra, an ensemble originally founded by former artistic director Karl Berger (1935-2023), blends the sounds of improvising musicians in ensemble and orchestral settings. The groups are comprised of intergenerational groups of musicians that participate in live improvised performances. 

“The idea of the Improvisers Orchestra is to create a sound together without knowing what happens next. This is a very high art. For those who are new listeners or players, the aim is to harmonize improvised sound with the fine tuning of our sensitivity to the tuning of the sounds we are making.There is a beautiful expression in music: When we learn to play a piece of written music and we finally put the music sheet away, we are now playing “by heart”. This is what we are doing here in the widest sense of this expression – playing by heart. We are born with an innate sense of direct spontaneous play that is not directed by the head. We are not using our head, but our heart.” – Karl Berger

“The ability to give your own original sound was and is the beating heart of CMS and music. CMS is not about teaching; it is about supporting and empowering to bring out what is in you already.” – Ingrid Sertso