Creative Music Studio

The Creative Music Studio (CMS) was a premier study center for contemporary creative music during the 1970s and 1980s, based in Woodstock, New York. Founded in 1971 by Karl Berger, Ingrid Sertso, and Ornette Coleman, it brought together students and leading innovators in the jazz and world music communities. Unprecedented in its range and diversity, CMS has provided participants with an opportunity to interact personally with musical giants of improvisation and musical thought.

At CMS, the concept of 'Worldjazz' was born: the improvisational and compositional expansion of the world's musical traditions, guided by authentic leaders. Hundreds of live concerts were recorded, many regarded as landmark performances. Thousands of workshops, master classes, concerts and colloquia inspired a generation of musicians. In 1981, the organization celebrated its 10th anniversary at a concert titled the "Woodstock Jazz Festival".

The CMS facility in Woodstock closed in 1984, but its masterclasses continued as the World Jazz Encounters program internationally. In 2013, a facility was re-established, with sessions in the spring and fall, in Big Indian, New York. CMS began to digitize the archive of performances recorded during CMS workshops and special events.