Has any other music organization in Seattle expanded as quickly as the Seattle Chamber Music Society (SCMS) and its annual Summer Festival? The SCMS has enjoyed consistently full, often sold-out concerts, a stable roster of world-class players, and a recent territorial expansion worthy of a Near Eastern Empire: The January "Winter Interlude" has grown into a "Winter Festival" and the 10-day sister festival in Redmond prolongs the Summer Festival to six weeks of almost two dozen concerts.

Despite expansion and institutional longevity—the SCMS turns 25 this year—the quality of performances I've heard in person and on the radio remain high. And though year after year I keep wishing for more than the dribs and drabs of recent (shh, don't call it "contemporary") music, you can count on chamber music by the meat-and-potatoes great composers, including Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms. Forgotten composers such as Tchaikovsky pupil Sergei Taneyev (1856–1915), Reynaldo Hahn (1874–1947), and Ernst von Dohnányi (1877–1960) always crop up on the programs, too.

Oh, and whether you get tickets for the performances inside or take the freebie (and depending on the weather, less humid) option of sitting out on the lawn and listening to speakers, parking can be a pain. Arrive early or park several blocks away and wear your walking shoes. If you're loath to trek to North Seattle, you can do what I do for most of the concerts: Stay home and listen to the live broadcasts on KING 98.1 FM.

The SCMS Summer Festival runs Mon July 3 through Fri July 28 at Lakeside School, 14050 First Ave NE, 283-8808, 8 pm, $8–$38 or $432 for the 12-concert package. The half-hour 7 pm recitals are free. Check www.seattlechambermusic.org as performers and programs are subject to change.