Collegium Musicum

The Collegium Musicum was one of several types of musical societies that arose in German and German-Swiss cities and towns during the Reformation and thrived into the mid-18th century.

Though closed amateur societies in concept, collegia frequently included professionals to fill out the music and admitted non-members to performances.

Moreover, they often provided music for church, state, and academic occasions and gained the patronage of leading citizens.

Leipzig collegia musica, consisting mostly of university students, enjoyed a succession of particularly illustrious directors, including Johann Kuhnau (1688), refounded by Telemann (1702),[1] and Bach (1729–1737), who composed several concertos and dramme per musica for weekly performances at Café Zimmermann, Gottfried Zimmerman's coffeehouse, and for "extraordinary" concerts.

Although the Collegium Musicum (Leipzig) [de] became the most famous, due to its association with Bach, other cities had similar institutions.