[1] It was created at a time when school bands were few and far between, and opportunities to learn and perform music outside of a professional setting were limited in the region.

In 1962, Edmonton musician Leonard Whiteley was a conductor for a small high school band rehearsing in Fort Saskatchewan.

In order to grow the band to create a more robust, concert-ready sound, Whiteley sought and was granted permission to allow non-students to join and play in the group.

[4] In 1980, the Cosmopolitan Music Society began rehearsing and hosting events at its permanent location of 8426 Gateway Boulevard in Edmonton, where it remains to this day.

CMS has a number of annual events, including but not limited to Lest We Forget, a musical tribute to Canadian war veterans held around Remembrance Day in collaboration with the Edmonton Legion.