Established by the Carolina Chamber Symphony Players in 2008, the Carolina Summer Music Festival provides chamber music programs in Winston-Salem during the month of August. Co-directors Joe Mount, Jacqui Carrasco, and Elizabeth Ransom provide artistic leadership. The Festival explores repertoire for diverse musical chamber groups, including jazz, classical, and cutting edge contemporary music. The Festival also includes family-friendly programs such as Carolina Scrapbook and Jazz4Kidz. Venues for concerts and educational programs include Old Salem Museums and Gardens, Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Krankies at the Werehouse, and the Jon Kuhn Studio Gallery.

Each year the Festival features over 20 artists, who are primarily based in the Piedmont area of NC. The artists are freelance professional musicians as well as faculty members from several local institutions, including the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Wake Forest University, UNC Greensboro, Salem College, and Davidson College.