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| The Music Center at Strathmore |
From our friends at the Strathmore...
Extensive Outreach to East Montgomery County, Merger with Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras Are Cornerstone Programs as Strathmore Expands Presence in Maryland
Strathmore CEO Eliot Pfanstiehl announced sweeping initiatives that extend and deepen the art center’s reach into its community at the organization’s 10th Anniversary Spring Gala on Saturday, April 25, 2015, outlining Strathmore’s intentions for the future as it celebrated the anniversary of its hallmark Music Center. Central to the organization’s ambitious plans are an extensive East County Initiative to boost arts accessibility in underserved parts of Montgomery County, and incorporating the venerable 70-year-old Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras under its umbrella of education programming, ensuring a continuous youth orchestra presence in its concert hall and community. Additional initiatives Strathmore will pursue as it looks forward include partnering with creative arts programs at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Fort Belvoir, and furthering its partnership with world-class modern and contemporary art museum Glenstone.
2015 is a significant benchmark year for Strathmore, marking a full decade in the world-class Music Center, and the anniversary of several enduring programs that have become cornerstones of the institution’s mission. Strathmore has premiered 14 original productions and nearly doubled its number of presentations on the Music Center’s main stage to an average of 48 annually, while its programs have touched nearly 1.8 million concert-goers. The Strathmore Student Concerts, which annually introduce every second and fifth grade student in Montgomery County to the thrill of live music through a curriculum-based concert hall performance, have served 112,898 young people since the Music Center opened. Strathmore’s renowned Artist in Residence program has helped to launch the careers of 72 talented local musicians through performance opportunities, mentorship, and professional development.
Now, says Pfanstiehl, the organization’s calling is to take its proven success in integrating the arts and education into its community.
“In 10 years, the Music Center at Strathmore has become known for its world class artists, one of the best acoustic halls in the nation, and extraordinary student and community arts programs. Now, without dropping a beat at home, we venture forth to dive deeper into the hearts and lives of our citizens wherever they live,” said Strathmore CEO Eliot Pfanstiehl. “We invite you to come along.”
The East County Initiative focuses on delivering Strathmore’s high-level artistic and education programs to residents of east Montgomery County. Targeting areas of acute need along the Route 29 corridor, the program will make use of existing facilities to bring the arts directly into neighborhoods and empower local arts groups to better activate and engage their community. By supporting arts programs in areas where they have historically been absent or unsupported, the East County Initiative broadens Strathmore’s commitment to ensure that no one is denied the opportunity to engage in and benefit from the arts. Strathmore will begin by working directly with Montgomery County Department of Recreation and Montgomery County Public Schools to identify where it can best serve the community, and work collaboratively to develop partnerships and specific programs to reach these audiences.
A resident partner since the opening of the Music Center, Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras is now officially a program of Strathmore, joining the Strathmore Children’s Chorus as a signature program that will enhance the art center’s robust education programming. Strathmore’s yearly Music Center presentations have come to include its own Strathmore Children’s Chorus. Members of the ensemble are community ambassadors, and also benefit from unique performance opportunities made possible through the institutional support of Strathmore, such as performing on the Music Center stage with Natalie McMaster, Irish supergroup The Chieftains, and Julie Andrews. As a program of Strathmore, MCYO students will be afforded similar opportunities. Additionally, MCYO gains the marketing and programming expertise of Strathmore, and in turn Strathmore benefits by rounding out its comprehensive music education programs.
Additional initiatives Strathmore will pursue as it looks forward include collaborating with Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital to produce arts experiences that advance community wellness, resilience, and reintegration, as well as improve self-esteem, emotional self-efficacy, and quality of life for veterans and military service members. The organization will also deepen its partnership with modern and contemporary art museum Glenstone, presenting performing arts programs and concerts in the museum’s newly-constructed public spaces as it expands its campus. This collaboration will begin with a series of performances and concerts in combination with its upcoming exhibition on the late American sculptor Fred Sandback, which will open this fall.
Strathmore will also further invest in programs that enhance its presence in the community, such as on-site programming at four senior living and life-long learning facilities, supplementing in-school arts offerings for Montgomery County students, and programming at its newest venue, AMP.
About Strathmore:
Strathmore presents and produces exemplary visual and performing arts programs for diverse audiences; creates dynamic arts education experiences; and nurtures creative ideas and conversations that advance the future of the arts. The organization’s hallmark is the Music Center at Strathmore, with a 1,976-seat concert hall and education complex. Its core campus also includes the historic Mansion at Strathmore, which features an intimate Music Room and art galleries. Most recently, Strathmore opened AMP, a 250-seat cabaret-style venue located just up Rockville Pike from the core campus in the burgeoning Pike District of Montgomery County. Strathmore’s signature education, mission-driven programs include the Strathmore Student Concerts, the Artist in Residence and Fine Artist in Residence programs, and its Spring Break @ Strathmore intensive.
