By Connie Ballenger
The 2024 Summer Concert Series is off to a stellar start after being awarded a $5,500 grant from the Howard County Arts Council. Patty Hutton and Sophie Hong attended the Grant Awards presentation on September 22 at the Howard County Center for the Arts in Ellicott City.
Two free 2024 concerts have already been lined up. They are Beau Soir Ensemble (a trio playing the flute, viola, and harp) on Friday, May 31 at 7:00 pm and Charm City Junction on Friday, June 21 at 7:00 pm with a jam session after the concert. Other 2024 concerts are in the planning stage.
Glen Mar Music Director Sophie Hong started Glen Mar’s Summer Concert Series in 2017. It has offered a wide variety of free quality performances, including operas, military music, and old-time tunes.
In 2023, Glen Mar’s Summer Concert Series presented three well-received concerts at Glen Mar.
Bayside Big Band performed classics such as “Come Dance With Me” and “Big Spender” outside the Early Learning Center entrance on May 19. A crowd of 350 people enjoyed the 17-piece orchestra and soloist Monica Gillam. For the first time in the Series’ history, food trucks were available so concert goers could purchase food onsite.
Seventy-seven middle- and high-school Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra musicians along with three adult BSYO staff members enthralled a 400-strong audience inside the Spirit Center on June 18. The musicians performed an original piece, “Far and Away,” written by BSYO Interim Director of Education and Community Engagement Brian Prechtl to celebrate the group’s then upcoming European tour.
Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble hit the Spirit Center stage (literally) with its lively rhythms and multicultural dance moves on August 4. Footworks entertains while educating its audiences about the cultural roots of dance and music. Concert attendee Theo Carr called Footworks performance at Glen Mar “high energy.”
Funding for these concerts comes from grants, sponsors, and donations.
Led by Hong, volunteer committee members meet a few times a year to offer advice on prospective performers and other aspects of the concerts. Members of this committee are Connie Ballenger (director of publicity), Ellen Dan, Lois Hildebrand, Patty Hutton, Fred Sadler (executive director), and Susan Straumanis.
For the latest Summer Concert Series information, visit our Summer Concerts Page.
