Let’s Look Forward to the 2025 Summer Concert Series Season

Glen Mar looks forward to presenting three concerts in 2025. We have lined up ensemble132 on Friday, June 27 at 7:00 pm,  the Marimba Linda Xelaju on July 18 at 7:00 pm, and The U.S. Army Field Band on Friday, August 8 at 7:00 pm. All are free and will be held in Glen Mar’s Spirit Center.

Quartet to Present Chamber Music Reimagined

Ensemble132 is a world-class collective of chamber musicians of the highest caliber with the shared mission of reimagining the chamber music landscape. At this free concert a quintet will present a new chamber music version of Igor Stravinsky’s Petrushka as well as Johannes Brahms’ timeless Piano Quintet. This concert will be held on Friday, June 27 at 7:00 p.m. in Glen Mar Church’s Spirit Center.

This concert’s ensemble132 performers are Sahun Sam Hong, Maria Ioudenitch, Luther Warren, and Zachary Mowitz. Emilie-Anne Gendron is a guest performer.

Pianist Sahun Sam Hong brings his riveting energy to the solo, chamber, and concerto stage. Verbier Festive Newsletterpraised him as an “artist of enormous prowess” while SanDiegoStory wrote he has a “wide range of rich colors.” Dr. Hong was the recipient of the 2021 American Pianists Award, the 2017 Vendome Prize at the Verbier Festival, and finished second at the 2017 International Beethoven Competition Vienna. He is a prolific arranger of chamber music, orchestral works, and innovative transcriptions. At the age of 16, Dr. Hong graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Texas Christian University. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University.

American-Russian violinist Maria Ioudenitch captured the attention of music lovers worldwide in 2021 when she received first prizes in three international violin competitions – the Ysaÿe, Tibor Varga, and Joseph Joachim. In 2023, she won the Opus Klassik award in the category “Chamber Music Recording of the Year” for her debut album, Songbird. Ms. Ioudenitch grew up in Kansas City and began playing the violin at the age of 3. She continued her studies at the International Center for Music in Kansas City and at the Curtis Institute of Music. She completed her master’s degree and Artist Diploma at the New England Conservatory. Currently, she is in the Professional Studies program at Kronberg Academy.

As a chamber musician, violinist and violist Luther Warren has appeared at festivals and collaborated with esteemed artists including Itzhak Perlman, Kim Kashkashian and Donald Weilerstein. He has also frequently appeared as substitute violist for the Borromeo String Quartet. He performs regularly with LA-based chamber orchestra Delirium Musicum. Mr. Warren has served as violin and viola instructor for New England Conservatory’s Preparatory School and Expanded Education divisions, Merrimack College, Thayer Academy, and the Performing Arts Center of MetroWest. In addition, Mr. Warren has presented masterclasses and teaching residencies at many schools and festivals. He is currently studying in the doctoral program at the New England Conservatory.

A native of Princeton, New Jersey, cellist Zachary Mowitz made his solo debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2018 as winner of the Greenfield Competition. He cofounded Trio St. Bernard – the 2018 Gold Prize winner in the Chesapeake Chamber Music Competition. Mr. Mowitz was awarded First Prize in the 2020 World Bach Competition. He has performed as the Guest Principal Cello with the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra. Mr. Mowitz attended the Curtis Institute of Music, Royal College of Music, and Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel. In the summers of 2022 and 2023 he appeared at the Marlboro Music Festival. Last fall, Mr. Mowitz joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He resides in Los Angeles.

Violinist Emilie-Anne Gendron enjoys a dynamic career based in New York City. Born in the United States to Japanese and French-Canadian parents, she began studying the violin at the age of 4. A deeply committed chamber musician, Ms. Gendron is a longtime member of the Momenta Quartet. She holds the distinction of being the first person at The Juilliard School to be accepted simultaneously to its most selective courses of study, the Doctor of Musical Arts and the Artist Diploma. She holds a magna cum laude with Phi Beta honors bachelor’s degree in Classics from Columbia University and a master’s degree and the coveted Artist Diploma from Juilliard.

Petrushka, originally written in 1911 as a ballet score, marked a significant departure from traditional Russian composition, blending folk influences with innovative rhythmic structures and textural contrasts. Stravinsky’s approach broke away from established conventions, paving the way for modern explorations in orchestration and form – a shift that is powerfully embodied in Petrushka. Stravinsky’s creative process in Petrushka is characterized by deliberate contrasts and unexpected rhythmic patterns that challenge conventional musical narratives. The score’s interplay between dramatic intensity and lyrical nuance reflects his aim to capture the multifaceted nature of human emotion, setting a new standard for narrative-driven composition.

Petrushka tells the story of a puppet who is suddenly animated with human feelings. Its narrative unfolds through vivid musical imagery and abrupt changes in tempo and texture, mirroring the puppet’s inner turmoil and the tensions between innocence and experience. In this new arrangement for a piano quintet by Sahun Sam Hong, Petrushka is reimagined in an intimate chamber setting. This adaptation distills the original expansive orchestral pallet into a focused dialogue between piano and strings, preserving the work’s narrative drive and rhythmic complexity while offering fresh insights into its thematic material. Dr. Hong calls this arrangement “magical.”

Brahms’ Piano Quintet offers a reflective counterpoint to the modern reworking of Petrushka. Beloved for its spirited and fiery writing and highly nuanced dialogue between piano and strings, the quintet’s clear structure and expressive interplay continue to engage audiences over the centuries.

Click here for a full-page flyer for the June 27 concert

Click here for a half-page flyer for the June 27 concert

Family Finds Key to Spreading Guatemalan Culture

The Marimba Linda Xelaju will not only delight audience members at its July 18 concert at Glen Mar Church but also will provide folks a strong dose of Guatemalan culture. Concertgoers will get yet another bonus – seeing family members enjoy performing together (a family literally in concert). This free one-hour event will take place in the Spirit Center starting at 7:00 p.m.

While most of the group’s music will be Guatemalan tunes, the Marimba Linda Xelaju will play at least one familiar American song, “New York, New York.”

This band was many years in the making.

Its founder, Robert Giron Sr., left his home country, Guatemala, to come to the United States in 1983, with the hope he could continue to perform Guatemalan melodies on the marimba, a pitched percussion instrument played with mallets. But there was one problem – he didn’t own a marimba.

He solved that problem by purchasing a marimba in Guatemala and had the multicultural-in-heritage instrument transported to this country. He began teaching his children how to play this national instrument of Guatemala, and in 1996, even before the youngest of his three children was born, Mr. Giron formed the family band. He named the group Marimba Linda Xelaju. Xelaju is the Mayan name for Quetzaltenango, the city where Giron was born and raised. Linda means beautiful in Spanish and Portuguese. The group is based in Silver Spring, Maryland.

In addition to Mr. Giron, his grown children, Jennifer Flores, Beverly Bonilla, and Robert Giron Jr., are performers in Marimba Linda Xelaju as well as Beverly’s husband, Jeffrey Bonilla who will play the guiro and maracas. Not surprisingly, as the family grew, so did the group. Mr. Giron’s grandchildren, 13-year-old Isabella Flores and 11-year-old Sophie Flores are now members.

The only non-family member of Marimba Linda Xelaju is Don Mauricio, who will play the electric bass.

Among the group’s notable performances are events at the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress’s Homegrown Concert Series, as well as participation in the weeklong Smithsonian Institute’s Folklife Festival.

The group continues to update its repertoire through its Guatemalan teacher, Joseph Lepe, who visits every two years to provide instruction.

While not a band member, Mr. Giron’s wife, Letty Giron, takes pictures and videos of Marimba Linda Xelaju’s performances, furthering the family’s harmony.

Click here for a full-page flyer for the July 18 concert

Click here for a half-page flyer for the July 18 concert

The U.S. Army Field Band Presents ‘Broadway Through the Ages’ 

We think of the U.S. Army as a powerful fighting force, and it is, but on Friday, August 8 at 7:00 pm The U.S. Army Field Band will show another of its strengths – it will present “Broadway Through the Ages” in Glen Mar’s Spirit Center. This performance is free.

Dressed in Army uniforms, singers from the band’s Soldiers’ Chorus, accompanied by members of its Concert Band and Jazz Ambassadors, will perform Broadway hits from different time periods. The show will include a mix of solos, duets, and larger ensemble numbers. Included are selections from West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera, and Wicked.

SFC Sarah Schram-Borg and SFC Sarah Polinski are the leads putting this show together.

Oboist SFC Schram-Borg holds a Master of Music degree from Yale University and a Bachelor of Music degree from The Eastman School of Music. Prior to joining The U.S. Army Field Band, she performed with many ensembles and in the Broadway shows Wicked and Les Misérables.

SFC Polinski holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance and Music Education from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. She has sung musical theater, pop, and jazz with AIDA Cruises. SFC Polinski performed summer seasons with Ohio Light Opera Company and College Light Opera Company. Her favorite roles include Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, and Valencienne in The Merry Widow.

Click here for a full-page flyer for the Aug. 8 concert

Click here for a half-page flyer for the Aug. 8 concert

Our 2025 Supporters

These concerts are free thanks to community support. The Howard County Arts Council awarded Glen Mar’s Summer Concert Series a $5,500 grant for the 2025 season. We are grateful to our sponsor, Harry H. Witzke’s Family Funeral Home. It is located at 4112 Old Columbia Pike, Ellicott City. We are also grateful for generous donations from “Friends of the Music Program at Glen Mar Church”  and in memory of Karen Angle.

 

 

About the Summer Concert Series

Glen Mar Music Director Dr. Sophie Hong started the Summer Concert Series in 2017. Funding for these free concerts comes from sponsors, donations, and grants.

This series has offered a wide variety of quality musical experiences featuring nationally and internationally known artists.

Volunteer committee members meet a few times a year to offer advice on prospective performers and other aspects of the concerts. Committee members acquire sponsors and donors, submit grants, and publicize the events. Members of this committee are Connie Ballenger (director of publicity), Ellen Dan, Lois Hildebrand, Patty Hutton, Fred Sadler (executive director), and Susan Straumanis.

Additional volunteers help with ushering, greeting, and technology.

Sponsor or Donate

If you are interested in sponsoring or donating to the 2025 series, email su************@********mc.org.