By Connie Ballenger
Whether transporting audience members to an intimate chamber setting or a Central American country, the first two events in Glen Mar’s free 2025 Summer Concert Series had one commonality – superb performances.
Sitting close to each other in the center front of a darkened Spirit Center the evening of June 27, five ensemble132 chamber musicians, dressed in black, poured their hearts, souls, and musical expertise into executing a unique version of Igor Stravinsky’s Petrouchka and of Johannes Brahms’ Piano Quintet. During their 90-minute performance, the music ran the gamut from slow to energetic and from light-hearted to intense and climatic.
Audience members’ reviews could not have been more glowing. “It’s the only concert I’ve ever been to that made my heart flutter,” raved Jean Maase.
Adrienne Taylor couldn’t get over the way the musicians “didn’t just sit still, they were part of the music.” “It was one of the best if not the best performances I’ve ever heard,” gushed Chuck Hilterbrick.
“They were first rate in every way. They had unanimity of spirit and understanding of each piece,” praised Dr. John Walker, who recently retired from teaching at Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University.
The cherry on top of this exceptional concert was its uniqueness. Petrouchka was originally written in 1911 as a ballet score about a puppet who is suddenly animated with human feelings. Ensemble132’s Dr. Sahun Sam Hong rearranged Petrouchka into an intimate chamber setting. It was a “fantastic arrangement” of Stravinsky’s work, according to Kaitlin Dan, who also is a musician.
Dr. Hong also played the piano. Other performers were Maria Ioudenitch (violin), Emilie-Anne Gendron (violin), Luther Warren (viola), and Zachary Mowitz (cello).
After completing Petrouchka, the performers walked out of the Spirit Center briefly and returned to perform the Piano Quintet. That piece, originally completed in 1865, demonstrated a highly nuanced dialogue between piano and strings.
At the end of the entire masterful performance, the 150 audience members gave the musicians a standing ovation. Rebecca Litton summed up her concert experience: “It was an outstanding performance – a special treat.”
On July 18, the 250 people who attended Glen Mar’s Marimba Linda Xelaju concert in the Spirit Center, heard Guatemalan music and culture come alive vibrantly. 
During its one-hour performance, the band played 13 songs on the marimba, Guatemala’s national instrument. The group’s songs included the lively, carnival-like “La Calle Doce” and, to represent indigenous Guatemalans, “El Rey Quiche.” Only one of those melodies (“New York, New York”) strayed from Guatemalan culture.
Marimba Linda Xelaju was founded by Robert Giron Sr., who hails from Guatemala but came to this country to live in 1983. He formed this band, which is mostly composed of family members, after he taught his three children (Jennifer Flores, Beverly Bonilla, and Robert Giron, Jr.) to play the marimba. The band expanded as the family grew. Beverly’s husband (Jeffrey Bonilla) now plays guiro and maracas while two of Mr. Giron’s grandchildren (Isabella Flores and Sophie Flores) perform on the marimba.
The only non-family band members performing at this concert were Jorge Matinez on the electric bass and Walter Sanchez on drums.
During the concert, Mr. Giron’s three children provided information about Guatemala and the marimba, a pitched percussion instrument played with mallets. Owners customize the front of this instrument. Mr. Giron elected to display Mayans, pyramids, and ruins on two types of wood on his marimba.
“(The concert) represented Guatemala well,” commented Van Beall.
“I enjoyed the interplay of the family, the joy of the grandfather watching his family play,” remarked Joni Hartman.
Lillian Lehnert said this concert was “fantastic. It makes me want to go to Guatemala.”
