River Concert Series

Join Maestro Jeffery Silberschlag and the Chesapeake Orchestra for world class outdoor concerts at St. Mary's College of Maryland.

Friday in June and July come with the beautiful sounds of jazz, concertos, marches, waltzs and more at St. Mary's College of Maryland, thanks to the River Concert Series. Each summer Maestro Jeffrey Silberschlag and the Chesapeake Orchestra set up on the Townhouse Green along the St. Mary's River to entertain serious music lovers and casual listeners alike.

The free concerts start at 8 PM, with seating and food and art vendors opening at 5 PM.

July 13 – Come Ye Sons of Art

The College’s own Larry Vote will be guest conductor and Jeffrey Silverschlag will play trumpet in the night’s salute to Handel. The River Concert Series Festival Choir, made up of talented area high school students and members of St. Mary’s College’s Choir, Chamber Singers, and St. Marie’s Musica will be featured in many pieces.



July 20 – A Wagnerian Finale for 2012 (in case the Mayans are right)

At least the world will go out with a bang – this performance features the compositions of Wagner and Debussy, the latter of which will be accompanied by a sixteen-woman chorus and electronics. Piano soloist Brian Ganz will perform Grieg’s energetic Concerto for Piano.



July 27 – Firebird, “Bird” and the Stars in our Constellation

The Grand Finale will feature a profusion of regional jazz, blues and folk artists, including Don Stapleson, Rick Humphries and others. Charlie Parker’s “Super Sax” jazz piece and Stravinsky’s ballet hit, Firebird Suite 1919, will end the River Concert Series with a flourish.

Find more great events happening in St. Mary's at http://www.visitstmarysmd.com/events-entertainment/
For more information on the River Concert Series, visit http://www.smcm.edu/riverconcert/

4th of July Festivities in St. Mary's County

St. Mary's County has a number of events over the 4th of July weekend where you can enjoy live music, fireworks, and time with family and friends.

Independence Day Weekend: Thomas Jefferson in his own words - River Concert Series

The Chesapeake Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Jeffrey Silberschlag will offer readings from Thomas Jefferson set to music and lots of festive, patriotic music, plus a salute to Naval Aviation's 100th Anniversary during the River Concert Series on July 1!  There will also be fireworks at the end of the concert.  The concert begins at 7 p.m. at St. Mary's College of Maryland on the lawn of the Townhouse Green.  Food and beverages will be available for purchase.  For more information, call 240-895-4107 or visit http://www.riverconcertseries.org/.  

Independence Day Celebration - Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department

On July 2, the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department will be holding it's Independence Day Celebration from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.!  There will be a variety of food vendors; a car, truck and bike show; kids games; live music by The Craze and HydraFX; and fireworks.  The cost is $5 per vehicle for spectators parking all day.  For more information, call 301-373-2900 or click here to view the flyer.

An Independence Day Celebration Concert - Sotterley Plantation

Sotterley Plantation is holding its annual Independence Day Celebration Concert on July 3 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.!  The event features the patriotic music renditions of the Chesapeake Orchestra Brass Quintet led by Maestro Jeffrey Silberschlag of St. Mary's College of Maryland.  Guests are encouraged to bring a picnic lunch, lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy a wonderful afternoon of music on the Portico amidst the breathtaking view of the Patuxent River.  Bruster's Real Ice Cream, "On A Roll," and Sir Pops A Lots will be selling concessions.  There will also be a brown bag raffle, silent auction, and childrens activities.  All those with Military ID and their families are invited to celebrate this event free of charge.  General admission is $10 per vehicle.  For more information, call 301-373-2280 or visit http://www.sotterley.org/.

River Concert Series Music Festival Starts June 18

The 2010 St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM) River Concert Series concert season kicks off Friday, June 18, when accomplished jazz and classical pianist Jeffrey Chappell joins the Chesapeake Orchestra and music director Jeffrey Silberschlag to perform American composer Samuel Barber’s “Piano Concerto.” The concert also includes Robert Schumann’s No. 1 “Spring.” The weekly celebrations on the college’s Townhouse Green continue every Friday through July 30 with world-class music and a variety of food from local vendors. Gates open at 5 p.m. and concerts start at 7 p.m. These outdoor concerts are free and open to the public, and picnic baskets are welcome.

The first evening concert celebrates the special birthdays of Barber’s 100th and Schumann’s 200th. Pennsylvania-born Barber won the Pulitzer Prize twice, in 1958 for his first opera “Vanessa” and in 1963 for his “Concerto for Piano and Orchestra.” Critics call Schumann’s “Spring,” written in 1841, “exuberant and lyrical” and “melodic.”

Pianist Chappell has performed throughout the United States and abroad in recitals and at chamber music events. He has been a soloist with the symphony orchestras of Philadelphia, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Houston, and Denver, among others, as well as with the Chamber Orchestra of Albuquerque, the Missouri Symphony, and the Mississippi Symphony. His many appearances with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra include concerts at Carnegie Hall and Wolf Trap Park. Chappell is on the faculties of Goucher College in Baltimore and the Levine School of Music in Washington, D.C.

Silberschlag, music director and conductor of the River Concert Series, Chesapeake Orchestra, and the Italian Alba Music Festival, has recorded with the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, and Czech Radio Orchestra. His performances have been hailed by European critics as thrilling, compelling, and outstanding. Silberschlag has collaborated with such artists as Hilary Hahn, Lara St. John, Terence Blanchard, the Ahn Trio, and Jane Monheit.

For more information, visit the River Concert Series web site at http://www.riverconcertseries.com/ or call 240-895-3038.

Fourth of July in St. Mary’s County

The Fourth of July weekend is always a special one in St. Mary’s County for residents and visitors.

The holiday weekend in 2010 will start for many on Friday, July 2 at the River Concert Series at St. Mary’s College. The July 2 concert will showcase the Chesapeake Orchestra and conclude with fireworks. On Saturday, July 3, the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department has an event-filled day planned and will launch fireworks after dusk. The Annual Independence Day Celebration and Concert will be held on Sunday, July 4 at Sotterley Plantation from 1-4.

The holiday weekend in St. Mary’s County will begin by “Summoning the Heroes” at the Lawn of St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Jeffrey Silberschlag and the Chesapeake Orchestra welcome the 4th of July weekend with music of John Williams, George Gershwin and Sousa Marches, featuring Brian Ganz, piano, the Sax Quartet from the “President’s Own Marine Band” in P. Goldstein’s “Abundant Air” and Ian Chaava, Young Artist Concerto Competition runner-up PLUS Fireworks!! Additional information about the River Concert Series can be found at www.smcm.edu/rcs.

An old-fashioned Independence Day Celebration on July 3 is being staged at the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department with live music by No Green Jelly Beenz from 7-11, carnival food and games in the evening and a car, truck and bike show during the day. A fireworks display is planned for dusk. For more information, call 240-925-7863 or visit http://www.hvfd7.com/.

The Independence Day Concert at Sotterley on July 4 will feature the Concert on the Lawn. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Members of Sotterley and military families are free; other visitors will be charged one fee per car. For more information on membership and Sotterley, log on to http://www.sotterley.org/.

Get ready to celebrate!

This weekend is Maryland's 375th Birthday Celebration Weekend!

Starting tonight at 7 PM, come out to St. Mary's College of Maryland and enjoy the season opener of the River Concert Series. In honor of Maryland's 375th, Nathan Lincoln-DeCusatis has written a special symphonic work entitled "In Terrae Mariae: A Creation Song," which makes its debut tonight and features spoken texts culled from early writings on Maryland's founding prepared by Jennifer Cognard-Black, Associate Professor of English at St. Mary's College of Maryland. Visit http://www.riverconcertseries.com/ or call 240-895-4107 for more information.

Tomorrow, Saturday, June 20, the celebration continues at Historic St. Mary's City from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. with a birthday extravaganza. Tour tall ships such as the Kalmar Nyckel, the Maryland Dove, the dory boat Potomac, and the Sultana, a reproduction 1768 schooner. Tap your feet to the music of Calico Jack, David Norris, David Hildebrand, and Ship's Company Chanteyman in the Town Center. Explore the Woodland Indian Hamlet, the Brick Chapel, and the Godiah Spray Tobacco Plantation and experience what life was like back when St. Mary's City was Maryland's capital. The event is free and there will also be plenty of vendors, children's acitvities, and 17th-century style entertainment to help you celebrate Maryland's 375th birthday. Don't miss another River Concert Series at St. Mary's College of Maryland at 7 PM. There will be fireworks after the concert! Visit http://www.stmaryscity.org/ or call 800-762-1634 for more information.

On Saturday, June 20, the Juneteenth Celebration African American Heritage Festival is being held at Freedom Park in Lexington Park from noon until 8 p.m. The festival is held annually as a celebration of cultural diversity and freedom! There will be an early evening jazz concert featuring Saxophonist Phillip Martin, Jazz and R&B Vocalist Shang, Gospel Singing with Rev. James Flowers, Jr., and African dance and drumming. You'll also enjoy exhibits, a Minority Outreach Coalition Mini Health Fair, games, vendors, and food. It's a great way to continue the celebration! Visit http://www.ucaconline.org/ or call 301-862-4868 for more information.

For all of you race fans, don't miss Pinks All Out on Saturday, June 20 at Maryland International Raceway! Speed TV will be filming an episode of Pinks All Out, where hundreds of the best drag racers in the country will bring their game to MIR in search of glory and their share of $18,000 in cold hard cash. Host Rich Christensen hosts the all-day shootout that pits egos and cars against one another on the quarter mile! This is a ticketed event. Please visit http://www.mirdrag.com/ or call 301-884-9833 for more information.

Then, on Sunday, celebrate Maryland's 375th (and Father's Day too!) with the College of Southern Maryland in Leonardtown at the Celebrate Family, Fun and Fitness event! From 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., enjoy fitness demos, fun lawn games, a 3.75-mile walk through historic downtown Leonardtown and more. Visit www.csmd.edu/familyfun or call 301-934-7703 or 240-725-5312 for more information.

So this weekend, come down to St. Mary's County and celebrate Maryland's 375th!