Annapolis Symphony Orchestra

11/05/2024

Holiday Pops with Katherine Sanford Schrock!

Get ready to experience one of the most beloved traditions in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County — the A*O's Annual Holiday Pops concert! This December, bring your friends and family to enjoy the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra and our 70 world-class musicians as we bring the joy, beauty, and warmth of the holidays to life with a dazzling mix of classical music, carols, and heartwarming holiday tunes.

🎤 Adding extra sparkle to this unforgettable concert is Katherine Sanford Schrock, our guest artist. Katherine's stunning voice will help make this holiday celebration one you won’t forget!

This year we’re offering two Holiday Pops concerts! No matter your busy holiday schedule, we’ve got you covered!

Evening performance – Holiday Pops at Maryland Hall Friday, December 13th at 7:30pm
Matinee performance – Holiday Pops at Severna Park High School Saturday, December 14th at 3:00pm

Ensure you don't get scammed by third party ticket vendors! Always purchase tickets only on the A*O website AnnapolisSymphony.org, or by calling our Box Office at 410-263-0907.

The mission of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra is to inspire, educate and enrich lives near and far

11/05/2024

🤩 "Thank José-Luis Novo for introducing me to Oscar Navarro Music. I’m now an official 81 year old fan. After Friday's concert I went home and listened to all [Navarro's] his clarinet concertos. And Alex Kovling is a fabulous French Horn player. All kinds of beautiful sounds. What a treat to live in a small town with this type of quality. Woot! Woot!"

🤩 "Alex Kovling was awesome!"

🤩 "The Navarro was one of the most excellent performances by the A*O I have heard."

📯 We had a truly fabulous weekend performing Masterworks II: Connections at Maryland Hall on Friday and Saturday evening, with guest artist Principal Horn Alex Kovling. Did you attend one of the concerts? Let us know about your experience in the comments!

We're thankful to our sponsors Bay Radiology and What's Up? Media. The Sea*on 63 Masterworks Series is made possible with the generous support of the Brian and Patricia Giese Foundation.

11/02/2024

🤩 Oh what a night! Artistic Director and Conductor José-Luis Nove led Guest Artist and A*O Principal Horn Alex Kovling and the entire orchestra in an incredible performance of Masterworks II: Connections. 📯📯

If you don’t have tickets for tonight’s performance, we still have limited seating available. Please purchase online, call our Box Office at 410-263-0907, or stop by our office at Maryland Hall. https://annapolissymphony.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/ #/events/a0SVs000000TeGbMAK

The Sea*on 63 Masterworks Series is made possible by the Brian and Patricia Giese Foundation.

10/30/2024

And now, for your reading pleasure - the Digital Program Book for our Masterworks II - Connections performances this weekend. https://bit.ly/3AsdK1F

As always, should you prefer a printed program, we will have a limited number available at the concert.

Enjoy!

10/29/2024

American composer Adolphus Hailstork began his musical education on the violin, then quickly expanded into piano and organ lessons. At age 15, he considered himself a composer and went to Howard University to study music.
After graduation in 1963, Hailstork traveled to Paris for the summer to study with Nadia Boulanger, then returned to the states for his master’s program. In 1968, as Hailstork finished a two-year term in the United States Army, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Hailstork notes that this made him “more actively racially conscious” and the news about the educated activist motivated Hailstork to get his own doctorate, which he completed in 1971.

Throughout his career, Hailstork has remained “racially conscious,” with a goal of supporting and amplifying the African American community:
"I want to help establish a black canon, so that after I have gone away, I [will] have left a few symphonies [and] piano sonatas that black and white conductors will want to do. And they will say, “Hey, this is great music.” But there will be a hint of African American experience in it. You see, we were left out of the American school of composition in the twenties, or forties of Copland, and all that…we were left out of it. Now, it’s our time to make our impact and to add to the American repertoire, and that should include us."

Hailstork’s compositional style reflects this goal, pulling on Black musical genres like the blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, gospel, and spirituals. At the same time, he is also influenced by the mid-twentieth century American school of composition, led by composers such as Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, and Leonard Bernstein. Hailstork identifies as a “folk” composer along the lines of Antonín Dvořák or Jean Sibelius, using cultural idioms of and for his community.

If you want to experience Hailstork's incredible symphony, Three Spirituals, purchase tickets now for this weekend's performance of Masterworks II - Connections at Maryland Hall. Tickets: https://annapolissymphony.org/events/masterworksiiconnections/

10/24/2024

We are excited to announce the appointment of Erica Bondarev Rapach to Annapolis as Interim Executive Director of the A*O. Erica brings decades of leadership experience in the arts, and is a classically trained violinist!🎻 She appreciates the importance of the A*O as the oldest and largest performing arts institution in Anne Arundel County. “I am honored to join the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra at this important moment in its more than 63 year history,” she said. “I’m committed to working closely with the dedicated staff, the board, and the broader community to enhance our impact, build sustainability, and lay the groundwork for the new, permanent Executive Director."

🌟 Erica has already made a wonderful addition to our staff. If you're attending Masterworks II: Connections, or an upcoming performances, be sure to welcome her to Annapolis and say hello!

Learn more about Erica on our website: https://bit.ly/3BTwGXM

Photo credit: Nicole Haun

10/22/2024

Please consider joining A*O cellist Daniel Shomper and Annapolis Cellovision Workship for a recital at Anne Arundel Community College this Friday, October 25th.

https://www.annapoliscellovisionworkshop.com/concert-series

10/21/2024

Last weekend the Annapolis Symphony Academy participated in the Anne Arundel County Laurel Area Health and Wellness Fair. Former ASA student Misha Jones helped ASA Director Netanel Draiblate bring musical fun to attendees, including Delegate J. Sandy Bartlett. We're so grateful for Delegate Bartlett's continued support.

We also attended the first-ever Annapolis Moms Media Greatest Playdate. Donna Willingham (Discovery faculty) and Luke Zegowitz (Orion Youth Orchestra student) represented the Academy at that event. Thank you to everyone who helped us bring the Academy out into the community!

10/18/2024

What's in a name? 🎻

Shostakovich Symphony No. 10 is often interpreted as a depiction of Joseph Stalin and his brutal Communist regime, when 6-9 million people died by massacres, ex*****on, forced labor, and famine.

Composer Dimitri Shostakovich personally suffered under Stalin's volatile rule. Many of his relatives were killed. He was publicly denounced, his works proscribed, and his status reduced to that of a "non-person."

Many of Shostakovich's compositions written during the Stalin years reflect the pain and angst of his own struggles as well as the experiences suffered by the Russian people. Shostakovich gained widespread admiration across Europe and America for his brave and talented work. He remains respected as a major composer and artistic icon.

Learn more about Shostakovich Symphony #10 at Masterworks II: Connections, when conductor José Luis Novo leads the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra at Maryland Hall on November 1 & 2 at 7:30 PM. A free pre-concert lecture about the music is open to ticket holders at 6:30 PM, hosted by WBJC's Jonathan Palevsky.

📸: my_piter_news

10/15/2024

The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra will bring a thrilling lineup of all-new music to Annapolis with Masterworks II: Connections! Conductor José-Luis Novo says Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10 is “hair-raising symphonic music that will keep you on the edge of your seat.”

Adolphus Hailstork’s "Three Spirituals for Orchestra" weaves together traditional spirituals like “Every Time I Feel the Spirit,” “Kum Ba Yah,” and “Oh Freedom.”

Oscar Navarro Music "Connection" is a grand concerto that stirs a whirlwind of emotions—curiosity, anger, complicity, humor, and passion—all in one captivating experience!

Guest artist Alex Kovling will dazzle you with an extraordinary horn solo, making its thrilling premiere right here in Annapolis.

Tickets: AnnapolisSymphony.org/events

The Sea*on 63 Masterworks Series is made possible by the Brian and Patricia Giese Foundation.

*o *oawesome

10/05/2024

"What matters is that you invest every note with love...invest everything you do with love and joy." Brian Ganz

We love welcoming Brian Ganz - Pianist back to Masterworks I: Pasajes (Passages) and Masterworks II: Pasajes at Strathmore. Tickets are still available for our Saturday night and Strathmore shows! We can't wait to see you there!

📷 Richard Brown

10/02/2024

Eye On Annapolis recently interviewed Maestro José-Luis Novo about his 20 year appointment as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra. Learn more about Maestro Novo's vision & inspiration for Sea*on 63, how he was hired, his long tenure in Annapolis, and other interesting tidbits on the Eye on Annapolis Bonus Podcast. https://www.eyeonannapolis.net/2024/09/bonus-podcast-63-years-of-the-annapolis-symphony-and-20-years-with-maestro-novo/

*OAwesome *O

10/02/2024

The Sea*on 63 Masterworks Series is made possible by a generous donation from the Brian and Patricia Giese Foundation. Learn more about their work in the community on their website giesefoundation.org.

Thank you for your support!

10/01/2024

Join FA*O for the first Dine to Donate of Sea*on 62! This is a great opportunity to make your weeknight meal an easy one, network with your colleagues, and have fun with your friends!

Learn more at https://annapolissymphony.org/events/