Put Your Money Where Your Music Is
Volunteers from the Chesapeake Orchestra will be hitting fans and past sponsors hard in the next few weeks, needing $200,000 to keep the River Series alive.
Agreements reached this year between the Orchestra and St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the host of the concerts, divided fundraising responsibilities for the 2013 series. It is the orchestra’s responsibility to pay for the entire music program.
The board of directors of the Chesapeake Orchestra nonprofit is contacting past River Series sponsors to raise the money for the musicians and guest artists. To make direct contributions to the Orchestra visit www.chesapeakeorchestra.org.
Income from the gala and the traditional “bucket brigade” carried by Arts Alliance members seeking cash donations at the concerts will be used by the college to offset the staging and infrastructure costs.
The Chesapeake Orchestra has kicked off its fundraising for the 2013 season, which marks its 15th year performing the River Concerts. To be successful in its efforts to find sufficient sponsors to underwrite the musicians, the orchestra is expanding its fundraising to reach individual families and small local businesses, in addition to the Naval contractor community.
Initially underwritten by the college and the Arts Alliance, the venue quickly became popular with the public, drawing as many as 5000 listeners on a typical night. This popularity drew the support of the new contracting firms relocating to Southern Maryland with the first BRAC.
As a result the concerts have become a beloved tradition in St. Mary’s. Every Friday night for six weeks, from June 21st through July 26th concerts will be performed free to the public. Music Director Jeffery Silberschlag explained, “The Chesapeake Orchestra has entertained families and provided a venue where businesses can connect for 14 years. Our community has said ‘Keep the Summer Concerts’. Every contribution right now, will ensure a festive summer of great music.”
The Chesapeake Orchestra is composed of professional musicians from the Washington/Baltimore area. Principal players are members of the St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s music faculty, as is the conductor, Jeffrey Silberschlag. The orchestral membership also includes select students. They are once again asking for the support of the local community to continue this tradition.
