Music performances, symphony, concerts in Maryland

Free outdoor concerts with Chesapeake Orchestra at National Harbor

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Published on Wednesday, 06 June 2012 14:34

Written by Karen Gaspers

This summer, the Chesapeake Orchestra and National Harbor bring the first free series of outdoor orchestra concerts to the Washington area.

Free outdoor concerts at National Harbor

The family-friendly "Pops on the Potomac" will include classical, jazz, Broadway, big band, country, and blues, fused with orchestral instrumentation. The series runs from June 16th to August 25th, primarily Saturday nights, and features guest artists such as jazz vocalist Hilary Kole and Sara Jones, a Billie Holiday award winner. Concerts take place at National Harbor Plaza overlooking the Potomac River with a fireworks finale. All concerts are free starting at 7 p.m. Reserved seating VIP concert tickets are available for purchase and include a pre-concert reception to meet the guest artists and include Slack Wines and gourmet hors d' oeurves for $40. More information and advance reservations are available at chesapeakeorchestra.org or 301-904-2272.

National Harbor's setting forms a natural amphitheater with yachts in the marina providing a picturesque backdrop. "It reminds me of Monte Carlo," said Jeffrey Silberschlag, music director and creator of the Chesapeake Orchestra. "Like The Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra performing outdoors at the Prince's Palace."

The Chesapeake Orchestra was founded in 1995 and has created its own ongoing concert series in St. Mary's County, Maryland, and the Alba Music Festival in Italy, patterned after the Spoleto Festival. The orchestra won Maryland's Governors Impact Tourism Award in 2003. Hundreds of thousands of classical music fans have enjoyed their presentations under the stars with guest artists including the Ahn Trio, Vonda Shepard, and Lara St. John.

The *Pops on the Potomac* summer concerts will feature the Chesapeake Orchestra and guest artists performing well-loved classics from Mendelssohn, Bernstein, Copeland and Ellington. Some of the guest artists will include Martin O'Malley with O'Malley's March, classical pianist Brian Ganz, and country star Suzy Bogguss.

The pre-concert VIP reception will begin at 6 p.m. under a vaulted tent at the waterfront. Fans will meet the conductor and guest artists as well as enjoy Southern Maryland's award winning Slack Wines and Blue Wind Gourmet hors d' oeuvres. Advance reservations for this $40 reception and reserved concert seating are recommended at chesapeakeorchestra.org.

For more music events in Maryland, visit our summer music concerts page.

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