Photography courtesy Annapolis Symphony Orchestra
Audience members fill the lawn at the annual outdoor performance at Quiet Water Park.
Photography courtesy Annapolis Symphony Orchestra
ASO Artistic Director and Conductor José-Luis Novo leads a Pops concert at Downs Park.
Pops in the Parks, a pair of live, open-air concerts presented every August by the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, is a much-loved musical finale to the summer. Under the baton of long-time artistic director and conductor José-Luis Novo, the ASO’s 75 professional musicians take to the great outdoors, offering a program of light classics, show tunes, and other crowd-pleasing favorites.
This year, the ensemble will perform on August 30 at Downs Park in Pasadena and on August 31 at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis. Both concerts are free and—as the many fans who turn out with strollers, lawn chairs and blankets attest—a highlight of the Symphony’s community outreach programs. It’s clear that the Pops concerts embody one of ASO’s top goals: “More Music for More People in More Places.”
“Involvement in the community is a huge part of what we do,” says ASO Executive Director Erica Bondarev Rapach, “and it’s definitely a priority for José-Luis.” That’s why the ASO continues to expand its efforts to make live classical music more accessible for audiences of all ages. In addition to Pops in the Parks, the orchestra regularly sends its musicians and student ensembles to schools, senior living facilities, substance abuse centers, and other venues around Anne Arundel County. It also invites patients from Wellness House and their families to sit in at rehearsals, allowing them to enjoy live music without a crowd.
“I’m always looking for opportunities to introduce new audiences to the Symphony,” says Julie Nolan, director of community outreach for ASO. “We know that it might not always be possible for families to come to Maryland Hall, so we bring the music to them at places like Chesapeake Arts Center, the Salvation Army, the Marshall Learning Center, churches, and temples.”
Another part of the orchestra’s outreach is the Annapolis Symphony Academy, now in its eighth year, which provides high-level musical education for students from a range of cultural and economic backgrounds. Dr. Netanel Draiblate, Concertmaster of the ASO and founder and director of the Academy, says that the Academy’s structure allows it to cover basic tuition and offer other forms of financial assistance for students, making sure it’s accessible to everyone who wants to pursue music training.
“Through our contacts in the school system, private teachers, and word of mouth, we let people know that everyone can apply,” Draiblate notes. “In the future, these kids can go out into the world as lovers of the art and supporters of musical endeavors—even as professional musicians.”
This year, teenaged oboist Luke Zegowitz, an Academy standout, was selected to be a member of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States, which will perform at Carnegie Hall and tour internationally.
Photography courtesy Annapolis Symphony Orchestra
ASO musicians acknowledge the applause following their concert at Quiet Waters Park.
Rapach says that the Academy experience can be inspirational for young players, many of whom are taught by Symphony members. “Whether they’re taking lessons from these musicians or sitting side by side with them in an ensemble performance, they’re learning from the best. We hope that over the next decade, our audiences will be as diverse as the Academy student body.”
“We’re much more than a music school,” agrees Nolan, who makes a special effort to seek out potential scholarship candidates and assist them with applications. “For our regular season at Maryland Hall, we often give tickets to Academy students’ families so they can experience the Symphony firsthand.”
The ASO’s 64th season at Maryland Hall will include five programs plus its popular holiday and family concerts. Three chamber concerts are also planned. Following the success of 2024’s holiday show at Severna Park High School, a new venue for ASO, it has scheduled a return engagement there for December. A performance at Bowie State University is also in the works.
Meanwhile, the Symphony is tuning up for the summer Pops concerts, which promise to have a few surprises in store. In the past, Maestro Novo has delighted audiences with his skills on the harmonica and kazoo and made music on typewriters; this year, director Rapach expects something “equally awesome.” In addition to leading the full orchestra, Novo will be conducting ASO Academy students in the program opener, a brand-new work by a 17-year-old composer. Pops audiences will get an early taste of the musical treats in store during the season to come.
For more information, visit www.annapolissymphony.org.
