FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2015
Contact:
Mike Fila
Associate Director of PR and Marketing
Strathmore
(301) 581-5190
mfila@strathmore.org
Cheryl Jukes
Executive Director
Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras
(301) 581-5208
cheryl@mcyo.org
Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras Officially Becomes a Program of Strathmore
North Bethesda, MD – (April 25, 2015) — Strathmore welcomed Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras (MCYO) under its umbrella of high-quality arts and education programs serving the greater Washington, D.C. region at the arts center’s 10th Anniversary Spring Gala on Saturday, April 25, 2015. A formal announcement was made by Strathmore CEO Eliot Pfanstiehl and MCYO Executive Director Cheryl Jukes.
“The MCYO brand gets even stronger, amplified through direct affiliation with a professional world-class concert hall and the best of regional and national performing arts events,” said MCYO Executive Director Cheryl Jukes.
A resident partner at Strathmore since the opening of the Music Center, MCYO now officially becomes a program of Strathmore, joining the Strathmore Children’s Chorus as a signature program that will enhance the art center’s rich education programming. This formal merger deepens their relationship. MCYO is one of America’s premier youth orchestra programs for musicians who range from elementary school age through advanced high school students.
Strathmore presents and produces an average of 48 performances annually in its hallmark Music Center, which have come to include concerts by its own Strathmore Children’s Chorus. The ensemble are community ambassadors, and also benefit from unique performance opportunities made possible through the institutional support of Strathmore, such as performing on the Music Center stage with Natalie McMaster, Irish supergroup The Chieftains, and Julie Andrews. As a program of Strathmore, MCYO students will be afforded the same opportunities.
Additionally, MCYO gains the marketing and programming expertise of Strathmore, and in turn Strathmore benefits by rounding out its comprehensive music education programs.
“Since the day we opened our doors in 2005, Strathmore has placed a high value on nurturing the artists and audiences of the future. MCYO is the ‘best of the best’ student musicians and they deserve a Concert Hall which hosts the best artists in the world. This match is pure destiny,” said Strathmore CEO Eliot Pfasntiehl.
About Strathmore
Strathmore presents and produces exemplary visual and performing arts programs for diverse audiences; creates dynamic arts education experiences; and nurtures creative ideas and conversations that advance the future of the arts. The organization’s hallmark is the Music Center at Strathmore, with a 1,976-seat concert hall and education complex. Its core campus also includes the Historic Mansion at Strathmore, which features an intimate Music Room and art galleries. Most recently, Strathmore opened AMP, a 250-seat cabaret-style venue located several miles off the core campus in the burgeoning Pike District of Montgomery County. Strathmore’s signature education, mission-driven programs include the Strathmore Student Concerts, the Artist in Residence and Fine Artist in Residence programs, and its Spring Break @ Strathmore intensive.
About Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras
The Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras program (MCYO) is approaching its 70th season! Comprising almost 500 top young musicians in 6 orchestras, plus 4 additional chamber ensembles, MCYO’s mission is to “nurture and develop young talented musicians and enrich the community with a quality orchestral experience.”
###