The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MSO) has selected the three finalists for the final round of the fifth annual Elizabeth Loker International Concerto Competition, presented as a live concert on Sunday, March 15 at 3:00 PM at the Todd Performing Arts Center at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, Maryland, bringing outstanding young instrumental soloists from across the United States and around the world to the Eastern Shore.

Backed by the more than 40 musicians of the full Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, the final round features three finalists selected from an international applicant pool through two preliminary rounds of adjudicated video submissions. Over the past three years alone, 398 young musicians from 27 states and 16 countries across Europe, Asia, the Pacific Rim, the South Pacific, and North America have participated in the competition, reflecting its rapidly growing international reputation. The Competition is unique in the world of similar events for young instrumental musicians. Almost all other major competitions for young soloists are performed only with piano accompaniment or solo. This singular opportunity to perform and compete backed by a leading professional symphony orchestra is very rare and attracts record entries.

The three finalists will perform their complete concertos in a unique concert and competition all in one, offering a remarkable experience for both performers and audiences. In addition to international recognition and professional exposure, the Competition awards $9,000 in cash prizes, including $5,000 for First Prize, $2,500 for Second Prize, $1,000 for Honorable Mention, and a $500 Audience Prize, and offers finalists the opportunity to perform with the full Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Grammy Award–winning Music Director Michael Repper.

This year’s finalists represent extraordinary artistic achievement and promise. Violinist Sophia Werner of New York City will perform Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto. A Kovner Fellow at The Juilliard School, Werner won the 2024 Juilliard Concerto Competition and has appeared as a soloist with the Juilliard Orchestra in Alice Tully Hall. She regularly serves as Concertmaster of the Juilliard Orchestra and has performed at major venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and David Geffen Hall.

Pianist Brielle Perez, also based in New York City, will perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major. Praised for her expressive artistry and musical sensitivity, Perez is currently pursuing her Master’s degree at The Juilliard School and has performed extensively across the United States, Europe, and Asia, including appearances at Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Mozarteum in Salzburg. She is a First Prize winner of the 2025 Juilliard Mieczysław Munz Piano Scholarship Competition and was recently featured on WQXR’s Young Artists Showcase.

Violinist Mio Imai of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will perform Dvořák’s Violin Concerto. At just fifteen years old, Imai has already appeared as a soloist with major orchestras in the United States and Europe, including the Nashville Symphony and Vancouver Symphony. A multiple international competition laureate, she studies with Kimberly Fisher of The Philadelphia Orchestra and is widely recognized as one of the most compelling young violinists of her generation.

The final round will be judged by a distinguished panel including Edward Polochick, longtime Music Director of the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra and a respected conductor and educator; Dr. Laura Colgate, Concertmaster of the National Philharmonic and co-founder and Artistic Director of the Boulanger Initiative; and Qing Li, Principal Second Violin of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to the final competition concert, MSO will host a Preview Evening on Saturday, March 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Academy Art Museum, where each finalist will present a short recital. This informal event offers audiences an intimate preview of the artistry and talent that will take center stage with the orchestra the following afternoon.

According to Maestro Repper, the Elizabeth Loker International Concerto Competition has become “world class” in just a few short years. “Young musicians can tell when something is genuine,” Repper says. “This Competition treats them with respect, care, and seriousness, and word spreads quickly when that happens. Its growth comes from trust—and from the feeling that this is a place where young artists are truly supported, not just evaluated.”

Tickets and additional information are available at www.midatlanticsymphony.org.

ABOUT THE MID-ATLANTIC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is the only professional symphony orchestra serving southern Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore with a full season of programs. The MSO is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council, the Talbot County Arts Council, the Worcester County Arts Council, the Sussex County (Delaware) Council, and the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Inc.

A complete schedule of the 2025-2026 season’s Masterworks and Ensembles programs, including venues, times, and other details, is available at www.midatlanticsymphony.org.

Pictured from left to right: Benjamin C. Tilghman; Debbie Potter; Jay Borneman, PhD; Denise Anne Bode; Mark Dickinson.

The Academy Art Museum (AAM) is pleased to announce the appointment of five new members to its Board of Trustees, strengthening the Museum’s leadership with deep expertise across the arts, education, public policy, business, and community engagement.

The newly appointed trustees — Jay Borneman, Denise Bode; Mark Dickinson; Debbie Potter; and Benjamin C. Tilghman — bring decades of professional experience and a shared commitment to advance the Museum’s mission of connecting people to art, ideas, and one another through exhibitions, education, and public programs.

“The new trustees reflect a   breadth of perspectives and  experience that will help the Academy Art Museum continue to thrive,” said Christine Martin, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “Their  knowledge, leadership, and passion for the arts will be invaluable as the Museum continues to grow its impact locally and regionally.

New Trustees

Jay Borneman is the founder and principal of Oak View Point Partners and retired Chairman and CEO of Hyland’s, Inc., a mid-size OTC pharmaceutical manufacturer. He holds degrees in chemistry, finance, and health policy, and has served as a trustee for St. Joseph’s University, the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, and the Avalon Foundation. Mr.. Borneman splits his time between Pennsylvania and Oxford, Maryland.

Denise Bode brings more than four decades of leadership in public policy, energy, and nonprofit governance. A nationally recognized expert in trade, tax, and environmental policy, she has led major industry associations and previously served as Chairman of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. Denise has held trustee and executive leadership roles at several cultural and civic organizations, including the Avalon Foundation and the Oklahoma City National Memorial Museum, and is an active supporter of the arts on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

Mark Dickinson is a retired attorney and real estate investor with extensive experience in historic preservation, conservation, and community-based philanthropy. Now a full-time Talbot County resident, he has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including Preservation Maryland, the Washington County Historical Society, and San Mar Children’s Home. His work reflects a longstanding commitment to stewardship, mentorship, and place-based community investment.

Debbie Potter spent much of her professional career in Washington, D.C., serving in senior roles across federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice. A former journalist and national press award recipient, she is deeply engaged in volunteer service and nonprofit leadership on the Eastern Shore. Debbie has previously served on the Board of Trustees of the Avalon Foundation

Benjamin C. Tilghman is a professor of art history at Washington College whose work bridges academic scholarship and public-facing museum engagement. His background includes curatorial fellowships, exhibition development, public lectures, and extensive experience in arts governance and fundraising. He currently serves as Chair of the Public Arts Committee in Chestertown, where he has led major public sculpture initiatives and community collaborations.

Board of Trustees

The Academy Art Museum Board of Trustees is chaired by Christine Martin, with Brenda Fike serving as Vice Chair, Sue Bredekamp as Secretary, and Ronald Flohr as Treasurer. Additional trustees include MaryLou Armstrong Peters, Denise Bode, Jay Borneman, Sandy Cardin, Mark Dickinson, Robert Fogarty, Jazmine Gibson, Denise Grant, Shelton Hawkins, Elizabeth Hormel, Victoria Gomez Lozano, Joanne Lukens, Debbie Potter, Chris Sadler, Ann Scully, Beth Spurry, Ben Tilghman, Holly Townsend, Daniel Weiss, and Donald Wooters.

With the addition of these new trustees, the Academy Art Museum continues to build a Board that reflects its commitment to artistic excellence, thoughtful stewardship, and meaningful community connection.

About the Academy Art Museum

Founded in 1958, the Academy Art Museum is the Eastern Shore’s leading cultural institution, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It combines the dynamism of an ambitious contemporary art museum with the intimacy of a community space. With five working studios, a 24,000 sq. ft. facility, and innovative programs including a robust artist-in-residence initiative and major commissions for its soaring atrium, the Museum is a destination for artists, scholars, collectors, and families alike. For more information, visit academyartmuseum.org

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra continues its 2025–2026 Ensembles Series with a set of chamber music concerts taking place February 6 through 8 across Maryland and Delaware. Featuring works by Franz Schubert, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Krzysztof Penderecki, the program highlights the artistry of the MSO’s principal musicians in an intimate chamber setting.

The concerts will be performed on Friday, February 6 at 7:00 PM at Community Church in Ocean Pines, Maryland; Saturday, February 7 at 3:00 PM at Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware; and Sunday, February 8 at 4:00 PM at the Academy Art Museum in Easton, Maryland.

The program opens with Schubert’s String Trio in B-flat major, D. 471, an early chamber work that reflects the composer’s lyrical instincts and emerging voice. Mozart’s Oboe Quartet in F major, K. 370 follows, a piece written for virtuoso oboist Friedrich Ramm and admired for its elegance, clarity, and expressive interplay between winds and strings. Completing the program is Penderecki’s Quartet for Clarinet and String Trio, a striking 20th-century work that combines modern harmonic language with dramatic contrast and intensity.

The performers include Celaya Kirchner, Principal Second Violin; Yuri Tomenko, Principal Viola; Katie McCarthy, Principal Cello; Dana Newcomb, Principal Oboe; and Cheryl Hill, Principal Clarinet. Together, the ensemble brings a wide range of musical styles and historical periods into close conversation, showcasing both individual virtuosity and collaborative musicianship.

Now in its fourth season, the MSO’s Ensembles Series has become an important part of the orchestra’s artistic mission, offering audiences the opportunity to experience chamber music in intimate venues throughout the Delmarva Peninsula while spotlighting the depth and versatility of the orchestra’s musicians.

Tickets and additional information are available at www.midatlanticsymphony.org

ABOUT THE MID-ATLANTIC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is the only professional symphony orchestra serving southern Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore with a full season of programs. The MSO is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council, the Talbot County Arts Council, the Worcester County Arts Council, the Sussex County (Delaware) Council, and the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Inc.

A complete schedule of the 2025-2026 season’s Masterworks and Ensembles programs, including venues, times, and other details, is available at www.midatlanticsymphony.org.

Calling all folk musicians, singer-songwriters, fiddlers, and living-room players! Allegro Academy is offering our new Music Theory for Folk Musicians class this winter! Have you ever wondered why so many songs only have three chords, and which three they are? Want some vocabulary to explain what’s going on in your music? Need to know about modes? Join us to build a foundation of music theory in a folk-music context. Classes will take place Tuesday evenings, January 6, 13, 20, & 27, from 6:30-8pm, with plenty of time for your questions each week. Total cost for the 4-week session is $100.

Teaching the class will be Allegro Board President, Topher Lawton.  Topher is an accomplished vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and teacher based on Maryland’s eastern shore. He holds an undergraduate degree in music history and a graduate degree in information science, and has two decades of experience leading small performance ensembles. His research and practice focuses on vocal expression of human experiences, from renaissance madrigals to early American shape-note music, and he has taught music theory and performance at all levels from grade school through adult learners. Currently, he’s enmeshed in the study of the 18th-century music found in the colonies, and the ways that music formed and informed our American identity during the Revolution. You can see Topher performing with Ampersand, and with various other groups throughout the mid-Atlantic.

Allegro Academy, a non-profit music conservatory located in downtown Easton, connects musicians through workshops, lessons, ensembles, and performances, and aspires to enrich the lives of music enthusiasts of all ages and incomes in our community. Academy Programs are supported in part by generous contributions from individuals, Talbot Arts, the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, and the Maryland State Arts Council.

For more information and registration links, please visit www.allegroacademyeaston.com or call 410-603-8361. 

The Academy Art Museum delivered one of the more imaginative moments at this year’s Easton Holiday Parade, presenting a float that blended craftsmanship, humor, and a distinctly local creative spirit. Central to the display was a beautifully restored 1932 GMC pickup truck, generously provided by David and Joan North, longtime friends of the museum and a key collaborator on last year’s Bugatti exhibition.

In the truck bed, artist and AAM instructor Stewart White designed and hand-painted a charming diorama—a miniature reimagining of the museum itself. The scene portrays elves industriously constructing artworks, a playful nod to both Santa’s workshop and the daily creative production in AAM’s studios. White’s vision was brought to life with the support of a wide team of AAM instructors, staff, and volunteers, who contributed many hours to the build and finishing touches.

During the parade, students, children, teachers, and staff dressed as elves walked alongside the float, distributing magic sculpt and painting tools to spectators. Their presence reinforced the theme: that remarkable things are being made right here in Easton by a vibrant community of artists and learners.

For those who missed the parade, the 1932 GMC and its festive diorama are currently parked in front of the Academy Art Museum, giving visitors a chance to see the installation up close—or to take a holiday selfie before heading inside. The museum’s major exhibition, Robert Rauschenberg at 100: New Connections, is now on view, free and open to the public.

The project, championed by AAM’s new Manager of Membership, Laura Ryan, stands as a thoughtful example of what collective creativity can produce—and how art can bring a community together in joyful, unexpected ways. Consider giving the gift of a museum membership this holiday season!

This video is approximately two minutes in length. For information about the Academy Art Museum, please go here.

The Academy Art Museum (AAM) is set to break ground on the Henny and James Freeman Annex and Hormel Research Center, a custom-built, state-of-the-art facility designed to preserve and expand access to the Museum’s permanent collection of over 1,700 works of art. The new complex, located at 106, 108, and 110 Talbot Lane, is made possible through the a generous donation by AAM Trustee Elizabeth Hormel.

At its heart, this project advances AAM’s commitment to responsible stewardship and public access. The new facility will feature climate-controlled vaults, conservation-grade storage, and a research center—providing a secure and sustainable environment for the museum’s expanding collection while creating opportunities for scholarship and community engagement.

“The Academy Art Museum is a place where creativity meets community,” said Diz Hormel. “ The new Freeman annex and Hormel Research Center will enable the museum to be more ambitious with its collection while preserving history and honoring the first known freed family to own property and settle in the Hill community of downtown Easton. This project both embraces our past and inspires our future.”

While the Freeman Annex and Hormel Research Center will not be a public gallery space, it represents a major expansion of the Museum’s educational and research mission. Scholars, students, and community members will be able to schedule appointments to study works from the collection up close, opening new avenues for engagement, scholarship, and learning.

“Much of our collection has never been on public display,” said Charlotte Potter Kasic, Director of the Academy Art Museum. “This new facility gives us the ability to conserve and share these important works responsibly, while also creating a space for research and deeper connection with our community.”

The site itself carries remarkable historic significance. Once owned by Henny and James Freeman, the property at 106 Talbot Lane was home to the earliest documented free Black landowning family in Easton, Maryland. To better understand and honor this history, the Museum commissioned The Ottery Group, a Maryland-based firm specializing in archaeology and historic preservation, to conduct multiple excavations

By the spring of 2023, The Ottery Group had unearthed more than 6,000 historical artifacts, including pottery, glass, wrought iron nails, butchered bones, children’s toys, and personal objects such as buttons, jewelry, and a hair comb. Many items, including handmade glass bottles and ceramics, date to the 18th and early 19th centuries—when the Freeman family lived on the site.

Working with GRT Architects (Brooklyn, NY) and local architect and preservationist John Hutchison, the Museum has developed a design that celebrates this layered history. The new structure will be set across from the existing two-story building, framing a central courtyard that will serve as the heart of the property. The courtyard will include a public display of artifacts discovered during excavation, linking Easton’s past and present in a shared narrative of art, history, and community.

“This project represents the perfect intersection of art, history, and education,” said Kasic. “It provides the flexibility and infrastructure we’ve long needed to steward our growing collection responsibly, while also creating opportunities for discovery, learning, and connection.”

Special thanks to the Talbot Lane Committee, including Museum staff and Board Members Donna Alpi, Diz Hormel, Nanny Trippe, Chris Walsh, Mary Ann Schindler, and Jill Meyerhoff, whose leadership and vision have helped bring this transformative project to life.

A Groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Thursday December 18th 2025 at 10 am at the Academy Art Museum. All media is welcome. 

About the Academy Art Museum

Founded in 1958, the Academy Art Museum is the Eastern Shore’s leading cultural institution, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It combines the dynamism of an ambitious contemporary art museum with the intimacy of a community space. With five working studios, a 24,000 sq. ft. facility, and innovative programs including a robust artist-in-residence initiative and major commissions for its soaring atrium, the Museum is a destination for artists, scholars, collectors, and families alike.

Oxford resident Daniel Weiss has just been appointed the new director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mr. Wise had recently retired from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York after a distinguished tenure.

Read the full story here.

The Fiber Arts Center of the Eastern Shore Offers “Nine Baltimore Album Blocks From The Lovely Lane Museum – A Quilting Class”

Students will explore the story behind the blocks and learn various appliqué tips, tricks  and methods in this first series of 3 classes. One block will be created from each class. 

Instructor: Mary Zober 
Dates: January 17, February 7 and March 21, 2026 
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm 
Cost: Members/$120.00 Non-Members/$180.00 

For more information on the class and for a supply list, please call Mary at 302/632-4244. To sign up for the class, please call Kathleen at FAC at 443/448-4611.