Message from the President

Over the past 25 years, thanks to the efforts of the MSO Guild, the MSO and its dedicated sponsors, thousands of area children have had an opportunity to hear a MSO performance or touch or play a musical instrument, providing exceptional music experiences which have enriched lives and cultivated an appreciation of classical music.
The MSO Guild is especially proud to put instruments in the hands of students.

• Presented annually for the last 24 years, our MSO Guild Symphony Saturday program is recognized by the community, the Washington County School System, the Maryland State Arts Council, and the American Symphony Orchestra League, which voted the program the muchsought-after Gold Award.
• Two years ago the Guild contributed $10,000 to purchase string instruments for upper elementary students and seed a Middle School Orchestra. Young musicians have full use of these Guild instruments during the school year, providing an educational opportunity otherwise unavailable to them. We support the Maryland Symphony Orchestra’s concerts for students.
• Along with First Data Merchant Services, a major Family Concert sponsor since its inception, the MSO Guild funds a portion of the concert each year, educating and entertaining new generations of audiences.
• The Citi Youth Concerts, sponsored since 1986 by Citicorp, touches the lives of up to 4,000 Quad-State fourth graders each year, providing them an opportunity to hear and see a professional orchestra. Guild docents act as ushers, and have prepared for programs by creating puppet shows, designed costumes for ushering, distributed materials to the schools, and even written scripts for the shows. Our Youth Guild offers special opportunities.
• Youth Guild members attend pre-concert lectures and rehearsals, raise funds for the orchestra through enjoyable projects and assist with festivities at the Guild Ball. From the beginning, our educational endeavors have and continue to be a major focus. The
• Guild has a long-standing commitment to educational programs, which will continue into the future. To find out how you can help, please call the MSO office at 301-797-4000.
  

Barbara Henderson, MSO Guild President