Listen to Pianist & Gastroenterologist Christopher Shih
When you’re email is in the newspaper every week like mine was for ten years, you get some interesting emails. One, Candlelight Concert Society, always intrigued me, but since it originated in Howard County, it wasn’t really my beat. Now, I’ve decided to broaden the definition of what’s around Crownsville so I got in touch with artistic director Holly Thomas — what a find for anyone who enjoys good music!About the Candlelight Concert Society
I had the pleasure of talking with Holly this morning. I could tell from the moment she answered the phone that she had a genuine enthusiasm or her job. She must since she also volunteers as the organization’s board president.
The Candlelight Concert Society is a grass roots organization with an international reputation built with the effort of hundreds of volunteers. Back in 1972, a trio of Glenelg Country School music teachers began giving concerts at their school and bringing in other artists. By 1974 the Columbia Association began sponsoring a concert series at Slayton House in Columbia.
Their hearts were in the right place, but their focus might have been a little misdirected. According to the history of Candlelight, they chose to set the tone by outfitting two employees in tuxedos. “A different color tuxedo – orange, pin, purple, was selected for each event.” (I’m assuming we’re talking ties and cumberbuns, I hope!) They lost $5,000 and got out of the arts management business.
Enter Norman Winkler, who Holly describes as “a genius.” He organized a meeting, send out the call for volunteers interested in chamber music, and soon they had a non-profit to present concerts. Their mission was clear. They ” organized exclusively for educational purposes to promote, sponsor, and provide financial support for the performance of musical and other artistic programs in Howard County; to serve as a force for unifying the community through the performing arts and other planned activities; and to strengthen the performing arts in Howard County, especially in the schools.”
They started with local artists, but since the early years they have brought international artist to their venue. Their reputation has spread so that performances in their concerts now serve as prizes in several prestigious music competitions.
The Society’s Program Today
The Society’s Chamber Music Series presents these international artists and award prize winners. As artistic director, Holly presents many contemporary composers and imaginative programs. This may fly in the face of savvy marketing, but it is working for the Society.
For example, a contemporary program of music by Phillip Glass played by the Fine Arts String quartet went well. The Quartet members talked about the piece first, explaining its difficulty and making the audience aware of what they would hear. An educated audience became an appreciative audience. Similarly, a recent Kevin Puts concert let the audience wanting to hear more. Holly’s intent was realized.
Not that she was without concerned. One concert underwriter had walked out of a Christopher Rouse quartet in New York. Fortunately, when it was on the Society’s program he loved it. Interpretation and performance by the artists is so important. This season has included Glass, Puts, Steven Stucky‘s Piano Quartet, and Erwin Schulhoff‘s String Quartet, No.1.
About the Artistic Director
Holly isn’t just guessing that her artistic management strategy will work. She’s making decisions based on her lifelong involvement with music. Her godfather was a conductor and pianist. She remembers trips to NYC with her mother that were filled with music including a rehearsal of Parsifal at the Metropolitan Opera. She also remembers falling asleep. Her constant exposure to classical music helped her developed her love of music. She played violin and won competitions. After someone heard her sing at Tanglewood, she began singing opera.
Music, though, is a tough life. Now, she’s surrounded by demos and promotional materials of hundreds of talented young artists most of whom will never realize their dreams. Holly, herself, became an attorney, but she knows how to pick performers.
Society Programs
She, the 16-member Board of Directors, and the other volunteers have made their mark in music through the Society. The Chamber Series is joined by the Family Series. Formerly know as the Children’s Series, so many adults came to perormances that it had to be renamed! In addition to their performances, the musicians conduct master classes at Howard Community College and in the community thereby fulfilling the Society’s mission.
Attending a Concert
Now their work is to keep the concert series alive and well. Corporate sponsorships have all but vanished. At prices between $22 and $30, the Society’s concerts are a deal. Whether buying the series, the best bargain, or at the door, the egalitarian society considers all tickets general admission – no special member receptions here. Most concerts are held in Smith Theater at Howard Community College – so parking is free.
The concerts are already plotted out for the next two years. During that time, they’ll be running a Beethoven series with all his string quartets played by three US and three international quartets during that period.
Coming on April 18
But, it’s the next concert that really has everyone buzzing. Christopher Shih is a board-certified gastroentrerologist from Ellicott City, but the Washington Post has called his piano performances “flawless” and “compelling.” He has performed in major venues in over a dozen countries around the world appearing as a soloist with the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center on many occasions. He competed in the
Award winning Pianist Christopher Shih
Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition where he was one of the top four ranking Americans. He won the 2006 Washington International Piano Artists Competition, the 2007 Boston International Piano Competition for Exceptional Amateurs and the 2008 Concours de Grand Amateurs de Piano. He frequently collaborates with his wife, Maya Shih, who is a violinist on the faculty at the Peabody Preparatory Institute in Baltimore.
On April 18 he will be on the stage of the Monteabaro Recital Hall at Howard County Community College. His ambitious program includes Barcarolle, Op. 60 by Chopin; Out of Doors by Bartok; Totentanz by Liszt, En Bateau by Debussy and Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel composed by Brahms. All this is yours for just $15 in advance or #20 at the door.
If you’d like to venture beyond Crownsville and enjoy world caliber classical music, call 410-997-2324 for tickets or additional information. The Monteabaro Recital Hall is located at 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia, MD.