Strathmore (Maryland) facts for kids
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| Address | 5301 Tuckerman Lane North Bethesda, Maryland United States |
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| Public transit |  Washington Metro at Grosvenor–Strathmore |
| Type | Concert hall |
| Capacity | Music Center: 1,976 Amp: 250 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | February 2005 |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Architect | William Rawn Associates Grimm and Parker |
Strathmore is a cool place in North Bethesda, Maryland, where you can enjoy arts and culture. It started in 1981 and has two main parts: the Mansion and the Music Center. Many groups perform here, like the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the National Philharmonic.
Strathmore is easy to get to! It's connected to the Grosvenor–Strathmore Washington Metro station by a special walkway. This means people from Washington, D.C. and other parts of Montgomery County, Maryland can visit easily using the Metro train.
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About Strathmore
The leader of Strathmore is Monica Jeffries Hazangeles. Since 1983, over 5,000 artists have performed here. More than 2 million visitors have enjoyed concerts, art shows, and outdoor festivals.
Some exciting events at Strathmore include the first National Kaleidoscope Exhibition. They also showed the world premiere of the Rhodes-Nadler Art Collection. In February 2005, the big Music Center opened. People said it was "the best place to hear an orchestra" in the Washington area. Strathmore also put on the first concert of "cELLAbration: A Tribute to Ella Jenkins."
Places to Explore at Strathmore
Strathmore has two main buildings where amazing things happen.
The Mansion at Strathmore
The Mansion at Strathmore sits on 11 acres (about 4.5 hectares) of land. It's a beautiful old house built in 1899. This mansion is where smaller concerts, art shows, and special tea events take place. It also has a gift shop. For almost 25 years, the Mansion was the only part of Strathmore.
Inside the Mansion, there's the Dorothy M. and Maurice C. Shapiro Music Room. It seats 100 people. This room hosts concerts with different types of music, like jazz and folk. There's even a very old piano from 1850 that was fixed up in 1994. In the summer, you can enjoy free outdoor concerts and special shows for kids.
Art is a big part of Strathmore. Thousands of people visit each year to see the art shows. These shows feature local artists and art from famous museums. The Gudelsky Gallery Suite has four galleries and is a unique art space in Montgomery County. Outside, there's a Sculpture Garden with art winding through the 11 acres of grounds.
The Mansion itself is a grand building with columns and big windows. It was built in 1902 as a summer home for the Oyster family. Later, it was bought by Charles I. Corby in 1908. The Corby family lived there permanently after 1914. After Mrs. Corby passed away in 1941, a group of nuns bought the home in 1943. They used it as a convent and school called St. Angela Hall.
In 1977, the nuns sold the Mansion to the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA). Then, in 1979, Montgomery County bought the property to turn it into an Arts Center. After a lot of work to fix it up, Strathmore opened its doors to the public on June 21, 1983.
The Music Center at Strathmore
The Music Center at Strathmore is a large concert hall that seats 1,976 people. It also has an education center. It opened in February 2005. This modern building was built with money from the State of Maryland, Montgomery County, and private donations. It provides a great place for many different musical events.
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Strathmore are the main partners here. Other groups like the National Philharmonic and Levine School of Music also use the center. The Music Center hosts over 150 performances each year. It also offers more than 75 arts and music classes every week.
The building was designed by William Rawn Associates Architects and Grimm & Parker Architects. Experts helped make sure the sound was perfect. Tim Smith from The Baltimore Sun called it a "first-class space for music-making."
Building Design and Sound
The Music Center at Strathmore has a wavy roof that looks like the rolling hills around it. The building is very large, about 190,000 square feet (17,650 square meters). It fits nicely into the 11-acre (4.5-hectare) park-like setting.
The outside of the building is made of German limestone with large glass walls. The main lobby has a huge glass wall, 64 feet (19.5 meters) high, with 402 panes of glass! This lobby opens to an outdoor terrace that looks over the Strathmore campus.
The concert hall is shaped like a traditional "shoebox," which is known for great sound. Above the stage, there's a special canopy with 43 panels that can move. These panels help fine-tune the sound for the best clarity. There are also curtains that can be hidden away to make the sound softer or livelier.
The Education Center is on the other side of the building. It has four large rehearsal rooms, including a dance studio with a special floor. There are also rooms with high ceilings, a music classroom for children, and nine smaller practice spaces.
History of Strathmore
Strathmore started as a mansion in 1983, hosting small concerts and art shows. But people soon realized they needed a bigger space. In 1985, the leaders of Strathmore began talking about building a larger place for education and performances. In 1996, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra decided they wanted a second home in Montgomery County. They joined Strathmore as a founding partner for the new Music Center.
In 1998, the local and state governments agreed to provide money for the Music Center. After the design team was chosen in 2001, construction began. Today, Strathmore Hall Foundation, Inc. manages the Music Center and Mansion. Many generous people have donated money to help build and keep Strathmore running.
Outdoor Art and Spaces
- Gudelsky Concert Pavilion and Gazebo: These are outdoor areas used for performances.
- Outdoor Sculpture Garden: The grounds have 23 sculptures. These artworks were created by different artists from the local area and across the country.
Sculptures to See
On the Bou Family Terrace, you can find "Tetra Con Brio." This huge sculpture is 12 feet (3.6 meters) tall and weighs 4,500 pounds (about 2,040 kilograms). It was made by artist Roger W. Stoller. The statue is a tribute to Benjamin O'Brien, who started Music & Arts Centers.
Artist in Residence (AIR) Program
Strathmore has a special program called the Artist in Residence (AIR) program. It helps young musicians (ages 16–32) become professional artists. Since it started in 2005, the program has helped 58 musicians. Each year, six artists are chosen after a tough selection process. These artists get help from experienced musicians, learn about the music business, and get many chances to perform during the 10-month program.
Some artists who have been part of this program include:
- Joey Antico
- Christylez Bacon
- Simone Baron
- Owen Danoff
- Ethan Foote
- Calista Garcia
- Chelsey Green
- Seán Heely
- Amadou Kouyate
- Patrick McAvinue
- Ines Nassara
- Piotr Pakhomkin
- Dante’ Pope
- Eliot Seppa
- Trey Sorrells
- Anjali Taneja
- Chris Urquiaga
- Frédéric Yonnet
See also
- List of concert halls
- List of music museums
