The Mary Washington College and Community Orchestra was founded by Dr. James Baker in 1970, and now for more than 50 years has served as a vital public face for the university and for the music department. From the start, the ensemble brought together student, faculty, and community musicians in order to perform orchestral repertoire together–on campus and elsewhere (in Carnegie Hall, in various cities in the United States, and on several international tours). Dr. Baker, Kevin Bartram (under whom the name of the ensemble changed to the UMW Philharmonic Orchestra), and now Glenn Quader have developed substantial community support for the orchestra, providing each year scholarship awards to every student in the group and enabling partnerships with a wide variety of artists over the years.
To become a member of the Friends of the Philharmonic, or to give to any aspect of Music at UMW, visit: https://giving.umw.edu/make-a-gift/
Or contact the Director of Arts Advancement at 540-654-2063 today to learn more about the power of making a transformative gift to the music program at UMW.
2024-2025 season
(All Concerts are Free of Charge)
Wednesday, Oct. 30, 7:00 p.m. (The Weatherly Wing of Seacbeck Hall): UMW Philharmonic Concerto Competition final round
Student soloists compete for the opportunity to perform with the orchestra next February. Each finalist will perform one movement of a concerto (piano accompaniment) for final adjudication.
Sunday, Nov. 24, 3:00 p.m. (Dodd Auditorium): Holiday Spice with the UMW Philharmonic
Sunday, Feb. 23, 3:00 p.m. (Dodd Auditorium): UMW Philharmonic Concerto Winners showcase
This concert features the winners of the Concerto Competion in concert with the orchestra: Kelsey Payne (’25), violin (performing the first movement of the Sibelius Violin Concerto), Mima Manton (’25), bassoon (performing Berwald’s Konzertstück), and Claudia Boyd (’25), violin (with the first movement of Kabalevsky’s Violin Concerto).