2025-26 Prelude: Welcome Letter
Sep 17, 2025
Dear Friends,
It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to the 60th anniversary season of Shriver Hall Concert Series! We are looking forward to a celebratory year of fantastic music and to sharing it with you, our fellow music lovers.
In our 60th season, we celebrate a legacy of extraordinary artistry. Take a look at the remarkable history of artists who have graced our stage on p. 11. This season’s performers are successors to the likes of cellist Jacqueline du Pré, pianist Radu Lupu, and the Alban Berg Quartet. Over the decades, this legacy grew to include a focus on young artists through our free Discovery Series and new musical works commissioned by SHCS. Outstanding chamber music and recital experiences have always been the core of SHCS’s identity.
We also celebrate a legacy of community connection. SHCS has thrived for 60 years because of people like you. From the debut season of six sold-out concerts in 1966-67, the people of Baltimore and Maryland have continued to seek out outstanding live performance and the joy of collective experience. This year we commemorate our legacy through two new broadcast collaborations with WBJC and WETA. WBJC is airing a series of programs looking at the artists and repertoire presented by SHCS decade by decade, and WETA is curating a series of monthly broadcasts featuring live concert recordings from our archive.
That all said, the 2025-26 season stands on its own. We welcome some extraordinary artists for their debuts and others for eagerly anticipated returns. As our country marks its 250th anniversary, the season features American composers past and present, texts from the nation’s greatest poets, classical works infused with bluegrass and jazz, and some of today’s most thrilling young performers. It is a delight and privilege to welcome this season’s inspiring artists to Baltimore.
Throughout the decades, SHCS has offered our community the opportunity to indulge its curiosity, refresh its spirit, and enjoy great music together. It has only been possible because of the time, energy, and enthusiasm of engaged patrons like you. In renewing your subscription, making an annual gift, and including SHCS in your estate planning, you are investing in our future. Your participation makes the magic of live performance happen here at SHCS.
It promises to be an unforgettable year—and we look forward to experiencing it with you!
With warm wishes,
Ian Heavers Catherine Cochran
Chair Executive Director
