STRATHMORE HALL FOUNDATION INC

Strathmore is a multidimensional creative anchor in our community, where everyone can connect with the arts and artists can explore their full potential.

WE NOURISH POTENTIAL
We cultivate exceptional artists, partners, and colleagues who engage our senses and stretch our perspectives. We forge pathways and develop resources to unleash boundless creativity.

WE CHOOSE INCLUSION
We champion the power of shared artistic experiences and are relentlessly committed to engaging the full diversity of our community.

WE GO DEEPER
We invite our community to discover richly multifaceted programming. From performances to exhibitions to dialogues, we encourage you to explore the arts from every conceivable angle.

Artistic offerings presented in the Music Center at Strathmore include world-class performances by major national and international artists of jazz, blues, folk, rock, pop, world music, show tunes, dance, and classical music. Our free summer concert series welcomes thousands of people to enjoy music and food outdoors. The Mansion at Strathmore is home to more intimate artistic programs presented in the 100-seat Dorothy M. and Maurice C. Shapiro Music Room. The popular Music in the Mansion series includes chamber and jazz groups, a wide range of solo artists, and special performances curated in conversation with the art on display. Year-round art exhibitions are presented in the Mansion and are always free to the public. Tea is served in the Music Room twice a week and features local musicians in an informal yet refined atmosphere. AMP by Strathmore features gourmet dining alongside rock, blues, jazz, folk, R&B, go-go, comedy, and other genres of performance.

Through a vibrant Artist in Residence program, Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras, and the Strathmore Children’s Chorus, Strathmore stewards the artistic and professional development of more than 800 young, aspiring artists each year.

Through our Bloom initiative, Strathmore expands access to the arts in communities throughout Montgomery County. By bringing free programs (developed with members of these communities) directly into schools and neighborhoods, we eliminate the access barriers of cost and transportation, and provide engaging experiences in the places where people live, work, and go to school. In partnership with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), Strathmore hosts curriculum-enriched performances for every second and fifth grader attending the 135 public elementary schools in the county, as well as in-school, hands-on arts education programs for elementary, middle, and high school students. Strathmore provides free arts programs to over 28,000 MCPS students every year through programs that include East County Strings, Think Big Café, Step Up East County, Spring Break Camp, Sing Out, and Latin Strings and Percussion. Strathmore continues to collaborate with MCPS to grow existing programs and develop new ones, always in response to what the schools say that they want and need, and in connection with curricular outlines and strategies. In 2019, Strathmore was named Montgomery County Public Schools Partner Champion of the Year, recognizing the long-standing partnership between Strathmore and the school system, number of students and families impacted, resources invested, and future programs and plans.

As part of our strategic planning, Strathmore refreshed its Defining Belief, Vision, and Mission statements to better reflect the breadth of our work and impact on our community. Our new statements are as follows:

Defining Belief: The arts are as primal as nature and as essential as love. They reflect our humanity, help us understand, connect, empathize, and grow. We must ensure that they remain vibrant and that everyone has access to them.
Vision: We are a bridge to a more conscious, connected, arts-infused world.
Mission: We amplify distinctive and diverse artistic voices and curate experiences to enrich every life and shape stronger communities.

In the fall of FY23, the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access ) Core Team finalized Strathmore’s IDEA statement. We are learning how inequities impact our organization’s work and are committed to resolving them. With these proactive and ongoing commitments, Strathmore intends to become an actively antiracist institution, on a journey of deliberate and consistent work to de-racialize behavior, reject stereotypes, and eliminate bias.

After two years of virtual performances, we were thrilled to welcome 24,000 enthusiastic MCPS 2nd and 5th graders to the Concert Hall in the fall of 2022. It was especially moving to welcome the 5th graders, who were the last class of 2nd graders to visit Strathmore before the pandemic. Second graders experienced a classical program with the National Philharmonic, which was updated with a focus on music by living composers. Fifth graders viewed a fun and engaging performance featuring The Strathmore Artist in Residence Blues Band which explored the origins, history, legends, and musical components of the blues.