April 22, 2010
Maryland Symphony Orchestra Receives Grant to Provide Free Concert Tickets to Students

Hagerstown, MD—The Maryland Symphony Orchestra (MSO) has announced the receipt of a grant from Marlaina Rombach-Miller and the American General Life & Accident Insurance Company (AGLA) that will enable the MSO to provide free Masterworks concert tickets to students in grades one through 12.  Public, private and home-schooled students from throughout the quad-state region are eligible. 

The grant covers the period between the final concerts of the 2009-2010 Season (April 24 & 25) and the first four Masterworks concerts of the 2010-2011 Season (October 16 & 17; November 13 & 14). 

“We are very pleased to have established this collaborative partnership with Marlaina and AGLA,” states the MSO’s Director of Development Vicki Willman.   “Through this partnership, classical concerts are now going to be more affordable for families as the price of student tickets will no longer be a prohibiting factor.  Music Education has been a core mission of the MSO from the very beginning and this grant is another way to help us strengthen that mission.” 

“I believe the MSO is one of Western Maryland’s greatest cultural assets and wanted to lend my support to the Orchestra’s educational programs,” said Rombach-Miller.   “This is a great opportunity for AGLA and me to give back to the community by giving children and youth the chance to broaden their musical awareness and, perhaps, inspire them to make music a part of their lives even after reaching adulthood.”   

The MSO is supported by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC), an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive. 

The MSO is the area’s premier professional orchestra, dedicated to providing musical performances that educate and entertain, while enhancing the cultural environment of Western Maryland and the surrounding region.