Located on the Bou Family Terrace, “Tetra Con Brio,” a monumental sculpture of cast bronze, steel, and polished concrete, stands 12 feet (3.7 m) tall and weighs 4,500 pounds. In 1998, the Montgomery County Council and the Maryland State Legislature approved matching capital support ($48 million each) for the Music Center at Strathmore. After the design team was selected in 2001, work began under the direction of the county. The Music Center at Strathmore and the Strathmore Mansion are located at 5301 Tuckerman Lane in North Bethesda, Maryland, just off of the Capital Harbor House Beltway and adjacent to the Grosvenor/Strathmore stop on the Washington, DC Metro’s Red Line. Take the stairs or elevators to the 4th level and walk across the sky bridge to the Concert Hall.
Artist in Residence (AIR) Program
Mr. Corby died in 1926 after acquiring nearly 400 acres (1.6 km2) of surrounding land and maintaining a fully operational dairy farm and a private golf course. With the death of Mrs. Corby in 1941, the home was purchased by the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 1943 and became known as St. Angela Hall, serving as a convent and school. Strathmore, which began as a turn-of-the-century mansion featuring small chamber performances and art exhibitions in 1983, developed its plans for the Music Center over 20 years ago. In 1985, Strathmore’s Board of Directors and President and CEO Eliot Pfanstiehl began discussions about the need for a larger educational and performance space. In 1996, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, under the leadership of former president John Gidwitz, expressed interest in creating a second home in Montgomery County, and joined Strathmore as a founding partner of the Music Center at Strathmore. The Education Center, located at the opposite end of the building, features four expansive rehearsal spaces, including a dance studio with a sprung floor and two rehearsal rooms with 40-foot (12 m) high ceilings.
Strathmore Music Center and Mansion in Maryland
More than 5,000 artists and 2 million visitors have attended exhibitions, concerts, teas, educational events and outdoor festivals since 1983. The complex is thus accessible for patrons coming from Washington, D.C., as well as the northern part of Montgomery County, Maryland via the Metro rail system. In 1979, Montgomery County, Maryland acquired the Mansion and 11 acres of land from ASHA. The house was renamed Strathmore Hall, after the newly established nonprofit, and the Mansion with its surrounding grounds were developed as Montgomery County’s first center for the arts.
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Enjoy a concert in the acoustically superb Music Room, explore our galleries and current exhibitions, indulge in Afternoon Tea, stroll through the sculpture gardens, and find a special something at the Shop at Strathmore. In 1908, The Oysters sold the house and 99 adjoining acres to Charles and Hattie Corby. The Corby family enjoyed the house as a summer retreat until 1912, when they contracted Charles Barton Keen to make extensive modifications. Known to locals as the “Corby Farm,” the grounds had a fully operational dairy farm, greenhouse complex, private golf course, and many other outbuildings. After Charles’ passing in 1926, Hattie Corby remained in the residence until she passed away in 1941.
There are more than two dozen exhibitions each season from local artists and from collaborations with renowned museums, such as the Baltimore Museum. The Gudelsky Gallery Suite, located at the top of the grand staircase, was named after philanthropists, Homer and Martha Gudelsky. Supported by a donation from the Gudelsky Family Foundation, this gallery features four galleries. It is the only venue of its kind in Montgomery County.citation needed There is also a Sculpture Garden that winds through the complex’s 11 acres (45,000 m2). The Mansion at Strathmore is home to intimate artistic programs presented by Strathmore.
- The concert hall opened in 2005 and was built on the 11-acre site of the Strathmore Mansion, a 19th-century home which had been owned by Montgomery County since 1981.
- As shown on an 1879 map, local landowner Frank Ball operated a stagecoach station and blacksmith shop on his farm at this location.
- The Music Center at Strathmore features an undulating roof that outlines the sloping form of the concert hall.
After extensive restoration, the Mansion at Strathmore opened its doors to the public on June 24, 1983. The Music Center at Strathmore features an undulating roof that outlines the sloping form of the concert hall. Inspired by the rolling hills of the Strathmore grounds, the 190,000-square-foot (18,000 m2) building is nestled into an 11-acre (45,000 m2) park-like setting. The Neo-Georgian mansion has columned porticos, Palladian windows and a hilltop setting, It was designed by Appleton P. Clark, Jr., and constructed in 1902 as a summer home for Captain James F. Oyster, Mrs. James Oyster and their family. In 1908, the Oysters sold the residence and its 99 acres (400,000 m2) to Charles I. Corby and his wife, Hattie. It was used as a summer home until 1914 when it was remodeled by architect Charles Keene, and became the permanent abode for the Corby family.
In 1996, the Mansion closed for a $3.2 million renovation that created the Gudelsky Gallery Suite, and a 4-story addition that houses the Lockheed Martin Conference Room, an expanded Shop at Strathmore, and new administrative offices. In addition to exterior improvements, the renovation saw the addition of a sculpture garden, which features pieces along a path winding through 11 acres of landscaped grounds. Strathmore quickly established itself as an important new cultural resource—not just for Montgomery County, but for the entire Metro DC region. The Mansion was bustling with energy and many of Strathmore’s most enduring offerings—including intimate concerts in the Music Room, Afternoon Tea, visual arts exhibitions, and wedding venue—began during this time.
Ownership and usage of the land is not well-known until 1823 when a toll road was built to connect Georgetown and Frederick. One of the road’s tollgates was near the intersection now known as Strathmore Avenue. As shown on an 1879 map, local landowner Frank Ball operated a stagecoach station and blacksmith shop on his farm at this location. The Mansion at Strathmore is home to intimate artistic programs presented by Strathmore. Strathmore is dedicated to creating a vibrant arts community that welcomes everyone. In 2016, Strathmore formalized it’s commitment to ensuring access to the arts with the Bloom initiative.
Through an expansive partnership with Montgomery County’s schools, and an investment in free public arts programs throughout the community, Bloom helps Strathmore reach over 23,000 neighbors annually. The southern parts of Strathmore once attempted to incorporate as the Incorporated Village of Strathmore – but the proposal was voted down in a referendum vote. Because of the outcome of the referendum, all of Strathmore remains part of the unincorporated Manhasset CDP to this day. A flagship program of Strathmore’s Institute for Artistic and Professional Development, the Artist in Residence (AIR) program4 was created more than a decade ago to support artists as they transition to professional careers. Strathmore Artists in Residence benefit from the support of mentor musicians, participate in professional development seminars, and are offered extensive performance opportunities throughout the 10-month program. Parking at the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro garage (off of Tuckerman Lane) is free for ticketed events in the Music Center’s Concert Hall.