Naptown Philharmonic Orchestra Chorus Presents

Songs of the Season

Sunday, December 14, 7 pm
Eastport United Methodist Church
926 Bay Ridge Avenue, Annapolis

The Naptown Philharmonic Orchestra (NPO) invites everyone to the debut concert of its chorus, just in time for the holidays. Songs of the Season will feature holiday favorites, and there will be the opportunity to sing along.

Audience favorites include It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas; Hanukkah, the Season of Light; Let it Snow; The Christmas Song; Deck the Halls; Hallelujah Chorus, and much more.

Tickets are just $10, and students of all ages are admitted free, but everyone must have a ticket. Tickets are available at https://tinyurl.com/383ujc7m.

The Naptown Philharmonic chorus is 70 singers strong and multi-generational. Some singers are in their 80s, others in their 20s, and many in between. Some are veteran choral singers. Others are brand new. The blending of voices is nothing short of remarkable.

“Nothing brings the community together like music,” said Kelly. “We have young people together with older adults, working people with retirees, those who favor classical pieces with those who favor popular tunes. And singing with the incredible talent of the Naptown Philharmonic will raise the bar even higher.”

The NPO often collaborates with choral singers. “At least once a year, we bring in the choruses of schools and other organizations to perform with us, and the synergy of voices and instruments is just electric, said Dr. Anna Binneweg, Philharmonic Music Director and Conductor. “We are so fortunate that Jeanne has signed on with us for this terrific initiative.”

Last June, in keeping with the Naptown Philharmonic Orchestra’s mission to provide high-quality, family-friendly, affordable classical and light classical concerts for the enrichment and enjoyment of Central Maryland residents of all ages and backgrounds, the NPO announced the establishment of a non-auditioned community chorus for singers of all ages. It is conducted by renowned chorus master Jeanne Kelly, founder of Encore Creativity for Older Adults and former conductor of the US Naval Academy Women’s Glee Club.

For more information about the Naptown Philharmonic Orchestra, see https://naptownphil.org.

About Jeanne Kelly

Ms. Kelly founded Encore Creativity for Older Adults, the largest choral organization for older adults in the country, in Annapolis in 2017. The organization has now grown to over 50 chapters across ten states. Prior to Encore, Ms. Kelly was the conductor of the United States Naval Academy Women’s Glee Club and served as Executive Director of the Levine School of Music, Virginia Campus; Conductor of the Georgetown University Concert Choir; and Voice Instructor at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland.

Ms. Kelly has extensive experience as a classical music performer, including with the National Symphony, Washington, DC; Baltimore Symphony; Rochester Philharmonic, Rochester, NY; Annapolis Symphony Orchestra; Washington Opera; Baltimore Opera; Tulsa Opera; Delaware Opera, Wilmington, Delaware; Pennsylvania Opera Theater, Philadelphia; Annapolis Opera; Central City Opera, Colorado; Berlin (Germany) Brass Quintet, Washington, DC; and Bethlehem Bach Festival, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

She holds a Master of Music from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Findlay, Findlay, Ohio.

Her awards and honors are many, including the Annie Award, Anne Arundel County Arts Council, 2017; “12 Influencers in Aging,” PBS Next Avenue, 2018; “60 over 60,” HelpAge USA, honoring Americans over 60 years of age who are making significant contributions to society at the local, national or international level, 2022; and the Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Findlay, 1995. Ms. Kelly was the Commencement Speaker at the University of Findlay in 2014.

About Naptown Philharmonic’s Music Director/Conductor Anna Binneweg

Dr. Anna Binneweg conducts the Orchestra. As the Music Director/Conductor of the Naptown Philharmonic Orchestra, the Anne Arundel Community College Symphony Orchestra, and the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, she is a frequent guest conductor on the national and international scene. Dr. Binneweg repeatedly captures audiences with her enthusiasm and passion for music. Putting her musicians in the spotlight, she brings out the best in them. Dr. Binneweg’s programs and performances are engaging and alluring, and attract audiences of all ages, particularly making classical repertoire appealing to all. Over the course of her career, Dr. Binneweg has performed in some of the nation’s most significant concert venues including the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall in Washington, the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Her international conducting experience includes tours to Austria and Spain, as well as debut appearances with the Chernihiv Philharmonic and Lviv Virtuosi in Ukraine, and the Minsk Conservatory Orchestra in Belarus.

Dr. Binneweg is a committed music educator and has been a guest conductor at colleges and universities throughout the United States. She was recently elected to the board of directors of the International Conductors Guild (2021). Dr. Binneweg earned a doctorate degree of music in orchestral conducting from Northwestern University and has served on the conducting faculties at Loyola University and Sherwood Conservatory of Music in Chicago, and American University in Washington. Dr. Binneweg is the recipient of the 2015 Annie Award for the Performing Arts awarded by the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County.