Annapolis, Maryland
The United States Naval Academy was founded in 1845 on the site of Fort Severn, and now occupies an area of land reclaimed from the Severn River next to the Chesapeake Bay. The Annapolis area was the home of a VLF-transmitter called NSS Annapolis, which was used by the United States Navy to communicate with its Atlantic submarine fleet. Students that attend the Naval Academy are enrolled in school for four years with a following five year commitment to serving in the Marine Corps or Navy. There is a typical average of around 4,500 students enrolled.
Annapolis Symphony Orchestra
For 50 years, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra has served as the leading performing arts organization in Maryland’s capital city. Formed in 1962, the ASO now features 70 professional musicians who perform a variety of symphonic music for audiences of all ages. It is the largest performing arts organization in Anne Arundel County. The ASO currently produces and presents five Lexus Classic Series concerts, four Education Concerts, two Family concerts, one Holiday Pops Concert and one free Pops in the Park Community Concert. The Pops in the Park and two joint concerts with the United States Naval Academy bring the ASO before thousands of new audience members each year. The ASO sponsors numerous award-winning education and outreach programs in community schools, reaching thousands of school children from diverse backgrounds. With a budget of $1 million annually, the ASO is governed by a 25-member volunteer Board of Trustees and operated by a professional staff of five full-time employees and led by renowned Music Director, José-Luis Novo. Previous music directors were Leslie Dunner (1998–2003), Gisele Ben-Dor (1991–1997), Peter Bay (1983–1990), and Leon Fleisher (1970–1982).
Music of Annapolis