A hidden gem for classical music lovers in Delaware
Outreach
Consistent with our mission of transforming peoples' lives through the sharing of classical music, Coastal Concerts engages in several activities in the community. These include the awarding of scholarships to promising young musicians, bringing our performers into local schools and community agencies to offer master classes and perform, collecting gently used instruments from local residents to give to students who can't afford to purchase an instrument, and providing performance opportunities in different venues for rising artists. Each of these activities is described below in detail.
Scholarship Program
As part of Coastal Concerts’ Outreach Program, and with support from many of our patrons, Coastal Concerts is proud to sponsor an annual Scholarship Competition for musically talented secondary and middle school students. This program is designed to help students continue their music education, and since the program’s inception in 2002, we have awarded $51,700 in scholarship monies to deserving students. Scholarships are available to all middle school and high school students in the Delmarva Peninsula.
Students compete only against those in their own age group and the scholarships awarded are based upon written essay and musical performance. The Scholarship Awards can be used for music camps, university courses, instrument purchase/repair, or music lessons. The scholarship application period runs from November 15th to February 15th each year. Scholarship decisions are made in February and the awards are given at the last concert of the season.
HOW TO APPLY
Application materials can be found on this Site in late September. Please visit this site often for updated information on the Scholarship Program. If you have questions they can be directed to Carol Dennis, Executive Director at executivedirector@coastalconcerts.org.
Click here to see the current and past scholarship winners.
​School Concerts and Master Classes
​Coastal Concerts hosts at least two outreach programs or master classes each season in the community. During the 2021-22 season, there were two outstanding outreach programs for schools in the area.
The first was a vocal master class at Cape Henlopen High School in November, 2021 with Andrew Garland conducting a voice program for the high school’s vocal students. It was well attended with over 50 students in attendance, some parents and board members from Coastal Concerts were also in attendance. The Master Class was coordinated through the Voice Instructor at the school, Marian Sunnergren.
Andrew Garland, Baritone, is widely recognized as a leader in recital work with dozens of performances around the country.
Seaford High school was the location of CoCo’s second Outreach in April, 2022 for the high school band students. The Sinta Quarter performed a short concert and lots of interesting questions from the students produced a lively discussion in the music auditorium! Coordinating with the Band Director at Seaford, Mr. ​Matt Gurevich, the students were given the opportunity not only to hear the group perform and ask questions, but were able to meet with and dialogue with the artists at the conclusion of the concert. Needless to say, Coastal Concerts was invited back again with more music and outstanding artists!
The Sinta Quartet injects music and fun into the air for unsuspecting passersby by appearing in nontraditional venues such as grocery stores, bars, and other public places, but they have also performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Hall, and the Beijing Center for the Performing Arts. Since forming in 2010 as soloists for a tour of China with the University of Michigan Symphony Band, the quartet has concertized in 9 countries, 31 states, and 2 Canadian provinces,
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RAVE: Rising Artist and Venue Expansion
In November 2018 The Longwood Foundation awarded Coastal Concerts a grant to operate the second iteration of our RAVE program (called RAVE2). This program runs from May 2019 through December 2022 and has Coastal Concerts collaborating with key community partners in areas of southern Delaware where residents have limited access to classical music. We have developed partnerships, including the Seaford (Seaford HS) and Indian River (Georgetown MS) School Districts, La Esperanza and First State, with others on the planning board.
In October 2019, we arranged an outreach at H.O. Brittingham and Milton elementary schools and an open-to-public concert at Georgetown Middle School. The events featured Washington DC’s Trio Caliente, highly entertaining and internationally traveled performers of Spanish and Latin American music. The events were free and bilingual (Spanish/English). The outreach included a special Q&A session for immersion track Spanish students.
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In 2022, we collaborated with the First State Action Agency and presented the Harlem String Quartet in concert for the Georgetown Community. There are continued programs slated for the fall of 2022.
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​“Toot Your Own Horn” Instrument Donations
Coastal Concerts provides aspiring young musicians access to quality musical instruments and equipment through our “Toot Your Own Horn” Program which, since 2004, has provided over 160 gently used, but playable, musical instruments to students in southern Delaware. Through the generosity of local residents, who donate usable musical instruments that they no longer play, Coastal Concerts is able to sustain this wonderful program. Instruments are distributed to students through the school music education programs in the area, including the Cape Henlopen School District and the Seaford School District.
If you have an instrument or instruments you would like to donate, please contact Denise Emery, Chair, of the “Toot Your Own Horn” Program at denise.emery@gmail.com. Instrument pick-up from your home can also be arranged.
Donations of musical instruments through “Toot Your Own Horn” may be tax-deductible.
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