Celebrating 60 Years of Music at Evergreen

Supported by the Evergreen House Foundation since its inception in 1952, Music at Evergreen continues the Garrett family’s tradition of presenting performances in an intimate setting and providing audiences with an opportunity to meet the musicians in post-concert receptions.

The Evergreen House Foundation began to plan for the Music at Evergreen concert series in 1952 to honor the memory of arts patron Alice Warder Garrett, wife of career diplomat John Work Garrett. The Garretts, who inherited Evergreen in 1920, created there a gathering place for “lovers of music, art, and beautiful things,” a tradition that continues today.

This tradition of house concerts began with Mrs. Garrett's sponsorship of the Musical Art Quartet, which was in residence at Evergreen for six weeks each spring and fall from 1928 to 1942. Performances of the Quartet drew distinguished people from across the country, including Walter Lipmann, Frank Lloyd Wright, Leopold Stokowski and his wife Olga Samnaroff, diplomats, and other close friends. In 1929 when John Work Garrett was called out of retirement to serve as ambassador to Italy under the Hoover administration, Mrs. Garrett brought the Quartet to Italy, prompting TIME magazine to dub the Garretts “Lord and Lady Bountiful to Music,” praising both the musicians and the ambassador for promoting American arts abroad.

Resolute that Baltimore should have an orchestra on a par with that of Philadelphia and other internationally known symphonies, Mrs. Garrett raised funds for the Baltimore Symphony. She also supported struggling young musicians, inviting them to give concerts at Evergreen and awarding scholarships anonymously. Today, the Evergreen House Foundation continues to award two annual scholarships to students in their last year at the Peabody Conservatory and the Maryland Institute College of Art. Since Mrs. Garrett's death in 1952, the series conceived in her memory has brought more than 200 emerging, talented, and award-winning musicians to Evergreen.

Evergreen Museum & Library’s popular and adventurous series of classical and world-music concerts is one of the longest-running music programs in Baltimore. Come enjoy an afternoon of music in the stunning Bakst Theatre — and concert tickets include museum admission and a reception!
Details on our 60th season series will be announced in late summer. In the meantime, subscribe to our e-News to learn about upcoming events.