Howard County Concert Odyssey

10/14/2026

Today, we remember Kaija Anneli Saariaho (Oct. 14, 1952 – June 2, 2023), a visionary Finnish composer who transformed the world of music with her mesmerizing blend of live performance and electronic soundscapes.

From her creative home in Paris, Saariaho crafted unforgettable operas like L’Amour de loin, Adriana Mater, Émilie, Only the Sound Remains, and Innocence—each celebrated for their emotional depth and innovative textures. Her groundbreaking work earned her the Grawemeyer, Polar Music and Grammy Awards, and in 2019, she was honored as BBC Music Magazine’s "Greatest Living Composer."

Her final masterpiece, HUSH, premiered after her passing in 2023, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to inspire musicians and audiences worldwide.

Let’s celebrate her extraordinary contributions to music and the arts. Which of her works has moved you the most? Share your thoughts below! 🎶
(Sources: https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/; https://saariaho.org/; Wikipedia)

10/09/2026

🚨 THIS SUNDAY! The wait is almost over! 🎺🇺🇸

We are just 2 DAYS AWAY from kicking off our 2026–2027 season with an extraordinary, FREE performance by members of "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band Chamber Ensembles!

Experience legendary musical precision and world-class artistry in the intimate setting of St. John's Episcopal Church.

🗓️ Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026
🕓 Time: 4:00 PM (Doors open early!)
📍 Location: St. John's Episcopal Church (9120 Frederick Rd, Ellicott City, MD)
🎟️️ Admission: FREE — No tickets required!
🅿️ Parking: Free on-site lot & accessible parking

Start your week with incredible live music. Bring a friend, tag your concert buddy below, and let’s fill the hall! 👇

🌐 Learn more about our full season at www.hococo.org

10/09/2026

10/06/2026

Experience the finest in American musical tradition right in your backyard. 🎻🎺

The Howard County Concert Odyssey invites you to the opening performance of our 2026–2027 season, featuring members of "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band Chamber Music Series.

Join us in the beautiful acoustics of St. John's Episcopal Church for an afternoon of brilliant technique, rich artistry, and community celebration.

Event Highlights:
🗓 Sunday, October 11, 2026 | 4:00 PM
📍 St. John's Episcopal Church (9120 Frederick Road, Ellicott City, MD)
🎟 Admission is FREE – Open to all ages, tickets not required.
🅿️ On-site lot and accessible parking on premises.

Help us celebrate the return of live concert series in Howard County! Explore our full calendar for the year at www.hococo.org.

10/02/2026

Gustav Theodore Holst (1874-1484), an English composer, arranger and teacher, is best known for his seven-movement orchestral suite “The Planets” which premiered in 1918 at the Queen’s Hall in London.

Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and reflects its astrological significance. Initially, the innovative nature of Holst's music caused some hostility among a minority of critics, but the suite quickly became and has remained popular, influential and widely performed.

His daughter, Imogen, wrote of the 1918 premiere of “The Planets”: “Even those listeners who had studied the score for months were taken aback by the unexpected clamor of Mars.

“During Jupiter the charwomen working in the corridors put down their scrubbing-brushes and began to dance. In Saturn, the isolated listeners in the dark, half-empty hall felt themselves growing older at every bar.

"But it was the end of Neptune that was unforgettable, with its hidden chorus of women's voices growing fainter and fainter in the distance, until the imagination knew no difference between sound and silence.”

10/02/2026

Don't miss a rare opportunity to hear world-class chamber music right here in Howard County— for free!!

Members of the nation’s premier military musical organization, "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band, are helping us kick off our 2026–2027 Howard County Concert Odyssey season!

📌 WHEN: Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 4:00 PM
📌 WHERE: St. John's Episcopal Church | 9120 Frederick Rd, Ellicott City
📌 COST: FREE! Tickets not required.

Free on-site & accessible parking available.

Tag a fellow music lover below and join us for an inspiring afternoon! 👇

🌐 Full season lineup: www.hococo.org

09/30/2026

Porgy and Bess was first performed in Boston at the Colonial Theater on September 30, 1935, before it moved to Broadway in New York City. It featured a cast of classically trained African-American singers—a daring artistic choice at the time. A 1976 Houston Grand Opera production gained it a renewed popularity, and it is now one of the best known and most frequently performed operas.

The origin of Porgy and Bess is DuBose Heyward's 1925 novel “Porgy”. The libretto—written by Heyward—tells the story of Porgy, a disabled black street beggar living in the slums of Charleston, S.C. It deals with his attempts to rescue Bess from the clutches of Crown, her violent and possessive lover, and Sportin’ Life, her drug dealer.

In a 1935 New York Times article, Gershwin explained his motivation for calling the work a folk opera: “Porgy and Bess is a folk tale. Its people naturally would sing folk music. When I first began work on the music I decided against the use of original folk material because I wanted the music to be all of one piece. Therefore, I wrote my own spirituals and folksongs. But they are still folk music—and therefore, being in operatic form, Porgy and Bess becomes a folk opera.”

Photos: Original Cast leads - Annie Wiggins Brown (Bess), 1912-2009, b. Baltimore, Maryland and Todd Duncan (Porgy), 1903-1988, b. Danville, Kentucky.

09/29/2026

We are thrilled to launch the Howard County Concert Odyssey’s 2026–2027 season with an unforgettable performance by members of "The President's Own" U.S. Marine Band Chamber Ensembles! 🇺🇸✨

For over 225 years, "The President's Own" has represented the pinnacle of American musical excellence. Now, you can experience their extraordinary artistry and precision in an intimate, live chamber setting—completely FREE!

🗓 Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026
🕓 Time: 4:00 PM
📍 Location: St. John's Episcopal Church (9120 Frederick Rd, Ellicott City, MD)
🎟 Admission: FREE (No tickets required!)
🅿️ Parking & Access: Free on-site parking available, including designated accessible spaces.

Start our new season with us! Bring a friend, share this post, and discover our full 2026–2027 lineup at www.hococo.org.