Market Square Concerts

09/09/2026

In one month, Market Square Concerts kicks off its 26-27 Season with returning favorites, the Galvin Cello Quartet! This program, titled “A Night at the Opera”, features beloved masterpieces by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Massenet, Paganini, Clara Schumann and Johann Strauss, all reimagined for the cello — an instrument closest to the human voice. Join us on October 8th at 7:30pm at Temple Ohev Sholom in Harrisburg.
For tickets/more information, visit marketsquareconcerts.org/concerts.
*College student tix only $5, K-12 students attend FREE!*

09/02/2026

As the summer winds down, we want to share a preview of our upcoming season 2026-27. Featured in the September issue of The Burg magazine, the article by Lori M. Myers is titled "Musically Speaking: Market Square Concerts ' upcoming season gives new voice to classical sounds" - https://bit.ly/45ZJiIx .

https://bit.ly/3UOeMim

08/12/2026

https://obits.pennlive.com/us/obituaries/pennlive/name/hilary-simpson-obituary?id=62149368

We are sad to share that one of MSC's founding board members, Hilary M. Simpson passed away last week. Hilary was a true champion of music in Central Pennsylvania, having been deeply involved for decades with the Harrisburg Symphony, Harrisburg Opera and, and serving on Market Square Concerts' Board since the organization's founding 45 years ago. We will miss her greatly.

The memorial service will be held tomorrow, Thursday, August 13, 1:30 PM at the St. Stephen's Episcopal Cathedral, 221 North Front Street, Harrisburg, PA.

View Hilary Simpson's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

07/21/2026

Thank you to all the wonderful performers who made this year’s Summermusic celebration of American artistic contributions to the world so memorable! As we look forward to our 45th season, you can find out more about our upcoming programs here: https://www.marketsquareconcerts.org/concerts

07/17/2026

This Sunday is the last of Summermusic 2026's programs at Market Square Church at 4:00. It's a fascinating collection of a wide range of songs as examples of the Swedish concept of Jantelagen. If that's a new word for you, check out the blog, read tenor Curtis Bannister's explanation of what it is and why he chose the songs he did. Then hear many of the songs and delve into some background for a wonderful way to spend an afternoon (and not just because the church is air conditioned).

At 4:00 this Sunday, July 19th, the air-conditioned Market Square Presbyterian Church in downtown Harrisburg will be the setting for the fin...

07/14/2026

Here's some cool music to enjoy on a hot day: it's the light-hearted scherzo Antonin Dvořák wrote for his String Quintet during a summer vacation in Spillville, Iowa, inspired by the American countryside after a busy year in New York City. You can hear Peter Sirotin & Friends play it Wednesday at 7:30 in the air-conditioned Market Square Church, joined by Stuart Malina for the little-known Piano Quintet by the little-known Arthur Foote (writing in Boston a few years later). You can read more about the program and listen to both works (complete) on the MSC Blog (see comments for the link).

Jasper String QuartetJ Freivogel and Karen Kim, violinsSam Quinta...

07/13/2026

Our second Summermusic concert is on Wednesday evening at 7:30 at the air-conditioned Market Square Presbyterian Church and features two American works (if not necessarily by American composers), Dvořák's "American" String Quintet and Arthur Foote's Piano Quintet. In this post, you can read about how Dvořák ended up spending his summer in Spillville, Iowa; and what was going on in American music around the same time which led to Arthur Foote, in Boston, and his piano quintet. Peter Sirotin and Stuart Malina are among the performers (and you can also find a link to how cellist Julian Schwarz is on the trail of Foote's Cello Concerto, written the same year Dvořák composed his own, better known cello concerto.)

Since we’re due for another heat wave this week, you should know the second of Market Square Concerts’ three Summermusic 2026 C...

07/08/2026

Start Summermusic 2026 this Sunday at 4:00 in the air-conditioned Market Square Presbyterian Church on the Square in downtown Harrisburg. Harrisburg Symphony's principal trumpet player Kevin Gebo will be joined by friends of his in a program of music for Brass Quintet. Read about the program in this edition of the MSC Blog and hear lots of video clips of works on the programs, sometimes in arrangements for brass, sometimes in the original. From music for fireworks and a symphonic poem about the exotic "Casbah of Tetouan", to a dance set on a dude ranch and a march from "Star Wars."

“Chamber Music” can be defined as “any small ensemble of one or more instruments” usually playing music designed to be performe...

07/08/2026

On Wednesday, July 15th at 7:30pm, Summermusic 2026 will continue with Dvořák’s magnificent "American" String Quintet featuring violinists Peter Sirotin, co-director of Market Square Concerts, and Claudia Chudacoff, former concertmaster of the Marine Band, violists Elias Goldstein and Hannah Rose Nicholas, as well as cellist Julian Schwarz. Stuart Malina will join the group at the piano for the Arthur Foote Piano Quintet, one of the first compositions by an American composer for this instrumentation. For more information, visit the link in bio or go to marketsquareconcerts.org/summermusic2026.

*All concerts presented by Market Square Concerts are free for K-12 students (with a $10 accompanying adult ticket also available)! College students attend for only $5 a ticket!

07/06/2026

On Sunday, July 12th at 4pm, HSO's principal trumpet Kevin Gebo will open Summermusic 2026 with his friends performing a richly varied program of chamber music for Brass Quintet including works by Handel, Rachmaninoff, Eric Whitacre, Eugene Bozza, John Williams and others. For more information, visit the link in bio or go to marketsquareconcerts.org/summermusic2026.

*All concerts presented by Market Square Concerts are free for K-12 students (with a $10 accompanying adult ticket also available)! College students attend for only $5 a ticket!

*All Summermusic 2026 concerts will take place at Market Square Presbyterian Church. The parking is free at the parking garage adjacent to the church at Second and Chestnut Streets. You will need to provide the license plate number to a staff person when you enter the church through the atrium to activate your validation.