The River Concert Series, held on the grounds of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, returns this year for its eighth season with seven stellar concerts.

Opening night is Friday, June 16, and the series continues for six consecutive Friday evenings through July 28. The free outdoor concerts feature music director Jeff Silberschlag and the Chesapeake Orchestra with nationally acclaimed artists and bright new talents.

Concerts are held on Townhouse Green at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, overlooking the St. Mary’s River, and begin at 7 p.m. The grounds open at 5 p.m.

Jazz superstar Jane Monheit – awarded 4 stars by People Magazine, New York City Opera star Angela Horn – an American mezzo-soprano noted for her “Carmen,” and the internationally acclaimed piano duo Davide and Daniele Trivella are a few of the celebrated musical guests in the 8th season of the River Concert Series.

Jeffrey Silberschlag and the Chesapeake Orchestra will also be featuring Italian flute virtuoso Giuseppe Nova – lauded as one of the most outstanding flutists of his generation – who will be performing on his custom made gold flute by Yamaha.

This season focuses on the eclectic variety of music available to concert-goers.  Each evening, the musical program features a different genre. Classical, jazz, opera, musical favorites, and waltzes all have an evening devoted to them, providing audiences with a sampling of the best.

Hear the world premieres of pieces composed by Academy-Award winning David Froom, Scott Wheeler (newly commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera), Chen Yi, and Estonian composer Jaan Raats.

Froom, department chair and professor of music at the college, received an Academy Award in Music from the American Academy of Arts and Letters this past March.  The award honors “outstanding artistic achievement and acknowledges the composer who has arrived at his or her own voice.”

Along with a night of unforgettable music, concert-goers can also feast on the offerings of more than 25 food vendors, selling everything from gourmet dinners and crab cakes to ice cream treats and tangy barbecue. Offerings along River Festival Avenue include glow sticks for the children, massages for parents, and info about local community organizations.

Festival weeks also include Up Close Sunday music recitals, Cutting Edge Saturday jazz and bluegrass concerts, and At The Movies on Wednesdays, plus music master classes.

The Lineup

More than 35,000 concert goers will hear acclaimed vocalists Tom Barrett, Virginia Croskery; New York pianist, Eliza Garth; the Austrian piano trio, Haydn Trio Eisenstadt; violinist Jose Cueto; violist Jennifer Rende; cellist Suzanne Orban, will delight audiences with music by Brahms, Moussorgsky, Strauss, Liszt, Bartok, Bernstein, Herbert, and Sousa.  The Chesapeake Orchestra will perform waltzes by Strauss and the works of Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers under guest conductor Larry Vote.

The famous jazz vocalist Jane Monheit will be featured July 28. Down Beat magazine says “Her range rests on a pitch-perfect voice” while USA Today praises her “lush, creamy tones with a winningly light touch.”  Called “the real thing” by The New York Times, she tours widely in the U.S. and E