Music in the Great Hall

General information

The Chamber Music Society of Maryland was founded in 1974 as Music in the Great Hall by Virginia Reinecke and Eileen Twynham to perform beautiful chamber music in a setting where artist and patron could connect on a person-to-person level. The organization’s initial name was derived from its first venue, the “Great Hall” of the Maryvale Preparatory School in Brooklandville. Music in the Great Hall enjoyed great success at Maryville until its audience outgrew the fire department’s capacity regulations for the space and was forced to move. The series then moved to several locations until it settled in at the Towson Unitarian Universalist Church, a venue which features seating for 230, a Yamaha grand piano, and superb acoustics.

Miss Reinecke retired as Artistic Director at the end of the 30th season. Successive seasons flourished under the stewardship of Baltimore pianist and teacher Adam Mahonske and Baltimore concert pianist Lura Johnson. We are now in our 42nd season and managed by Michael Repper, a conductor in residence at The Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute.

True to our mission, we feature artists of the highest caliber, in a beautiful and intimate venue where every seat in the house is a good one! At each performance the artists speak to the assembled guests about the music to be heard, giving analysis where appropriate or speaking about the composer and his environment. Following every concert, complimentary light refreshments, wine and sherry are served and the audience members have an opportunity to meet and speak with the artists. We have ample free parking and are conveniently located just 1 mile outside the Baltimore Beltway. We offer a family-friendly atmosphere where children between the ages of 5 and 18 attend for free (when accompanied by an adult). Music in the Great Hall provides a warm and welcoming experience. In 2015, we changed our corporate name to the Chamber Music Society of Maryland (CMSmd) to better reflect our activities. At the same time, we initiated the Reinecke Youth Chamber Music Competition & Fellowship Program to help young artists fulfill their potential.

Going forward our primary classical music series will continue to be known as Music in the Great Hall, reflecting our rich 42 year history.