About Mountainside Baroque

 

Mountainside Baroque, Cumberland’s early music collective, has established itself as a staple of the cultural scene in the mid-Atlantic region, known for its excellent performances of music written before 1800. Established in 2011 by co-directors Ryan Mullaney and Lyle Nordstrom, Mountainside Baroque performances feature some of the finest professional musicians and specialists from across the country that come to play for a love of the music as well as for the beauty of the mountains. Performances generally have taken place in Cumberland, Maryland, in many historical churches and institutions.

 

The current 2025-2026 season, Renaissance to Rococo, will bring performers from around the country, including faculty from some of the most prestigious music schools in the United States (The Juilliard School, The Oberlin School of Music, Indiana University and The University of North Texas). As part of our ongoing philosophy of bringing new and interesting music to the area, this season we are going “beyond the Baroque.” The first concert will present music from the transition to the “classic” era of Haydn and Mozart.  “Lessons and Carols” will have music new and old.  March will lead us back to the early Renaissance for music from an historical fantastically extravagant meeting of Henry VIII and François I, where each brought over 3,000 courtiers to the festivities. It was dubbed the “Field of the Cloth of Gold.” May will bring a different take on opera to Cumberland, with Telemann’s comic setting of “Don Quixote,” to be performed by soloists, orchestra, and puppets (a Baroque tradition that lasted until the end of the 18th century)!

 

(Concert clips on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@mountainsidebaroque4336/videos. While there, consider subscribing to our page.)

 

One of the hallmarks of Mountainside Baroque concerts is a consistent commitment to historically insightful performance and the use of reproduction instruments of the time, including lute, theorbo, recorder, viola da gamba, harpsichord, Baroque oboe, flute and bassoon, and Baroque violin, viola, cello and violone. It is Mountainside Baroque’s goal that exposure to musical treasures from the past, presented in an expressive performance style that convey the music’s intense emotions will excite and inspire a new generation of musicians and music lovers.

​

​

 

Beyond the music, Mountainside Baroque places a premium on the local sense of “community” and collaboration within the region. By fostering relationships beyond concerts with the Allegany Museum, Allegany County Public Schools and Frostburg State University, among others, Mountainside has been able to present additional educational opportunities and programs to area residents. 

 

Mountainside Baroque is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions to the general support of the organization may be made via the Support Us page. Also on this page is an additional new option: the Mountainside Baroque Inc Fund at the Community Trust Foundation, a future sustainability fund. Find out more about this fund on the News page.

 

(NOTE: Of course, this new fund is aimed toward long-range goals, and donations are still needed to cover Mountainside Baroque's annual operating expenses.)

 

Our volunteer Board of Directors is aiding in leading the organization into future expansions.

 

“Like” Mountainside Baroque at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mountainside-Baroque  Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mountainsidebaroque/