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 churches and institutions that have links to the rich heritage of the region, though run-out concerts to Baltimore and West Virginia have been features of some seasons.

 

The current 2024-2025 season, “The Greats: Handel to Bach,” has brought performers from around the country, including faculty from some of the most prestigious music schools in the United States (The Julliard School, The Oberlin School of Music, Indiana University and The University of North Texas).  After terrific performances in the past months focused on works of a single composer (Vivaldi, Handel), our recent narrated concert, “Thomas Jefferson: Founder, Musician, Violinist” centered more intimately on Jefferson’s life as a musician and music lover. (Hear concert clips at: https://www.youtube.com/@mountainsidebaroque4336/videos)

 

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 partnerships with WFWM radio, the Allegany Museum, Shepherd University, Allegany County Public Schools, Frostburg State University, among others, Mountainside has been able to present additional educational opportunities and programs to area residents. 

 

Donations to Mountainside Baroque, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, may be made at "Support Us." Our dynamic Board of Directors is aiding in leading the organization into the future.

 

In 2018, "Early and Idyllic," a feature article on Mountainside and its founders appeared in EMAg, the magazine published by the major North American early music organization, Early Music America.

 

“Like” Mountainside Baroque at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mountainside-Baroque.