Penn’s Woods Music Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary this June. From outdoor concerts to arboretum walk-throughs to special events, the festival is a two-week, high-intensity event centered around classical, orchestral and chamber music genres. Musicians from across the country as well as Penn State School of Music faculty, alumni, students, and volunteers come together to share their passion for what they love, music.
The goal of Penn’s Woods Music Festival each year is to offer superior chamber music and orchestral performances by professional musicians. Working with Penn State’s School of Music in the College of Arts and Architecture and the surrounding community, the festival hopes to inspire a strong interest in classical music through concerts, activities and events each summer.
Lynn Sidehamer Brown, who serves on the Advisory Council for the festival, is a longtime supporter of symphony and classical music. A Pittsburgh native and past elementary school principal of 34 years in the Norwin School District, Brown decided to move in 1992 to State College, where she was a supervisor of student teaching at Penn State. Brown taught until 2004 and has been involved in supporting the arts in the State College community ever since, which includes the Penn’s Woods Music Festival.
“I was not a music major, but I got interested in music from my family,” Brown says. “By third grade I was playing piano and now I do it for my own enjoyment. Living in the Pittsburgh area, I fell in love with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and basically that’s how I got involved in music.”
Brown has served on the Penn’s Woods Music Festival Development Committee for five years now and she has loved every second of being involved.
“What’s interesting is that professional musicians come from all over the country — some are international — to perform in the summer festival. And that’s what makes it so special is that these are all trained musicians, so the music is gorgeous and beautifully done,” says Brown.
Brown reports that Development Committee members are always thinking of how to increase attendance, even though the festival does very well in that realm.
“We are always looking for young people, because many of us are in advanced age. Part of our purpose is to involve young people so that classical music can be something that everyone can enjoy. We want to make sure that this festival and this music will be here for many generations,” says Brown
This year, Brown is heading up the donor reception, which is held June 1, prior to the start of the festival, at the Arboretum at Penn State. The reception will be centered on thanking the people who support the festival.
“[The festival] is supported by contributions from the community. A lot of volunteers, a lot of patrons. There will be approximately 100 people there and it will be a beautiful evening,” says Brown.
The Penn’s Woods Music Festival kicks off June 7 with a free concert in the arboretum at the pavilion.
When asked about what she is looking forward to most about the festival, Brown replies, “I am going to have the pleasure of sitting in the audience and just listening to the beautiful music. Also, getting to mingle with the performers; I am a big admirer of the performance.”
Penn’s Woods Music Festival will feature concerts and events on June 7, 14, 17, 21, and 24 at Penn State. Find out more about the festival’s events and how to get involved at mpw.psu.edu.
