"To a WIld Rose" and more . . . Edward MacDowell Piano Concert

This concert celebrates two artists connected with Waterford's historic past: Edward A. MacDowell, an acclaimed composer, and his wife Marian Nevins MacDowell, an accomplished pianist and philanthropist. 

Four accomplished local pianists will perform: Linda Murno, Sofia Jensen, John Ong and Zaya Haglund. They will play works from MacDowell's repertoire: "Woodland Sketches," "Sea Pieces," and the well-known "To a Wild Rose." 

Edward A. MacDowell, a famous composer, and his wife Marian Nevins MacDowell, herself an accomplished pianist are known for their profound influence on American artists. Marian Nevins' family owned large tracts of land east of Jordan Village in Waterford including the Shaw-Perkins Mansion on Rope Ferry Road. Marian was born in New York where her father was a banker, but after her mother's death, young Marian was sent to live with her aunts in Waterford. Recognizing her talent for the piano,  her aunts sent her at age 23 to Germany to study piano under Clara Schumann. As Schumann was on tour, Marian instead took lessons from MacDowell and their relationship grew. They returned to the U.S. and were married in the Waterford mansion in 1884.

In 1896, Marian Nevins MacDowell purchased land in Peterborough, New Hampshire, for a summer home, providing a tranquil woodland setting she believed would benefit Edward's work as a composer. There they established the MacDowell Colony for aspiring and practicing artists of every art form, including composers, playwrights, photographers, poets and more. After MacDowell's passing at age 47 due to poor health, Marian, herself an accomplished pianist, went on tour to perform his works to raise funds for the Colony. She performed for women's musical clubs called MacDowell Clubs throughout the United States. 

The MacDowell Colony, now known simply as MacDowell, flourishes today with hundreds of artists in residence annually. Among the many luminaries who have created works at the Colony are composers Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein; playwrights Thornton Wilder and Wendy Wasserstein; and authors Willa Cather, Jonathan Franzen and James Baldwin.