Backstage

Welcome to the backstage of the National Philharmonic, a Music Center at Strathmore resident partner, known for performances that are "powerful," "impeccable," and "thrilling"
 (The Washington Post).

Here, you can meet National Philharmonic Maestro, Music Director & Conductor Piotr Gajewski, view the roster of orchestra musicians, learn more about the National Philharmonic Chorale and the Chorale Artistic Director Stan Engebretson, read about the Philharmonic’s education programs, and see what the critics say about the Philharmonic concerts.

National Philharmonic depends on the involvement of community members as volunteers and supporters. Learn how to get involved in helping the Philharmonic bring its concerts to the Music Center at Strathmore Stage and contribute to help fund the National Philharmonic programs. To keep up with all happenings, sign up to receive the Philharmonic E-News.

As part of its mission the National Philharmonic performs music by many composers from different
epochs; this includes championing the music of contemporary composers.  Recently deceased
Washington Area composer Andreas Makris was a close friend of Maestro Gajewski, and the National
Philharmonic has taken on the cause of championing Makris' works and maintaining his library of
compositions with the assistance of the Andreas Makris Endowment at the National Philharmonic.

A backstage tour would not be complete without acknowledging the many National Philharmonic sponsors: Aspen Systems Corporation; BAE Systems; Comcast; Discovery Communications; The Gazette; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Shulman, Rogers, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker, P.A.; and Verizon. The National Philharmonic is also supported by grants from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County and the Maryland State Arts Council, an organization funded by the state of Maryland and the National Endowment for the Arts. Free pre-concert lectures are made possible by the Maryland Humanities Council through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The National Philharmonic website is designed and maintained by Scott Herman with graphic assistance from Amy Salsbury. Many photos on the site appear courtesy of National Philharmonic official photographer, Jill Bochicchio.