One of the greatest joys of being a conductor is introducing audiences to music they never expected to love. When planning my first season with the Prince George’s Philharmonic, I wanted to present classical music in a modern way by placing familiar masterpieces alongside music that deserves to be heard more often.
Some of this season’s music will feel immediately familiar. Other works may be completely new. My hope is that every concert leaves you discovering something new, whether that’s a composer you’ve never encountered before, a fresh perspective on a beloved classic, or an unexpected connection between two pieces that, at first glance, might never seem to belong together.
Rather than following the traditional overture, concerto, and symphony format, each program has been built around the stories that music can tell. From the optimism of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony to the intimacy of our chamber concerts, from celebrating the next generation of musicians in our side-by-side performance to the triumphant finale of William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony, I’ve designed this season as a musical journey, and I hope you’ll join us for every step of it.
In a world that can often feel increasingly isolated, live music gives us the rare opportunity to come together and share a common experience. There is something uniquely powerful about sitting alongside friends, neighbours, and strangers, listening, reflecting, and being moved together. I hope this season will inspire you, entertain you, challenge you, and perhaps even surprise you.
Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of meeting many of the musicians, volunteers, board members, and supporters who make the Prince George’s Philharmonic such a special orchestra. Their warmth, generosity, and commitment have only strengthened my excitement for the season ahead.
Like every great community orchestra, the Prince George’s Philharmonic continues to grow through the challenges of our time. I have every confidence that, through the dedication of our musicians, volunteers, supporters, and audiences, the best is yet to come.
Thank you for your continued support. I hope you’ll join us throughout the season, and I look forward to sharing these musical discoveries with you. My greatest hope is that, by the final concert, you’ll leave not only inspired and entertained, but also proud of your orchestra.
Warmly,
Dr. Nicholas Bromilow
I am delighted to welcome you to the 2026/27 season of the Prince George’s Philharmonic! It will be different from previous seasons in a number of ways. You will remember that during last season, our 60th, our concerts were led by five different conductors, as we worked to select a new Music Director/Conductor after the retirement of Maestro Berard in the spring of 2025. At the end of our 60th season we selected, from those five outstanding candidates, Nicholas Bromilow to be our Music Director, and we will be thrilled to introduce him to you at our October concert!
Maestro Nicholas Bromilow has just completed his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan School of Music; he comes from England, although much of his university education took place here in the United States. (Interestingly, his mentor at the University of Michigan served as the conductor/Music Director of the Prince George’s Philharmonic back in 1979/80!) Nick immediately fit right in with the goals and dreams of the Philharmonic, and we are looking forward to a splendid season with him!
There will be other changes, however, in this our 61st season. Instead of five full-orchestra concerts and one Holiday concert, we will be presenting three full-orchestra concerts, the Holiday concert, and two chamber concerts performed by a smaller section of the orchestra (for example, strings or brass) at a smaller local venue. This is because of the sudden and unexpected cancelation of Prince George’s County’s financial support to the Philharmonic and to many other non-profit organizations. We hope that this cancelation of support will soon be reversed, but in the meantime, changes in our seasonal program are necessary in order to continue bringing you, at a significantly lower cost, the great music of our concerts, and the music education that we provide through our Anne Gentry Educational Outreach program. We are working hard on all possibilities, including the possibility of a special recital by one of our outstanding previous guest soloists.
Our first concert will be on October 10, at the Prince George’s Community College, and we look forward to seeing all of you there!
Toi Toi Toi,
Ken Boucher, President