Fundraiser MacDowell Piano Concert July 31 features local accomplished pianists

The Waterford Historical Society is pleased to present the Edward A. MacDowell Piano Concert at the Waterford Community Center on July 31 at 5 p.m. Four accomplished local pianists will perform: Linda Murno, Sofia Jensen, John Ong and Zaya Haglund playing works from MacDowell's repertoire: "Woodland Sketches," "Sea Pieces," and the well-known "To a Wild Rose."

The concert celebrates two prominent artists connected with Waterford's historic past: Edward A. MacDowell, an acclaimed composer, and his wife Marian Nevins MacDowell, an accomplished pianist and philanthropist. Doors open at 4:15 p.m. The concert will last about one hour and a reception will follow.

Proceeds will benefit both the Waterford Historical Society and the Friends of Nevins Cottage. The Society is pleased to see the Nevins Cottage historical landmark being restored.

Each attendee will receive a commemorative booklet with a fully biography of the MacDowells, written by local author and musician Peter Emanuel.

Tickets are $30 general admission; $25 for members of the Waterford Historical Society.
To reserve tickets: email waterfordcthistoricalsociety@gmail.com and indicate how many tickets are required.
or Call 860-608-1904 and leave a message. Payment for tickets can be made at the door by cash or check.
To reserve and pay for tickets online: Visit the Waterford Historical Society website: Click on "DONATE" Select "OTHER" and enter the appropriate amount for one or more tickets and use PayPal or credit card. You will receive an email confirmation as your reservation.

What is the Waterford Connection?

Marian Nevins 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.

Marian's family owned large tracts of land east of Jordan Village in Waterford, including the Shaw-Perkins Mansion located on Rope Ferry Road. In the middle of the last century, the Nevins family's bequest of land and buildings included Jordan Green and the weathered "Nevins cottage" located near the Waterford Public Library. A not-for-profit organization, Friends of Nevins Cottage, was formed to restore the cottage as an important historical landmark in the Town. The Waterford Historical Society is pleased to see this historical landmark being restored and a portion of the concert proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Nevins Cottage.

This is a unique opportunity to celebrate the MacDowells and their tremendous impact on the arts in America and to benefit the restoration of Waterford's architectural history!