Once a year, something extraordinary happens in the forest at Adkins Arboretum. The sound of music weaves between tree trunks, rustles new leaves, and flows under bridges, beckoning curious ears closer. Forest Music is a unique live music experience featuring young musicians and their mentors who are participating in the two-week National Music Festival in Chestertown, MD. The musicians are situated at intervals on the Arboretum’s wooded trails and play for event attendees who meander the trails at their own pace.
Over the years, Forest Music has featured the sounds of violins, clarinets, horns, bassoons, double basses, and even steel drums. The repertoire is equally diverse,
ranging from classical masterpieces by Bach to timeless hits by the Beatles and even original compositions explicitly crafted for the Arboretum’s forest. The event draws a vibrant mix of more than 300 visitors from the Festival, the local community, and beyond.
While the National Music Festival provides numerous performance opportunities, Forest Music is its most unique. It offers the musicians an opportunity to participate in a performance art event, experience the acoustics beneath a woodland canopy, and interact one-on-one with the visitors who pause on the trails to hear them play.
This year’s event sponsors include the Caroline County Council of Art, the Maryland State Arts Council, Unity Landscape, and Morgan Stanley Financial Advisor Catherine Joyce.
Forest Music takes place on Thursday, June 12 from 2–4 pm. Light refreshments will be served, and wine will be available for purchase. Golf carts with drivers will be available for less mobile individuals. Advance registration is requested. Tickets are $10 per person.
To register, visit adksinarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847.
A 400-acre native garden and preserve, Adkins Arboretum provides exceptional experiences in nature to promote environmental stewardship.
