For many newcomers to Talbot County it takes a certain adjustment before its flat landscapes and hidden coastlines starts to hint at the remarkable nature of the Eastern Shore life. And that was the case with Don Buxton, the co-founder and Executive Director of Chesapeake Music and its renowned chamber music festival.
A then-recent graduate of Juilliard, who had just started to work with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Don found himself driving to Easton to teach music at the fledgling Academy Art Museum when he began to get the message that this region was not only stunning but could genuinely support a diverse music scene.
Add to that a chance encounter with classical music aficionados Eve and Ralph Bloom after a performance at a local church, both of whom had long advocated for a nationally recognized chamber music festival in Talbot County, it wasn’t too long before Don found himself moving to the area and working with the Blooms, their son Lawrie Bloom and Marcy Rosen to launch what would become the Chesapeake Music Festival.
As the festival begins its 33rd season, the Spy caught up with Don to ask about those early days and how pleased he is that the founder’s aspirations have become so much more than they ever dreamed of.
This video is approximately five minutes in length. For more information Chesapeake Music and its work please so here.
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