Newark, Maryland: Worcester County Education Foundation, in partnership with

Chamber Music by the Sea has announced an innovative new program coming to

Worcester County Public schools, Visiting Virtual Artists. Visiting Virtual Artists is a

program that brings world-renowned musicians right into the classrooms of our

students for their own live performance, and question and answer session. Through

Zoom, the students can connect with the artist and are free to ask them anything from

how various instruments work to how they came to be a famous classical musicians.

“Thanks to the incredible generosity of Chamber Music by the Sea & the Paul M.

Angell Foundation, we are happy to bring masters in the world of classical music, right

to our students,” says Olivia Momme, Manager of Operations & Community Relations

for Worcester County Education Foundation. “The program was actually thought up

pre-COVID when no one had truly mastered Zoom. Chamber Music by the Sea saw an

opportunity to bring our students a once-in-a-lifetime cultural experience, and together

we are making it a reality.”

The first Visiting Virtual Artist performance was on April 6th with the dynamic duo, Elena

Urioste, the Artistic Director of Chamber Music by the Sea, and Tom Poster, the Artistic

Director of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective. The Royal Philharmonic Society's

2020 Inspiration Award recipients Zoomed into Buckingham Elementary School all the

way from London. Students created works of art inspired by the music.

On April 7th Anthony McGill, the principal clarinetist from the New York Philharmonic,

Zoomed into Pocomoke Middle School. He shared incredible pieces on the clarinet

and answered any questions the students asked. They were able to get a peek into his

childhood, and the lead-up to Yo-Yo Ma asking him to play a piece with him for the

inauguration of President Obama.

The final Visiting Virtual Artist is Weston Sprott, who joined Snow Hill Middle

School students on Monday, May 10th. In addition to being an incredibly talented

trombonist who plays for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, he is the Dean of the

Preparatory Division of The Juilliard School. Students had their own private

performance followed by a question-and-answer session to learn all about classical

music and the incomparable, Weston Sprott.

About Worcester County Education Foundation: The Worcester County Education

Foundation’s mission is to establish a proactive partnership between the community

and the public school system by linking community resources with the educational

needs of its students, further enhancing their ability to succeed. Over the last year,

WCEF funded close to $50,000 to aid the Worcester County Board of Education in

helping their students thrive in a digital age. These funds provided the financial

support needed to purchase mobile hotspots to bring the internet into the homes of

students who couldn’t afford the service and teacher grants, which helped teachers

develop innovative ways to engage with their students.

Visiting Virtual Artists Program

Chamber Music by the Sea 2021 Festival