Bellefonte’s Chamber Music Legacy: BHCA’s Sunday Afternoon Series in Historic Venues
The first chamber music concert, which evolved into today’s Bellefonte Sunday Afternoon Chamber Music Series, sponsored by the Bellefonte Historical and Cultural Association (BHCA), was held in the John B. Miller Room of the Centre County Library Historical Museum on June 1, 1980. It was inspired by the donation to the Library of a Steinway grand piano in 1979 by Frank Gullo, a Penn State music professor, and his family. This concert featured the Juniata Wind Quintet with Diane Gold, flute, Janet Telford, oboe, Ibrook Tower, clarinet, Miriam Bengston, bassoon, James Dunne, horn and assisted by Gay Dunne, piano. The Sunday Afternoons at the Library Series has continued with name and venue changes to the present. Each season consists of 5 to 7 free concerts.
The 1890 vintage Steinway grand piano was restored in 1983 through joint funding by the Library and BHCA. A memorial concert honoring Dorothy Schad, a professional violinist from Philadelphia who had moved to Bellefonte after marrying Louis Schad. She established the Community Concerts and presented the first concert in the series at the Bellefonte High School, now the Elementary school on N. Allegheny St. She was highly respected in the Bellefonte and State College music community. Her concerts provided a model for BHCA’s Concerts.
The 44-year series has been remarkable for its diversity of instrumental ensembles and composers represented. Over the years, programs represented composers from the Baroque era to contemporary. The performing artists ranged from early instrumental groups, string ensembles, wind and brass groups, solo vocalists, and madrigal singers to jazz ensembles and guitars. The piano was often used by keyboard soloists and accompanists.
Use of performing spaces in historic buildings accessible to the public promotes BHCA’s mission to preserve historic architecture. Exposing audiences to a historic venue in conjunction with music is a sensory experience that may engender later support of preservation efforts