The Education Center provides rehearsal space and practice rooms for the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra, CityDance Ensemble, and the Levine School of Music. The concert hall opened in 2005 and was built on the 11-acre site of the Strathmore Mansion, a 19th-century home which had been owned by Montgomery County since 1981. For more than two decades, the Mansion at Strathmore has provided intimate artistic programs with its 100-seat Dorothy M.
At the end of each event, the exit gates to the garage will be open for 30 minutes to exit the garage. Parking for events and exhibitions in the Mansion is free in the Mansion lot on a space available basis. Your generosity brings distinctive programming and renowned artists to Strathmore’s stages and galleries and ensures that everyone in our community can experience the joy and wonder of the arts. Having constructed new schools and residences nearby, the sisters sold the Mansion and its remaining 30 acres to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) in 1977 for use as its temporary headquarters. Read on to trace the history of the Mansion at Strathmore, from its turn-of-the-century roots as a grand summer estate to its transformation into a spirited arts center.
- Having constructed new schools and residences nearby, the sisters sold the Mansion and its remaining 30 acres to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) in 1977 for use as its temporary headquarters.
- In 1998, the Montgomery County Council and the Maryland State Legislature approved matching capital support ($48 million each) for the Music Center at Strathmore.
- The southern parts of Strathmore once attempted to incorporate as the Incorporated Village of Strathmore – but the proposal was voted down in a referendum vote.
- The house was renamed Strathmore Hall, after the newly established nonprofit, and the Mansion with its surrounding grounds were developed as Montgomery County’s first center for the arts.
- Strathmore Artists in Residence benefit from the support of mentor musicians, participate in professional development seminars, and are offered extensive performance opportunities throughout the 10-month program.
Dedicated to the Arts
The Music Center at Strathmore and the Strathmore Mansion are located at 5301 Tuckerman Lane in North Bethesda, Maryland, just off of the Capital Beltway and adjacent to the Grosvenor/Strathmore stop on the Washington, DC Metro’s Red Line. Take the stairs or elevators to the 4th level and walk across the sky bridge to the Concert Hall. Land records show that in 1943, two parcels of the original Corby estate—including the Mansion—were conveyed to the sisters directing St. Mary’s Academy.
Afternoon Tea
The Mansion was bustling with energy and many of Strathmore’s most enduring offerings—including intimate concerts in the Music Room, Afternoon Tea, visual arts exhibitions, and wedding venue—began during this time. Ownership and usage of the land is not well-known until 1823 when a toll road was built to connect Georgetown and Frederick. One of the road’s tollgates was near the intersection now known as Strathmore Avenue. As shown on an 1879 map, local landowner Frank Ball operated a stagecoach station and blacksmith shop on his farm at this location.
The Mansion at Strathmore is home to intimate artistic programs presented by Strathmore. Strathmore is dedicated to creating a vibrant arts community that welcomes everyone. In 2016, Strathmore formalized it’s commitment to ensuring access to the arts with the Bloom initiative. Through an expansive partnership with Montgomery County’s schools, and an investment in free public arts programs throughout the community, Bloom helps Strathmore reach over 23,000 neighbors annually. The southern parts of Strathmore once attempted to incorporate as the Incorporated Village of Strathmore – but the proposal was voted down in a referendum vote. Because of the outcome of the referendum, all of Strathmore remains part of the unincorporated Manhasset CDP to this day.
Location and Parking
Tunable sound-absorbing curtains behind the bronze grilling and banners in the ceiling can be deployed out of sight to dampen or enliven the sound. The venue presents over 150 performances a year and over 75 arts and music education classes each week. Today, the organization’s hallmark is the Music Center at Strathmore, with a 1,976-seat concert hall and education complex that debuted in 2005. In 1996, the Mansion closed for a $3.2 million renovation that created the Gudelsky Gallery Suite, and a 4-story addition that houses the Lockheed Martin Conference Room, an expanded Shop at Strathmore, and new administrative offices. In addition to exterior improvements, the renovation saw the addition of a sculpture garden, which features pieces along a path winding through 11 acres of landscaped grounds. Strathmore quickly established itself as an important new cultural resource—not just for Montgomery County, but for the entire Metro DC region.
Artist in Residence (AIR) Program
A flagship program of Strathmore’s Institute for Artistic and Professional Development, the Rockland Recovery Artist in Residence (AIR) program4 was created more than a decade ago to support artists as they transition to professional careers. Strathmore Artists in Residence benefit from the support of mentor musicians, participate in professional development seminars, and are offered extensive performance opportunities throughout the 10-month program. Parking at the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro garage (off of Tuckerman Lane) is free for ticketed events in the Music Center’s Concert Hall.
With the death of Mrs. Corby in 1941, the home was purchased by the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 1943 and became known as St. Angela Hall, serving as a convent and school. Strathmore, which began as a turn-of-the-century mansion featuring small chamber performances and art exhibitions in 1983, developed its plans for the Music Center over 20 years ago. In 1985, Strathmore’s Board of Directors and President and CEO Eliot Pfanstiehl began discussions about the need for a larger educational and performance space. In 1996, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, under the leadership of former president John Gidwitz, expressed interest in creating a second home in Montgomery County, and joined Strathmore as a founding partner of the Music Center at Strathmore.
