Music from a Parish in Clarksville
In the countryside of Howard County, Maryland, the St. Louis Catholic Church campus at 12500 Clarksville Pike in Clarksville has become a destination for music lovers well beyond the parish. For two decades, the St. Louis Church Concert Series has filled the church's sanctuary, its historic 1889 chapel, and its social hall with performances ranging from Baroque chamber music and orchestral masterworks to jazz cabaret and African American spirituals. Born from a single organ dedication concert in May 2006, the series has grown into a multi-concert season presented by St. Louis Catholic Church, drawing performers from across the country and serving audiences from Clarksville, Columbia, Ellicott City, and the wider Baltimore-Washington region.
The series is an outgrowth of the parish's music ministry, and its mission is rooted in parish life. St. Louis Parish provides use of its campus venues and associated utilities free of charge. Other operating expenses are covered by donations, sponsorships, and ticket sales, all of which are fully tax-deductible.
Enliven, Educate, Entertain
Three words, printed in capital letters on the series' printed materials, set the tone for every program: ENLIVEN, EDUCATE, and ENTERTAIN.
To ENLIVEN is to engage the community through the excellent acoustical properties of the main church and its 1889 chapel. By offering vocal and orchestral excellence, diverse repertoires, and performances by top-notch musicians, the concerts deliver a wide range of listening experiences and aim to leave behind lasting memories.
To EDUCATE is to give audiences a deeper acquaintance with composers, genres, and instruments. The Music Notes section offers in-depth explorations of composers and their works ahead of each concert, ranging from Aaron Copland and Ludwig van Beethoven to Théodore Dubois, Gabriel Fauré, Moses Hogan, and Cole Porter. For younger listeners, programs nurture a first-hand appreciation of the arts through dedicated children's concerts and educational outreach.
To ENTERTAIN is to center each program on the interests of the audience. Whether listeners come to indulge a love of music, celebrate Christmas, discover a new composer, or simply enjoy an evening out, the team works to ensure that every audience member enjoys a satisfying experience from the first note to the last.
Three Venues on One Campus
Every concert takes place on the St. Louis Parish campus, where the series uses three distinct settings that give each program its own character. The main church sanctuary holds up to 1,300 people, with acoustics and an organ that draw attention from regional performers and audiences. The historic 1889 chapel, an intimate space seating 120, hosts chamber music by candlelight. The social hall rounds out the trio, offering an evening of music alongside refreshments and conversation. Jazz and tango evenings, cabaret performances, and a popular dessert-themed opera concert have all found a home in the social hall.
Twenty Seasons of Programming
The inaugural concert on May 7, 2006, was organized to dedicate the organ in the new church. Pastor Monsignor Joseph Luca and parishioner Jay Dausch, who would serve as Executive Producer through the 2022-23 season, sought ways to showcase both the instrument and the church's remarkable acoustics beyond liturgical services. The audience's positive reception led to a Christmas concert that same year, then a spring concert in 2007, and from those early programs the series took shape.
Since then, the series has performed music by scores of composers, from the very familiar to forgotten names in music history. Genres have spanned classical, jazz, Americana, Latin rhythms, opera, Broadway, and more. Christmas concerts have given audiences of all ages an escape from the doldrums of winter each December. Spring concerts have explored the sacred music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods, showcased the music of England and Italy, and paid tribute to the parish's patron, St. Louis the King. Children's concerts, each revolving around a different theme, have welcomed younger audiences and their families through offerings such as a narrated "The Snowman" with music by Howard Blake and a children's adaptation of Mozart's "The Magic Flute" presented by Peabody Institute students. New seasons have launched with Grammy Award-winning soloists, military choruses, organ recitals, and cabaret evenings built around the Great American Songbook. The series has also been featured on WBJC Radio, where Concert Series leadership has offered behind-the-scenes perspectives on programming and impact.
The Artistic Directors
Three artistic directors have shaped the series since 2007.
Paul Carroll served as the first artistic director from 2007 to 2014. With the new church's acoustics as his foundation, he established the Orchestra of St. Louis and the St. Louis Choir as central features of the programming.
Heather Adelsberger took over as artistic director during the 2014-15 season. She expanded the scope of the series, building a professional orchestra and concert choir and bringing performances into all three of the parish's unique venues. Under her direction, audiences enjoyed evenings of jazz and tango in the social hall, candlelight chamber music in the 1889 chapel, and Christmas and spring concerts in the main church's acoustic splendor.
In July 2020, the series welcomed its third artistic director, Colleen Daly Eberhardt. Equally at home on opera and concert stages, she has appeared with opera houses, symphony orchestras, and choral societies regionally, across the country, and in Canada. She holds a Bachelor of Music from DePaul University, a Master of Music from the University of Maryland, and an Artist Diploma from the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. As Assistant Director of Music at St. Louis Parish, she works alongside her husband, Terry Eberhardt, the parish's Director of Music, who also serves as Executive Director of the concert series.
Community Partnerships and Outreach
Community outreach has become a hallmark of the series, with in-kind donation drives at Christmas and spring concerts supporting local organizations. Since 2020, the annual Christmas concert has hosted a food donation drive for Howard Community College's Fueling Dragons food pantry. Since 2021, the drive has contributed nearly 1,500 pounds of food and personal care items to support students facing food insecurity. St. Vincent de Paul of Baltimore's Head Start Program, which offers early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families, has received clothing collected at the spring concerts. The Baltimore Station, which provides comprehensive support to veterans and others transitioning from homelessness and addiction to self-sufficiency, has been another regular partner.
The series has also reached beyond Clarksville through partnerships with fellow music organizations. The 2020-21 season closed with "Reflect, Rejoice," marking the first collaboration with the Columbia Orchestra and the series' first Masterworks program. In spring 2022, the series partnered with the Baltimore Concert Opera for "Bon Appétit!," an evening that paired operatic soloists performing culinary-themed songs with a comic opera featuring Colleen Daly Eberhardt as television host Julia Child demonstrating her "very special, very chocolatey bittersweet lovely cake," accompanied by custom cake creations from Cake Maestra. Patrons who dined at community partner Bushel and a Peck at Clarksville Commons beforehand had 10% of their meal donated back to the series.
The Team Behind the Music
The series is supported by a small staff that keeps each season running. Kevin J. Key, who joined in 2021 and has served as Executive Producer since 2023, grew up singing in the parish Children's Choir, cantoring at weekend Masses from age ten, and leading the parish's youth band in his high school years. Susan Lepple produces individual concerts, Banashree Seifert manages finances, and Alexandra Palting, Marianne Faulstich, and Karla Castner lead marketing.
Music leadership at St. Louis Parish is shared by Terry Eberhardt, Director of Music, and Colleen Daly Eberhardt, Assistant Director of Music. The series benefits from the talents of resident organists Isaiah Shim and Asriel Davis. At the parish of St. Francis of Assisi, where the same pastoral team serves, Brandon Henley is Director of Music. Rev. Michael DeAscanis is pastor of St. Louis and St. Francis of Assisi parishes. The series relies on the efforts and dedication of musicians and a team of volunteers, as well as on the enthusiasm and generosity of donors.
Supporting the Series
Contributions to the series are tax-deductible, and for parishioners of St. Louis Church all donation methods count toward total annual giving to the parish and appear on end-of-year giving statements. Donations may be made online through PayPal, by check made payable to "Concert Series" and mailed to the parish office, or through Our Sunday Visitor. The series also accepts gifts of stock and Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs.
Donor levels range from Friend (up to $49) through Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond, with Legacy gifts at $10,000 or more. Sponsorship opportunities allow businesses, organizations, and individuals to underwrite a specific artist or ensemble, a post-concert reception, an individual concert, or an entire season. The annual Jazz Cabaret offers its own sponsorship packages, including table sponsorships and artist sponsorships that include reserved seating and drink tickets.
Some concerts are free of charge, while others carry a nominal admission fee. Season subscriptions and single tickets are available for ticketed performances such as the Concert by Candlelight and Jazz Cabaret. Beer and wine are available for purchase at Jazz Cabaret evenings. Donations, tickets, and email sign-up are available through the series' online home.
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