August 19, 5pm
Marion Area Orchestra
Marion’s community string orchestra under the direction of George Schram.
Marion Area Orchestra (MAO) is an amateur string orchestra founded to provide a musical performance outlet for violinists, violists, cellists and bassists in the Marion, Ohio area. Some of the volunteers are local school orchestra members and home schooled young people, but mostly adults numbering forty-three total people at this time.
MAO was a “pipe dream” of George Schram’s for about 30 years. He played trombone in the Marion Concert Band for over 50 years and enjoyed the musical outlet. But having taught string orchestra in the River Valley and Marion City schools, it bothered him that former students who played stringed instruments had no ensemble in which to perform. This gave birth to MAO and though it is a string instrument only group now, some day it may add winds and percussion and evolve into a symphony orchestra.