to read Strathmore's FY2010-2011 Annual Report (PDF).

2In FY10 and FY11, the Strathmore campus earned itsreputation as the “creative capital” of MontgomeryCounty and beyond. It took its place as the largest, mostvital and visited center of cultural citizenship and creativecapacity building beyond the Beltway, fast becoming oneof our community’s favorite gathering places.Strathmore’s comprehensive programs and servicescontinued to evolve with new jazz, dance andinternational programming designed to have anunparalleled impact on the surrounding community.Fostering new bonds of civic connection and institutionalloyalty, Strathmore has finally become the culturalshowplace, built by and for our citizens of all ages andcultures, just as envisioned in 1996.In the Music Center, seasons six and seven broke ticketoffice records despite the challenges of an erraticeconomy. With commissioning of new works, daringthematic programming and an increased number of eventsin the Concert Hall, attendance and recognition grew tolevels far beyond our expectations. In FY11, Strathmoretripled the number of premieres and commissionedworks, and hosted more than 154 performances, testingthe upper limits of our design capacity. Friday NightEclectic, made possible by a remarkable transformationof the historic Mansion into a nightclub with bands, barand cutting edge artists, redefined our audience andexpanded our mission.After a three month sabbatical occasioned by my 60thbirthday, I returned with a hunger and hope to explorethe future of Strathmore beyond the boundaries oftoday’s landscape. With the concurrence of the Board ofDirectors, I divided my job of CEO/President and chosemy longtime associate Monica Jeffries Hazangeles totake on the day-to-day administrative management ofthe organization as president. Meanwhile, I retained thetitle of CEO to work with the Board on a long-term visionpreparing Strathmore for 2020 and beyond. The formaltransition took place November 2010 and proved to bethe right thing to do, at the right time.As you know, we are not alone in our building. It isimportant to note that all of our Partners, who sharethe Center for administrative offices, classrooms andperformances, also hit their marks as their programsthrived. It was as if, after the initial settling-in period,everyone figured out their best offerings and hit asustainable pace and tone. The collaborative opportunitiesof having all these talents and teachers in the same spaceis also coming true, with each program finding in theothers a richness of experience no one could offer alone.“Strathmore in North Bethesda, whose1,976-seat Music Center is the best concerthall, acoustically and aesthetically, in theregion—including the Kennedy Center.”Anne Midgette, The Washington Post(January 2011)In one year, Strathmore’s attendance rose from 117,000 toover 145,000 patrons, and we reached a new high of over$3 million in ticket sales. Even our new Artistic InitiativesFund campaign, launched in FY10 to support new andcutting edge programming, exceeded its goal of $2million dollars.As you will see in this report, we are committed to steadyand sustained growth of audiences, students and visitorsin every program.CEO, StrathmoreOn the cover: Mambo Sauce performs on the new Friday Night Eclectic series. Photo by Jim Saah.Kirsten Beckerman