Several chamber groups from the University of Maryland music school performed at the Gildenhorn Recital Hall Sunday to collect donations for the College Park Community Food Bank.
Trumpets professor Chris Gekker hosted the event and played alongside longtime colleague and pianist Greg Small as well as Terrapin Brass Quintet, a graduate fellowship ensemble.
Gekker said Mark Hill, former professor at this university’s music school and longtime food bank volunteer, came up with the idea to collaborate with the organization two years ago. Gekker hosted the recital for the first time this year to continue Hill’s efforts.
“It allows us to acknowledge him as a volunteer for this very worthy cause,” Gekker said. “Professors should be involved in outreach as a very strong commitment in our school of music.”
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Lisa Bartusek, the College Park Community Food Bank president, said she hoped the recital would raise awareness about efforts to fight food insecurity in the community. The nonprofit volunteer organization distributes food to local residents, serving about 17,500 households and 69,000 residents in 2023.
“For us to keep [our work] going, we really need the support of the community not only with volunteership but with donations,” Bartusek said. “It was also a way for us to connect with donors directly.”
The concert hall quickly filled. Terrapin Brass started the night by performing instrumental pieces ranging from classics such as Italian composer Samuel Scheidt’s “Canzona Bergamasca” to a rendition of the American folk song “Shenandoah.”
Gekker and Small performed next on trumpet and piano. They played songs such as the jazz-inspired “A Single Petal of a Rose,” created by Duke Ellington for Queen Elizabeth II and “Baby Blue” by 1990s rock artist Dave Matthews.
Small also performed an original piece, “In a Quiet Place,” from his upcoming CD. Debuting it live was an unforgettable experience, he said.
“It was a really special opportunity to have my music heard and performed by an elite world-class performer like [Gekker],” Small said. “It just meant the world to me to be asked to do that and to have that opportunity … in front of such an appreciative audience.”
The duo ended the night with a surprise encore, performing their version of “When You Say Nothing at All,” based on the cover by bluegrass band Alison Krauss & Union Station. Gekker said this song encapsulated the message of the recital.
The song focuses on people’s actions meaning more than words, which is applicable to the food bank, Gekker said.
Bartusek said the piece was a tribute to the hard work of the volunteers at the bank.
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“The willingness of the people to put in so much labor for us is an act of service that I think is wonderful,” Bartusek said.
Bartusek said there are three communities at the food bank — volunteers, visitors and donors. It’s more difficult to interact with donors, so she appreciates any opportunity to meet with them face-to-face, she said.
Gekker envisions a bright future for the partnership between this university’s music school and the food bank and said he would like to continue hosting benefit recitals.
“[The recital] will just grow,” Gekker said. “More people will attend it, we’ll put more time and energy into organizing it, so I’m really looking forward to that.”
