Gretna Music Fund
About the Organization
Gretna Music presents music of exceptional merit to serve as a catalyst for social connection, personal enrichment, and cultural growth.
Through our carefully curated programs, we are committed to featuring excellent musicians, both local and international, who can engage our audiences with their exceptional talent and artistic expression.
We believe that by offering the timeless beauty of chamber music, the expressive energy of jazz, and the enriching influence of other genres, we can help uplift, inspire, and unite.
Our First Listen program gives local talented youth an opportunity to perform before the mainstage concerts and to meet the professional musicians. Gretna Music for Kids is free/low cost family programming with a focus on interaction via music.
Since our founding in 1975, over 2000 artists have performed in over 755 mainstage concerts. This includes 50 Grammy winners, countless Grammy nominees, 6 MacArthur fellows, and numerous winners of the world’s most distinguished musical awards and competitions.
We primarily present from June – September in the 708-seat open-air Mt. Gretna Playhouse located in the Pennsylvania Chautauqua, a historic, wooded setting where the arts have been championed since 1892.
Since 1993 over 164,000 people have attended our concerts. The number one reason consistently cited on why people attend our concerts is the quality. We welcome all to join us as we explore the vast musical universe!
Why is endowment important to your mission?
It’s through ongoing support such as this endowment that we are able to maintain generous ticketing policies to keep our performances accessible and affordable. This includes our Pay-What-You-Will pricing and $5 tickets for youth and $5 tickets for the adult who brings them. When possible, we offer free tickets, many to organizations and individuals who otherwise may not attend. During our 2022 season, we distributed over 800 free tickets, valued at over $20,000.
We attempt to remove all economic barriers so anyone can experience great live music and with endowments like this one, we can.
Without support, many of the artists/programs we present would not otherwise be seen in central PA. One would have to travel to larger metro areas at much greater expense.
Over a third (34%) of our donors and audience live in Lancaster County. Our location of just a few miles over the Lancaster-Lebanon County line has made the historically unique Mt. Gretna a summer destination for many in the area.
The endowment helps us build sustainability for future generations to hear great music performed in special settings. We thank the Lancaster County Community Foundation for their support.
Music at Gretna
Gretna Music
PO Box 366
Mt. Gretna, PA 17064
Suzanne Lieto Stewart
Executive Director
Email: [email protected]
