An historic venue located at 51 Walden Street in Concord, Massachusetts
We are host to…
2023-24 Season

Up Next
Oct. 1, 2023 at 2 p.m.
Between Worlds, a recital by Siri Smedvig, violin, William Kasel, trumpet, and Bonnie Anderson, piano. This program will treat listeners to the sumptuous sonic worlds of brass, strings and piano, as displayed in compositions of Faure, Bieber, Kreisler, Vitali, Bartok, Hindemith, Arutunian, and others. The performance will also feature poetry including work by Pulitzer Prize recipient American poet Elizabeth Bishop. Admission is free, with donations gratefully accepted to help support the event.
Oct. 14-15, 2023
Sat. at 8 p.m., pre-concert conductor talk at 7:15 p.m.
Sun. 2 :30 p.m.
The Concord Orchestra: Romantic Ethos, conducted by new music director Zeke Fetrow. On the program is Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture, King Kristian II Suite by Sibelius, and Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 2. For more information or to buy tickets call 978 369-4967 or visit www.concordorchestra.com.
Oct. 21 and 22, 2023 1-5 p.m.
Auditions for our 2024 production of Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci will be at Newbury Court (100 Newbury Court, Concord, MA)
Sat. Oct. 21 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
Sun. Oct. 22 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
For the audition, please prepare two contrasting arias, at least one in Italian. An accompanist will be provided, but you will need to provide music for her. You can coordinate with Kathleen Forgac kathleen.forgac@verizon.net in advance if you would like to send her music and let her know what you will be singing.
Production dates are: June 6-9, 2024
A full rehearsal schedule will be provided at the audition.
We will also be hearing auditions for chorus, but only required if you have not sung with Opera51 in the past. The chorus has extensive parts in both of these operas so we do need to field a good sized, well balanced group. To audition for chorus only, please prepare an aria or other selection, preferable in Italian. As mentioned above please bring music for the accompanist or coordinate with Kathleen Forgac in advance.
To schedule an audition please send an email with a headshot and resume to:
Carole Wayland director@51walden.org
In the email indicate what role/roles you will be auditioning for, preferred date and time, and contact information including email and phone number. Carole will provide you with a 15 minute audition slot.
Air Disinfection at 51 Walden
We are installing a new ventilation and air conditioning system this summer. In the meantime, in order to help cleanse and disinfect the air at 51 Walden, we have installed UltraVation BioGardUV™ Upper-Room Convection Germicidal UV Units in the main hall and lobby areas. We have also installed three AIRDoctor™ HEPA Professional Air Purifiers in the lobby area. For details, refer to our Airborne-Virus-Mitigation-Notice-Spring-2021 document.
The Concord Band
The Concord Band performs regularly at its permanent home, the Performing Arts Center at 51 Walden Street in Concord, at its summer home at Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts, and has also performed summer concerts at several towns in the Greater Boston and MetroWest regions. The sixty-five volunteer members of the Band represent many area communities and a wide variety of professions. Visit the Band’s blog for more information.
The Concord Players
The Concord Players mount three major productions a year with multiple performances of each play. Recent seasons have included Barefoot in the Park, Funny Girl, Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone, and The Sound of Music. The Players’ staging of Little Women is regarded by many as Concord’s Passion Play.
The Concord Orchestra
The Concord Orchestra plays a dozen concerts each season including a Family Concert and two Pops weekends. Each year one of our concerts features a performer from one of the Boston area schools who has won our Young Artist Competition. The winner also receives a cash prize from the Ehlers Memorial Scholarship Fund, which was founded in memory of Charles and Arlene Ehlers.
Opera51
Opera51 raises funds to support 51 Walden through opera performances, associated corporate sponsorships, program ads, individual donations, and through special events like Gala Gatherings and Opera Favorites. Proceeds contribute valuable funds to the maintenance and operation of the facility, a community resource supporting hundreds of local residents each week throughout the year.