A Walden celebration and fundraiser in Baltimore

Cyrus Chestnut performing at a Walden Celebration and fundraiser in Baltimore (photo credit: Walden board member David Bivins)

Thank you to everyone who joined us for a Walden celebration and fundraiser in Baltimore, on Saturday, March 8! We are so grateful to our host committee and all of our donors, who contributed more than $7,800 to Walden.

We enjoyed a magical performance by the acclaimed jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut, a Walden alumnus and Baltimore native. He began by telling the audience, “the sounds you are about to hear are designed for your ears, and your ears only.” Each Cyrus Chestnut performance is a unique experience, combining jazz standards, hymns, and improvisatory flights that only he could create. In between selections, Cyrus talked about his experience as a student at Walden, learning musicianship and engaging in “harmony wars” with a fellow student.

We are so grateful to Cyrus for his performance and all he has done to enrich the Walden community and the musical world.

Support Walden Today
Walden board members Tessie McGough, Anne Haxo, and Rita Mitra, and longtime Walden faculty member Sam Pluta

We are also grateful for the passion and support of Walden’s Board of Directors, and especially Walden’s board chair Peter Colohan, who spoke movingly about Walden’s vision of “a world in which people engage with one another creatively, collaboratively, and with respect.”

Walden board chair Peter Colohan (photo credit: David Bivins)
Sharon Boston and Walden board member Kate Valenta (photo credit: David Bivins)
Walden current and future alumni Charlie Mallonee, Caroline Mallonee, and Atticus

Thank you to everyone who was part of our Baltimore celebration, and thank you to all of our donors for your invaluable support of Walden!

Thank you to our host committee: JoAnn Balingit, Seth Brenzel, Peter Colohan, Sky Macklay and Sam Pluta, Caroline Mallonee, Steve Messner and Liz Prelinger, Noah Mlotek, D. J. Sparr, and Kate Valenta

This recap was originally published in the March 2025 InterNetzo.