Concert in the Park is the debut spring concert event featuring the best youth performing groups of New England’s Inspire Arts & Music. Usually held in Downtown Boston in early June, the evening concert usually kicks off the Boston Crusaders national tour with a hometown standstill performance.

Due to the coronavirus restrictions, this highly anticipated event was moved to a virtual format for 2020. Broadcasting from our office in Hyde Park, Inspire Arts & Music Executive Board member Michael Woodall and COO Chris Holland went live to bring Concert in the Park to our fans nationwide.

Throughout the evening, Michael and Chris introduced performances of all the Inspire Arts & Music ensembles including Inspire Guard, Blessed Sacrament, Hyde Park Youth Percussion Ensemble, and the Boston Crusaders. Each ensemble received the spotlight to showcase their 2020 shows and virtual programs.

Between performances, we were proud to honor three award recipients. New for 2020, Inspire Arts introduced the Lifetime Achievement Award to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the arts. We were excited to welcome Paul Pitts, BAC alumnus and Boston Latin Director of Fine Arts, and Marietta Phinney, Executive Founding Director of Riverside Theatre Works as our first honorees! You can read more about the Lifetime Achievement Award and Paul and Marietta’s bios here.

At the center of every Concert in the Park celebration is the Champion Award. Established to honor individuals who have been extraordinary leaders in the arts, this year we were proud to present the 4th Champion Award to Cathy and Jim Stone. The Stones have a distinguished history of supporting an array of worthwhile non-profits including chairing the Board of the School on the Move Prize, launching the Museum of African American History Stone Book Award. Read more about the Stones and the Champion Award here.

Watch the broadcast replay below!

Concert in the Park is made possible thanks to the generosity of our sponsors! Thank you to all of our sponsors, including our Champion Sponsors UnitedHealthcare, Altimetrik, Putnam Investments, and Bob Reynolds!

Sponsorship opportunities for 2021 will be available in the coming weeks. For more information on how you can get involved next year or to make a donation to Inspire Arts & Music, please visit concertinthepark.org.