The Bay-Atlantic Symphony will perform at Congress Hall during the Cape May Music Festival, and the concerts are likely to be standing room only.
After Cape May Convention Hall was declared structurally unsound and closed its doors, the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC) was forced to find new venues for the 19th annual Cape May Music Festival, which runs through Sunday, June 15.

MAC approached Congress Hall, 251 Beach Drive, as a possible location for the three Bay-Atlantic Symphony Concerts.
“Though no one wants to see the boardwalk venue disappear, playing in Congress Hall's Ballroom is a fantastic solution," said Bay-Atlantic Symphony Music Director Jed Gaylin.
"Many music festivals in Europe are held in the ballrooms of the great palaces. The Symphony at Congress Hall will capture a similar ambiance of luxury, elegance, and excitement. The staff there has been extremely enthusiastic and supportive.”

With only 240 seats in the ballroom, regular Music Festival attendees and first-time audience members may be surprised at ticket scarcity, so MAC’s Chief Outreach Officer Mary Stewart, suggests getting tickets early.
“We are expecting at least two of the three concerts to be sold out,” Stewart reported. “The symphony has been very popular since they began with us in 2003. It's a great set of concerts, with terrific soloists. With the additional excitement of this great venue, and limited seating, people should not delay.”

The Bay-Atlantic Symphony’s first concert is “Maritime Mozart Mayhem” with piano soloist Enrico Elisi on Thursday, May 29 at 8 p.m.
The evening’s performance includes Mozart’s Contradance K. 534, “Das Donnerwetter,” Symphony No. 40 in G minor, and Piano Concerto in d minor No. 20.
On Thursday, June 5 at 8 p.m., the Bay-Atlantic Symphony presents “Heartstrings” with violin soloist Rachel Lee. The evening’s performance includes Verdi: Prelude to Act 3 of La Traviata, Schubert: Tragic Symphony, and Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto.
Bay-Atlantic Symphony’s last concert is “For the Birders” with violin soloist Ruotao Mao, on Thursday, June 12 at 8 p.m. The evening’s program includes Respighi: The Birds (Gli Uchelli), Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending, and Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, “The Pastoral.”

Tickets for the Bay-Atlantic Symphony at Congress Hall are $25 for general admission, $20 for seniors and $10 for students.
To order tickets or for more information, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit capemaymac.org.
The Cape May Music Festival is funded in part by grants from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State and the Geraldine R. Dodge and Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundations. PNC is a Corporate Benefactor of the Music Festival. Yamaha is the official piano of the Cape May Music Festival.