Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 17, 2025 

Annapolis, Maryland  — The Annapolis Symphony Academy (ASA), a music academy serving students from toddlers to high school, will host the inaugural Cecelia Wyatt Honors Recital in Memory of Marc and Kirk Elvy on Sunday, April 6, 2025, at 4 p.m. at Temple Beth Shalom in Arnold, Maryland.

The recital will showcase eight exceptional ASA students, selected through a rigorous, adjudicated competition. Performers range from elementary to high school students, and the program will highlight their dedication to musical study and performance. The repertoire will feature classical works by Rebecca Clarke, William Grant Still,  and J.S. Bach. The recital is free and open to the public; tickets are not required. Parking for the event is free.

About Cecelia Wyatt

Cecelia Merritt Wyatt began teaching piano as a high school senior in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and she presented her first student recital in 1958. In May 2025, she will celebrate 67 years of presenting students in recitals.

Wyatt earned a B.A. in Piano Performance from Wake Forest University, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and an M.L.A. from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland. Her students have earned top prizes from the Anne Arundel Music Teachers Association, Music Educators of Greater Annapolis, and the Maryland State Music Teachers Association.

For 25 years, Wyatt concertized as part of the Piano Duo Wyatt and Lebar, performing primarily in schools throughout the Washington-Baltimore-Annapolis region. The duo received the top prize at the Duo-Piano Competition at the Hartford School of Music in 2000. Wyatt was also coached by Hungarian-American composer and pianist Dénes Agay and contributed recordings for his piano literature books.

Wyatt’s influence extends beyond her studio, serving on the board of the Greater Annapolis Ballet and twice presiding over both the Anne Arundel Music Teachers Association and MEGA (Music Educators of Greater Annapolis). Her studio, Cecelia Wyatt Studio and Conservatory, has mentored students of all ages for over 40 years, emphasizing both technical accuracy and musical excellence. Today, Mrs. Wyatt continues to teach and mentor school age and adult students, including ASO incoming Board Chair Katie Edwards, MD, and Trustee Emeritus Jill Kidwell.

In Memory of Marc and Kirk Elvy

The recital honors Marc and Kirk Elvy, whose passion for music and innovation left a lasting legacy since their passing in 1994.  

Marc and Kirk Elvy were both born in Durham, North Carolina, and spent their early lives in Maryland, growing up in a house filled with books and music. They played horns from a young age, each taking trumpet lessons to start. Marc played trumpet and also piano, while Kirk took up the French horn and trombone. They excelled in their academic pursuits, Marc graduating with a BS in Computer Science from Harvard University and Kirk graduating with a BA in English from Duke University. 

Marc was a pioneer in computer science. In 1983, he co-founded Marble Associates, Inc. a Boston, Massachusetts-based technology firm. Working from a Harvard dorm room and the trunk of a 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine, Marc and two fellow students who helped co-found the company provided computer and network consulting and software for major clients such as AT&T and Digital Equipment Corporation. Marc was instrumental in creating  Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP), which laid the foundation for modern remote connectivity and telecommuting. Kirk was Marc’s trusted partner, serving as Marble Associates’ chief financial and administrative officer. Marc and Kirk were independent spirits and created and fostered a vibrant community at Marble Associates.

On March 16, 1994, a small plane carrying Marble Associates executives crashed near Dulce, New Mexico. Kirk died on that day. Marc survived the crash but, despite fighting valiantly for nearly five days, succumbed to his injuries on March 20, 1994, at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. Marc was 31, and Kirk was 28.

Honoring a Legacy of Musical Excellence

Following Mrs. Wyatt’s 2024 donation to the ASA, co-founder Netanel Draiblate and co-Director Julie Nolan established the honors recital in a meaningful gesture of appreciation. ASA Strings Department Chair Heather Haughn coordinated the competition and recital.  Faculty from Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Peabody Preparatory, and Washington Suzuki Strings adjudicated the competition. They praised the students’ exceptional performances, calling the task of selecting winners “extremely challenging.” The recital performance will feature the young artists chosen by the adjudicators, as well as pianist Jay DeWire. 

About the ASA

The Annapolis Symphony Academy (ASA) is the largest educational initiative of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra (ASO). ASA provides students with unique opportunities to study and perform alongside ASO’s professional musicians. The Orion Youth Orchestra, ASA’s highest-level ensemble, is directed by Maestro José-Luis Novo, the ASO’s artistic director and conductor.

ASA offers free concert tickets to students for performances by their ASO mentors and provides pre-college advising and audition preparation for students pursuing music degrees. Regular workshops cover topics such as practice techniques, instrument care, goal-setting, and musician wellness. In celebration of its eighth year, ASA is offering free ensemble participation  for all students with need-based scholarships available for lessons in  the Virtuoso Pathway program.

Media Contact: Heather Haughn, HHaughn@annapolissymphony.org