The 2025 season of Sunday Art in the Park with Shenandoah Conservatory — a nine-year partnership that showcases the extraordinary faculty, students, alumni and friends of Shenandoah Conservatory — has been one for the record books. Attendance this summer is expected to reach nearly 5,000, and there are still two more opportunities to experience its magic before the season finale.

In recent weeks, the series has seen record-breaking numbers. More than 700 people of all ages attended “Be Our Guest: A Disney Cabaret” featuring Shenandoah Conservatory’s musical theatre class of 2026. The week prior, more than 500 visitors enjoyed a violin and cello duo featuring alums Emily Ilyes ’24 (Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance – Violin) and Christian Hartman ’26 (Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance – Cello), which earned a standing ovation. Other performances by faculty and students have drawn similar crowds, with the series delivering unforgettable moments week after week. Even when rain threatened, hundreds gathered under cloudy skies to enjoy world-class performances in the heart of Reston Town Center.

“We are so proud to be able to present this beloved series,” said Robert Goudie, executive director of Reston Town Center Association. “It is a wonderful series that has absolutely enriched the lives of all who have experienced these shows.”

“We are so delighted by the success that Shenandoah Conservatory and the Reston Town Center Association have had with this collaboration,” said Shenandoah University’s Coordinator for Conservatory in the Community and Professor of Saxophone Timothy Roberts, D.M.A. “We are especially excited to see that Shenandoah is having such an impact on the many arts patrons in Northern Virginia.”

While the series showcases Shenandoah Conservatory’s broad range of talent — performing everything from classical and jazz to Disney and Broadway favorites — classical music remains its backbone, drawing repeated standing ovations and solidifying its place as a beloved Sunday night tradition. Join us as we close out an extraordinary season of music under the open sky:

All performances take place in Reston Town Square Park (1880 Explorer St., Reston, Virginia) and are free of charge.

Photos by Lesnick Photo and courtesy of Reston Town Center Association