GLENDALE : Concert Group Seeks Wider Audience

Even though it’s been making music for 34 years, not many people have heard of the Glendale Community Concert Assn.

“We’re the best-kept secret in Glendale,” said Charles Hamer, president of the nonprofit group that hosts a series of concerts at the Glendale High School auditorium annually. This year the association--which has about 1,700 subscribers who pay $30 each for a season pass--will hold six concerts between October and May.

The concerts have always been varied, ranging from Big Band to classical music, but Hamer said the organization is slowly trying to reach a wider audience and make its presence better known. Most of its subscribers are seniors.

To attract younger members and families, the upcoming programs will include a performance by the Shanghai Acrobats from the People’s Republic of China on Nov. 27, the Banjomania banjo ensemble on Jan. 22, and a concert by Armenian organist Aram Basmadjian on April 2.

“We’re excited about the upcoming season, and we also just got word that next year we’ll have a concert by the Royal Army Band of Great Britain,” Hamer said.

The association’s program committee selects acts from those offered by a New York-based talent agency. The association spends up to $10,000 to stage each event--a far cry from the $750 fee it paid to violinist Itzhak Perlman about 30 years ago.