Tara Helen O'Connor
Artistic Director
News & Events
New Artistic Director for Essex Winter Series as Mihae Lee Retires
Pianist Mihae Lee became Artistic Director of Essex Winter Series in 2011 when president Fenton Brown stepped down. In her 15 years in the role, Mihae has brought stellar musicians to perform beautiful music for our series as well as expanding our audience and...
Essex Winter Series Awarded a 2025 Connecticut Arts Endowment Grant
The state’s Department of Economic and Community Development announced the recipients of the 2025 Connecticut Arts Endowment Grants given through the Connecticut Office of the Arts, which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal...
Essex Savings Bank Community Investment Program Awards Funding to Essex Winter Series
Essex Winter Series is grateful to once again be one of the area’s local nonprofit recipients of funding from the Essex Savings Bank Community Investment Program (CIP). As President & CEO Diane Arnold noted her congratulatory comments, for 30 years Essex Savings...
Essex Winter Series Awarded Grant Funding from the Essex Community Fund
Essex Winter Series is grateful to once again be one of many recipients of funding from the Essex Community Fund. For the upcoming year, the $250 grant received will support our scholarship program, the Francis Bealey Memorial Scholarship, which was established in...
Spring 2025 Community Outreach Workshops with Terra String Quartet
Each year, as a part of fulfilling our mission to enhance our Shoreline and Connecticut River Valley communities, Essex Winter Series brings artists to perform and educate as a part of our Community Outreach Program, a program initiated by Artistic Director Mihae Lee...
Essex Winter Series Brings Jazz to New London Schools
New London Community Outreach in December 2024, featuring Jeff Barnhart and 6 jazz musicians who entertained and educated third, fourth and fifth graders about their instruments and the history of jazz.
Valley Courier’s Rita Christopher Celebrates EWS’s Mihae Lee as Person of the Week
Essex Winter Series has grown and blossomed over the last 15 years under Artistic Director Mihae Lee, bringing outstanding entertainment and spring and fall community outreach to schools and senior communities in Middlesex and New London counties. We are thrilled to...
Essex Winter Series Awarded “Supporting Arts” Grant Funding from DECD/CT Office of the Arts
With the “giving” season in full swing, the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development announced the recipients of the 2025 Supporting Arts Grants given through the Connecticut Office of the Arts, which also receives support from the National Endowment...
Essex Winter Series Awarded Funding Through the Essex Savings Bank Community Investment Program
Essex Winter Series is grateful to once again be one of the area’s local nonprofit recipients of funding from the Essex Savings Bank Community Investment Program (CIP). The CIP represents Essex Savings Bank’s commitment to community banking, providing donations to...
EWS Receives Grant Funding from Connecticut Office of the Arts
Essex Winter Series is pleased and grateful to be one of the 188 arts organizations awarded funding from the Connecticut Arts Endowment Fund grant this year! From the total amount of $889,370 awarded to all the organizations, the Connecticut Arts Endowment Grants...