Ben Folds recently swept through our region on his 2025 Orchestral Tour, visiting Merriweather Post Pavilion. In a delightful twist, the orchestra backing Mr. Folds was the local Howard County Youth Orchestra, comprised of students assembled from the school system in Howard County, Maryland, home to Merriweather Post Pavilion.
Steve Satzberg was there to photograph the show.
The following article is adapted from a press release.
Celebrated for his genre-defying artistry and dynamic performances, Folds is a pioneer in blending pop and classical music. He is known for his hits with Ben Folds Five, a prolific solo career, and his innovative collaborations with world-class symphonies.
One of Maryland’s premier youth orchestras, the Howard County Youth Orchestra teamed with Ben Folds at Merriweather Post Pavilion on May 18. The orchestra has performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall, Washington, DC’s Kennedy Center, The Midwest Clinic in Chicago, and Baltimore’s Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. The HCYO has shared the stage with TwoSet Violin, Time for Three, Guster, and Tank and the Bangas.
During the show, Ben and the youth orchestra presented songs from across his solo career, including the 2008 album Way to Normal, debut solo record Rockin’ the Suburbs, and recent record What Matters Most (2023). They performed 16 songs divided into two sets and a two-song encore. The end of the second set ended with “Effington.”
Watch the official music video for “Effington” by Ben Folds on YouTube:
Folds is widely regarded as one of the major music influencers of our generation. The Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter-composer has created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, and numerous collaborative records. For the past three decades, he’s toured as a pop artist, while also performing with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras. A New York Times Best Selling author and podcast host, Ben also composes for film, tv and theatre, guest stars in films and TV, and served as the Artistic Advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra until recently. A longtime advocate for arts and music education funding, Ben launched a music education charitable initiative in his native state of North Carolina entitled “Keys For Kids.” On the national level, he’s active as a member of Americans For The Arts and the Arts Action Fund.
This concert event was presented by the Merriweather Arts and Culture Center, a nonprofit organization committed to providing free and low-cost arts programming for the community in and around Downtown Columbia.
Ben Folds continues touring in June and throughout the year.
Here are some photos of Ben Folds performing live with the Howard County Youth Orchestra at Merriweather Post Pavilion on May 18, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Steve Satzberg.