Elisabeth von Trapp, the granddaughter of the Captain and Maria von Trapp, is coming to perform with the Delaware Community Chorus at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s been 60 years since “The Sound of Music” won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Now, central Ohio audiences will have a rare chance to experience the legacy behind the beloved film— live and in person.
Elisabeth von Trapp, the granddaughter of the Captain and Maria von Trapp, is coming to perform with the Delaware Community Chorus at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church for a special two-night concert event.
“The Sound of Music” tells the story of a young governess who brings music and joy to a widowed naval captain’s seven children in Austria, before the family ultimately flees Nazi rule. The movie was based on the real-life story of the von Trapp family singers, whose musical legacy continues today.
“The Delaware chorus and orchestra will join her and support her, also doing a little on their own,” said Joshua Brodbeck, artistic director of the Delaware Community Chorus and artist-in-residence at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. “She will sing pieces that she has written and composed and also favorites that we all know from ‘The Sound of Music.’”
The concerts, set for April 18 and 19 at 4 p.m., will feature a full orchestra, choir and a mix of classic and original works. For von Trapp, the performance is deeply personal.
“One of those seven children was my father, Werner von Trapp,” she said. “He was the younger son. The script gave him the name Kurt. So many people always think that’s his real name, when in fact it is not. His real name was Werner. Anyway, he was very musical and very influential in my life that I would pursue a musical career.”
In addition to familiar songs, von Trapp will debut a new original piece titled “The Question of Love,” inspired by a pivotal moment between Maria and the Mother Abbess.
“It’s a beautiful song to honor my relatives,” she said. “But it’s also a way to step further into my own musicality.”
The concert will also highlight Austrian composers, including a Haydn mass performed by the chorus, creating a program that reflects the von Trapp family’s cultural roots. Brodbeck says the setting itself will play a major role in the experience.
“I had the pleasure of coming here right before they started building this new sanctuary, and so I designed the organ,” he said. “It will be great to hear it with her and the choir.”
Following the performance, attendees will have the opportunity to meet von Trapp during a reception. Organizers say tickets are limited, with strong interest driven by the anniversary and von Trapp’s rare appearance in the area.
For von Trapp, the popularity of the story continues to resonate across generations and around the world.
“It’s just the message that brings hope to people,” she said. “And how far it has reached — it’s really extraordinary.”
For ticket information, click here.