What to expect at a Surround Sound program
An immersive, art-centered experience
Our 2026 series, Place, offers immersive, art-centered experiences. These programs curate thoughtful pairings of music and wine with interactive exposition and discussions, allowing us to explore art, history, food, and culture together.
This series grew out of our 2025 salon concert series, Seasons, in which we explored music that echoed or evoked the changing world around us.
A salon concert is simply a musical program performed in a home rather than a recital or concert hall. The same pieces might be performed in both places, but the salon concert provides a more intimate setting to experience the music.
Our programs emphasize opportunities to discover more about the music, the composers and artists, history, art, culture, food, and one another.
Bring food or drink to share if you like, but no need. We provide wine and light fare thoughtfully chosen to pair with the programs.
Dress comfortably.
Surround yourself with music, art, and good company.
Surround Sound
About me
Don Atkins
I am a classically-trained pianist, creative entrepreneur, and designer of intentional, art-centered experiences.
In early 2026, I started Surround Sound, a new kind of creative studio. Surround Sound designs curated art-centered experiences that help hospitality venues, boutique retail businesses, and other third spaces turn memorable evenings into lasting customer relationships.
As a Fulbright Fellow, I studied and performed in Vienna, Austria. I earned an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business.
Before starting Surround Sound, I built a career spanning operations, program management, and tech product marketing, helping entrepreneurs and small businesses grow through education, creative programming, and community-driven experiences.
Alongside my professional work, I’ve developed and led art-centered programs and events across Southern California, Washington, DC, and southeast Michigan, exploring how thoughtfully designed experiences deepen the way people connect with art, place, and one another:
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Seasons salon concert series (MI)
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Curated dinner concerts pairing art song with 4+ courses of food and wine or beer (DC)
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Five annual Festivals of Nine Lessons and Carols, reimagining the century-old Cambridge tradition with new art forms (DC)
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Symphony and Song Nights, creating intimate gatherings to listen to a symphony followed by sing-alongs (DC)
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A music appreciation program for youth at a shelter for runaway and displaced children (CA)
Based just outside Ann Arbor, Michigan, with my wife and our two kids, I serve as a board member for the Brooklyn Art Song Society, New York's leading presenter and commissioner of art song.
