Tom Wisner

Photo by Dave Harp

Tom Wisner, a native of the Chesapeake watershed, is a singer, songwriter, and educator devoted to raising awareness of the spirit and beauty of place. He is the recipient of the Maryland Governors Citation as well as excellence awards from the University of Maryland and from the President of the United States for the unique quality of his work to preserve the Chesapeake Bay using song and stories in education programs for all ages.

Tom Wisner is co-founder of the non-profit Chestory (the Center for the Chesapeake Story). Chestory is a concept devoted to lifting the story of the Chesapeake Bay region up through the arts. Tom is convinced that our culture needs more than just a little enabling in effective use of music and other arts in helping us to connect deeply to the great story of the life of this region . Tom's newest CD "Made of Water" is given over to that concept with all profits to Chestory.

His recorded albums -- "Chesapeake Born," "Equilibrium," and the Parent's Choice album "We've Got to Come Full Circle"-- are part of the National Smithsonian Folkways collection. His song "Chesapeake Born" was used as the title piece for a National Geographic Special and his narration and songs highlight the Chesapeake Bay Foundation video "Living on the Edge." He is trained in both ecology and the arts and has worked as a naturalist, teacher, and graphic and performing artist.

On January 17, 2003, at the 18th Annual WFMA Benefit Weekend, the World Folk Music Association presented Tom Wisner with the 2002 John Denver Memorial Award.

Note: This information was posted to the web site when Tom appeared at our 18th Annual Benefit Weekend, January 17-18, 2003. Tom passed away on April 2, 2010 after a battle with lung cancer.