| Baltimore Symphony Orchestra | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | BSO |
| Origin | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupations | Symphony orchestra |
| Years active | 1916–present |
| Associated acts | Soulful Symphony |
| Website | http://www.bsomusic.org |
| Members | |
| Music Director Marin Alsop Music Director Emeritus Yuri Temirkanov Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly |
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The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is a professional American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland.
In September 2007, Maestra Marin Alsop led her inaugural concerts as the Orchestra’s twelfth music director, making her the first woman to head a major American orchestra.[1]
The BSO Board Chairman is Michael Bronfein and President & CEO Paul Meecham. Joining Maestra Alsop on the BSO conductor roster are Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly, and BSO Music Director Emeritus Yuri Temirkanov, who led the BSO from 1999 to 2006 and is regarded as one of the most talented conductors of his generation.
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Founded in 1916, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is the only major American orchestra originally established as a branch of the municipal government. Reorganized as a private institution in 1942, it maintains close relationships with the governments and communities of the city and surrounding counties, as well as with the state of Maryland.
The BSO's modern history dates from 1965, when Baltimore arts patron Joseph Meyerhoff became president of the symphony orchestra, a position he held for 18 years. Meyerhoff appointed Romanian-born conductor Sergiu Comissiona as music director; together, the philanthropist and the conductor ensured the creation of an artistic institution.
The BSO’s leadership includes Board Chairman Michael Bronfein and President & CEO Paul Meecham. Also on the BSO conductor roster are Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly, noted for his creative pops programming, and BSO Music Director Emeritus Yuri Temirkanov, who led the BSO from 1999 to 2006 and is regarded as one of the most talented conductors of his generation.
In May 2008, the BSO unveiled a major education initiative, OrchKids, an after-school program designed to effect social change and nurture promising futures for youth in Baltimore City’s low-income neighborhoods. In collaboration with many community partners, the BSO’s OrchKids program provides music education, instruments and mentorship to Baltimore’s neediest youngsters. The program serves more than 300 students age pre-K through fifth grade at Lockerman Bundy Elementary School.
The BSO performs approximately 30 education concerts and open rehearsals each year for more than 50,000 area students in pre-school through 12th grade. Major initiatives include BSO on the Go, a program which brings small groups of BSO musicians into schools for free and interactive music education workshops, and "Side by Side" concerts, which allow student musicians to rehearse and perform a full-length concert alongside BSO musicians. The BSO at Strathmore is actively involved in giving back to Montgomery County and the Greater Washington, D.C. area. The BSO also serves adult music lovers through audience education programs such as pre-concert lectures and post-concert discussions.
Within the classical field, since fall 2007, the BSO has partnered with the Peabody Institute and the League of American Orchestras to sponsor the BSO-Peabody Conducting Fellowship, a two-year, master's-level program which gives an aspiring young conductor the opportunity to study at Peabody and with Marin Alsop and the BSO.
With the appointment of David Zinman as music director in 1985, the BSO's reputation spread internationally. In 1987, the Orchestra conducted a critically acclaimed concert tour of Europe and the Soviet Union. The BSO was the first American orchestra in 11 years to tour the Soviet Union after cultural relations were resumed at the end of the Afghanistan war.
The Baltimore Symphony first visited East Asia in 1994. A second tour took place in 1997 with violinist Isaac Stern as soloist. A 20-member trade delegation led by Maryland Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend accompanied the Orchestra to enhance exchange opportunities in the areas of business and economic development, higher education and trade. Subsequent tours were led by Yuri Temirkanov, to Europe in 2001, to Japan in 2002 and again to Europe in 2005.
The Grammy Award-winning Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has a prolific discography on such labels as Naxos, Argo/London, Telarc and Sony Classical.
*-Grammy award-winning
+-Grammy nominated
The Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall has been the home of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra since its opening on September 16, 1982. Named for the late Baltimore philanthropist and former BSO president, Joseph Meyerhoff, the 2,443-seat hall has been hailed for its pristine acoustics and versatility. As one of the city's cultural venues, the Meyerhoff has played host to international classical stars such as cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Joshua Bell, and pianist Emanuel Ax, and popular performers including singer-songwriter Harry Connick, Jr., bluegrass singer Alison Krauss, and comedian Jerry Seinfeld.
The Orchestra's second home is the 1,976-seat Music Center at Strathmore, located in North Bethesda, Maryland. With the opening of the Music Center at Strathmore in February 2005, the Baltimore Symphony became the nation's first orchestra with year-round venues in two metropolitan areas. As the founding partner and resident orchestra of the Music Center, the BSO presents 35 performances in the concert hall annually.
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