Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra
Founded 1916
Concert hall Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Principal conductor Marin Alsop
Website www.bsomusic.org

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra[1] is an American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Baltimore SO has its principal residence at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, where it performs more than 130 concerts a year. In 2005, it began regular performances at the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda.

Marin Alsop is the Baltimore SO's current music director since 2007, the first female conductor in the post.

History

Founded in 1916, the Baltimore SO 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 Baltimore SO's modern history dates from 1965, when Baltimore arts patron Joseph Meyerhoff became president of the Orchestra, a position he held for 18 years. Meyerhoff appointed Romanian-born conductor Sergiu Comissiona as music director.

Beginning February 2017, Peter T. Kjome serves as the President and CEO. The Baltimore SO's Principal Pops Conductor is Jack Everly. Yuri Temirkanov, Music Director from 2000-2006, now has the title of Music Director Emeritus. The orchestra's current BSO-Peabody Conducting Fellow is Michael Repper. In 2016, the BSO appointed Tonya McBride Robles as Vice President and General Manager.[2]

Concert Halls/Performance Venues

Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

The Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall has been the home of the Baltimore SO since its opening on September 16, 1982. Named for Joseph Meyerhoff, the 2,443-seat hall has undergone renovations in 1990 and again in 2001.[3]

The Music Center at Strathmore

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 Baltimore SO presents 35 performances in the concert hall annually.

In addition to its Baltimore and Strathmore residencies, the orchestra regularly performs in Frederick, its longest continuing run-out concert series, as well as at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills.

Notable premieres

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has commissioned several works from American composers, which include:

Music Directors

Performances/Tours

In 1987, the Baltimore SO and its then-music director David Zinman undertook a concert tour of Europe and the Soviet Union. The Baltimore SO was the first American orchestra in 11 years to tour the Soviet Union after cultural relations resumed towards the end of the Soviet war in Afghanistan. Under Zinman, the orchestra made its first visit to East Asia in 1994, with subsequent East Asia tours in 1997 and 2002.

The Baltimore SO has also appeared at Carnegie Hall, including a February 2008 concert with the New York premiere of Steven Mackey's percussion concerto Time Release with soloist Colin Currie.

Community Outreach

The BSO performs approximately 30 education concerts and open rehearsals each year for more than 60,000 area students in pre-school through 12th grade. Cornerstone initiatives include 'BSO on the Go', a program that brings small groups of BSO musicians into schools for interactive music education workshops at no cost to the schools, and 'Side-by-Side' concerts, which allow student musicians to rehearse and perform a full-length concert alongside BSO musicians. Rusty Musicians, a program geared towards adult amateur musicians, allows participants to join the BSO and perform under its conductor.

OrchKids

In May 2008, the BSO began OrchKids, an after-school program to provide music experience and education for youth in Baltimore City’s low-income neighborhoods. In collaboration with community partners, it provides music education, instruments, meals and mentorship at no cost to the participants. OrchKids serves more than 400 students from pre-K through fifth grade at Lockerman Bundy Elementary School, New Song Academy, Mary Ann Winterling Elementary School and Highlandtown Elementary/Middle School. OrchKids maintains a faculty of 27 professional working/teaching musicians and academy classroom teachers. Business and community partners include Baltimore City Public Schools, The Peabody Institute, Baltimore School for the Arts, The Family League of Baltimore, University of Maryland Baltimore County and others. Lead funding support was provided by initial gifts of $100,000 from Marin Alsop and $1,000,000 from Rheda Becker and Robert Meyerhoff.

The OrchKids program aspires to provide Baltimore City's children tools to expand their opportunities for creativity, self-expression, cooperative learning, teamwork, academic success and self-esteem.[11]

BSO Academy

The BSO Academy is an annual intensive week-long study program that helps amateur musicians improve the skills through learning and performance with the BSO and its conductor.[12] The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has provided leadership support for the BSO Academy since 2012.

Rusty Musicians

Geared towards adult amateur musicians, "Rusty Musicians with the BSO" is a programme where for one evening, amateur musicians are invited to join members of the Baltimore SO on stage to rehearse and perform selected repertoire led by Marin Alsop. The first "Rusty Musicians" event was at Strathmore in February 2010, with more than 400 amateur musicians participating. The program was repeated at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in September 2010 with nearly 300 adult amateur participants.

Youth Orchestra

The Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra (BSYO) was founded in 2012, and is made up of 3 different ensembles, categorized by age groups and experience: the String Orchestra, the Concert Orchestra, and the String Orchestra.[13][14] The BSYO performs at the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology and the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony hall. The BSYO is led by artistic director Nicholas Hersh.

Broadcasts

Recordings

(*2010 Grammy Nominee) (**2000 Grammy Nominee) (***1998 Grammy Nominee) (+1995 Two-time Grammy Award Winner) (++1990 Grammy Award Winner)

References

  1. ↑ For convenience, this article uses 'Baltimore SO' as the abbreviation for the orchestra, to avoid confusion with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra.
  2. ↑ Baden, Tom (31 May 2016). "BSO appoints Robles new GM, vice president". The Daily Record. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  3. ↑ Leo Beranek, "Concert Halls and Opera Houses" 2nd ed. NY:Springer, 2007 ISBN 0-387-95524-0 p.33-46.
  4. ↑ Rouse, Christopher (1986). Symphony No. 1: Program Note by the Composer. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  5. ↑ Stucky, Steven. Son et lumière, for orchestra: Program Note by the Composer. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  6. ↑ Whiting, Jim (2008). Yo-Yo Ma: A Biography. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 84. ISBN 0313344868.
  7. ↑ Wigler, Stephen (March 1, 1991). "New Harbison symphony is well worth hearing". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  8. ↑ Smith, Tim (June 6, 2012). "Philip Glass' 'Overture for 2012' to get dual premiere: Baltimore-born composer provides companion piece to Tchaikovsky's '1812'". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  9. ↑ Robin, William (September 17, 2013). "Classical Saxophone, an Outlier, Is Anointed by John Adams Concerto". The New York Times. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  10. ↑ Smith, Tim (January 6, 2014). "Baltimore Symphony to premiere Leshnoff guitar concerto composed for Manuel Barrueco". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Mission & Goals". www.bsomusic.org. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  12. ↑ Wakin, Daniel J. "Band Camp for Grown-Ups," The New York Times, Sunday, July 15, 2012.
  13. ↑ https://www.bsomusic.org/education-community/young-musicians/bsyo.aspx
  14. ↑ https://www.bsomusic.org/media/116011/ORCHESTRA-DESCRIPTIONS.pdf
  15. ↑ Clements, Andrew (May 8, 2012). "Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta – review". The Guardian. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  16. ↑ Ashley, Tim (October 11, 2012). "Mahler: Symphony No 1 – review". The Guardian. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  17. ↑ Cowan, Rob (December 2010). "Marin Alsop’s Dvořák series continues and is in the best form to date". Gramophone. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Dvorák: Symphonies 7 & 8". BBC Music Magazine. January 20, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  19. ↑ Smith, Tim (December 3, 2009). "Baltimore Symphony recording of Bernstein's 'Mass' gets Grammy nomination". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  20. ↑ Alsop, Marin (April 18, 2008). "Dvorak's Symphonic Journey to the 'New World'". NPR. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  21. ↑ Smith, Tim (March 19, 2007). "SO recording makes iPod hit parade". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  22. ↑ Anderson, Porter (September 5, 2007). "The Red Violin sings again". CNN. Retrieved May 12, 2015.

Bibliography

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