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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Baltimore Symphony Orchestra| image =| background = classical_ensemble| alias = BSO| origin = Baltimore, Maryland | genre = Classical music|Classical | occupation = Symphony orchestra | years_active = 1916– present | associated_acts = Soulful Symphony| website = http://www.bsomusic.org http://www.BSOmusic.org| current_members = Music Director Marin Alsop Music Director Emeritus Yuri Temirkanov Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly | past_members =| notable_instruments =
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is a professional American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland internationally recognized as having achieved a prominent place among the world’s most important orchestras. The BSO’s home is the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall , where it performs more than 130 concerts a year. With the opening of the Strathmore (Maryland)| Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland|Bethesda in February 2005, the Baltimore Symphony became the nation's first orchestra with year-round venues in two metropolitan areas.
Founded in 1916, the BSO is the only major American orchestra originally established with as a branch of the municipal government.
In September 2007, Maestra Marin Alsop led her inaugural concerts as the Orchestra’s 12th music director, making her the first woman to head a major American orchestra. Joining Maestra Alsop on the BSO conductor roster are Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly, and BSO Music Director Emeritus Yuri Temirkanov , who served as Music Director from 2000-2006 and is regarded as one of the most talented conductors of his generation.
History
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 Orchestra, a position he held for 18 years. Meyerhoff appointed Romanian-born conductor Sergiu Comissiona as music director and together, the philanthropist and the charismatic conductor ensured the development of an artistic institution, which has become the undisputed leader of the arts community throughout the State of Maryland
Leadership
Since 2006, the BSO has been under dedicated leadership of 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 served as Music Director from 2000-2006 and is regarded as one of the most talented conductors of his generation.
Current Administration
President & CEO Paul Meecham
Board Chairman Kenneth W. DeFontes, Jr.
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Beth Marie Buck
Vice President of BSO at Strathmore Deborah Broder
Vice President of Artistic Operations Matthew Spivey
Vice President of Development Dale Hedding
Vice President of Education & Community Engagement Carol Bogash
Vice President of Marketing and Communications Eileen Andrews
Concert Halls/Performance Venues
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
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 hosted 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 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 BSO presents 35 performances in the concert hall annually.
Music Directors
1917-1930 Gustav Strube
1930-1935 George Siemonn
1935-1937 Ernest Schelling
1937-1939 Wener Janssen
1939-1942 Howard Barlow
1942-1952 Reginald Stewart
1952-1959 Massimo Freccia
1959-1968 Peter Herman Adler
1969-1984 Sergiu Comissiona
1985-1998 David Zinman
1999-2006 Yuri Temirkanov
2007 - Present Marin Alsop
Current BSO-Peabody Conducting Fellow Lee Mills
Performances/Tours
With the appointment of David Zinman as music director in 1985, the BSO's reputation for musical excellence and high artistic achievement spread far beyond the shores of the Chesapeake to a new and devoted international audience. In 1987, the Orchestra conducted a critically acclaimed concert tour of Europe and the Soviet Union. The BSO holds the distinction of being 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.
In Marin Alsop’s fifth season, the BSO made its first West Coast tour since 1988 from March 28th to April 2nd 2012, and its first domestic tour since 2000 (excluding previous Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center engagements). The Orchestra traveled to Orange County to perform at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall presented by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County (Costa Mesa, Ca.), to the Silva Concert Hall of the Hult Center for the Performing Arts (Eugene, Or.) and gave a three-day education and performance residency at the Zellerbach Hall presented by Cal Performances of the University of California (Berkeley, Ca.).
The BSO's first visit to East Asia in 1994 was described as the hit of Tokyo's star-filled concert season. The newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun proclaimed the BSO as "the best of all the overseas orchestras" that performed in Japan during that year, in a field that included the Berlin, Vienna and New York philharmonics. An invitation to return to Japan was promptly extended, resulting in a second tour during the fall of 1997 with legendary violinist and soloist Isaac Stern. Yuri Temirkanov and the BSO embarked on a European Tour in 2001, accompanied by Maryland Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and a 20-member trade delegation to enhance exchange opportunities in the areas of business and economic development, higher education and trade. A third tour to Japan followed in 2002 and the BSO returned to Europe in 2005.
The BSO maintains a regular performance presence at Carnegie Hall. In February 2008, the Orchestra performed a program at Carnegie that featured the New York premiere of Steve Mackey's Time Release with Scottish percussionist, Colin Currie. In October 2008, as part of Carnegie's year-long festival celebrating the legacy of Leonard Bernstein, the BSO performed the late composer's large scale work, Mass: A Theatre Piece for Players, Singers and Dancers.
Through year-round performances at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore and The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, the BSO serves as a cultural resource to the entire State of Maryland. The BSO regularly performs in Frederick, the BSO's longest continuing run-out concert series, as well as at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills. Through a number of partnerships and performances throughout the state, the BSO is extending its reach into new communities and remains a cultural resource for all Maryland residents.
For more than 80 years, the BSO has maintained a vibrant educational presence throughout the State of Maryland, supporting the local community not only through concerts and recordings, but also through its commitment to actively giving back with its education, outreach and mentorship program.
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. The BSO at Strathmore is actively involved in giving back to Montgomery County and the Greater Washington, D.C. area with the BSO On the Go program. The BSO also serves adult music lovers through audience education programs such as pre-concert lectures and post-concert discussions. Rusty Musicians, a program geared towards adult amateur musicians, allows participants to join the BSO and perform under Maestra Alsop.
OrchKids
In May 2008, the BSO unveiled a major education initiative, OrchKids, an after-school program designed to create social change and nurture promising futures for youth in Baltimore City’s low-income neighborhoods. Under OrchKids Director of Artistic Programing Dan Trahey and in collaboration with community partners, OrchKids provides music education, instruments, meals and mentorship at no cost to Baltimore’s underserved youngsters. The program is inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema, and is intended primarily to address the most pervasive social challenges affecting underserved youth, using music to cultivate fundamental life skills such as self-expression, cooperative learning, discipline and creativity. 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 acacdemy 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 from Maestra Marin Alsop, $100,000, and Rheda Becker & Robert Meyerhoff, one million. Sponsorships include, PNC Bank, Early Education Sponsor, and Music & Arts, Official Instrument Partner.
BSO Academy
The BSO Academy is an annual intensive week-long study program that helps amateur musicians reach new levels of artistic achievement through learning and performance opportunities with the BSO and Maestra Marin Alsop.
BSO Academy participants experience the creative process of a finely synchronized ensemble first hand—right alongside BSO players, many of whom have worked together in this orchestra for more than 25 years. The BSO Academy is a unique and nurturing community that motivates participants to a higher and more challenging level of musical performance, offering both formal and casual opportunities for learning, connection and growth.
In Summer 2012, the BSO Academy will convene for eight days for orchestra rehearsals, sectionals, performance sessions, master classes and personal lessons and lectures led by local experts, all held at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA). At the conclusion of the program, musicians will perform in a full orchestra finale concert.
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has generously provided leadership support for the BSO Academy since 2012.
Rusty Musicians
Geared towards adult amateur musicians, "Rusty Musicians with the BSO" is a unique side-by-side experience with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. For one evening, amateur musicians are invited to join members of the BSO on stage to rehearse and perform predetermined repertoire led by BSO Music Director Marin Alsop. "Rusty Musicians with the BSO" is in keeping with the BSO's vision to increase the community's involvement in music and serve as a cultural resource for the Baltimore-Washington region.
During the first "Rusty Musicians with the BSO" held at the Music Center at Strathmore in February 2010, more than 400 amateur musicians performed with members of the Orchestra. The program received rave reviews from participants and national media alike, and was repeated at the BSO's Baltimore venue, the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, in September 2010 with nearly 300 adult amateur participants. “By engaging patrons in this directly participatory experience, we are tearing down the walls that separate us from our audiences,” said Maestra Alsop.
The first “Rusty Musicians with the BSO” at the Music Center at Strathmore received rave reviews from participants:
“I'm 72 years old and have been playing in orchestras since I was 16,” – Paul Silverman “In all of those years this was the most exciting and satisfying orchestral experience I've ever had.” – Richard Lippman
Broadcasts
XM Satellite Radio : Hosted by XM Classics 110 Program Director Martin Goldsmith, each program features a full-length BSO concert conducted by Marin Alsop, as well as exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews with Alsop and guest artists.
iTunes Clueless About Classical' : Hosted by Marin Alsop, these podcasts take novice listeners behind-the-scenes with the BSO, exploring repertoire, composers, musical concepts and orchestra life.
' NPR’s " Weekend Edition " with Scott Simon : Maestra Alsop is a regular guest with her segment "Marin Alsop on Music."
''NPR's Performance Today : Concerts broadcast across the U.S.
''American Public Media's SymphonyCast : Concerts broadcast across the U.S.
Recordings
2012: Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta; Concerto for Orchestra (Naxos)
2012: Mahler: Symphony No. 1, “Titan” (Naxos)
2010: Dvorák: Symphony No. 6 in D major, Op. 60; Nocturne in B major, Op. 40, Scherzo capriccioso, Op. 66 - 15:04 (Naxos)
2010: Dvorák’s Symphony No. 7 in D Minor, op. 70; Symphony No. 8 in G Major, op. 88 (Naxos)
2010: Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue; Concerto in F Major, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano (Decca)
2009*: Bernstein: Mass: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players and Dancers (Naxos)
2009: Mark O’Connor: Americana Symphony; “Variations on Appalachia Waltz” (OMAC Records)
2008: Dvorák: Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, op. 95, “From the New World;” Symphonic Variations, op. 78 (Naxos)
2007: Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring (iTunes)
2007: John Corigliano: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, “The Red Violin,” Joshua Bell, violin (Sony Classical)
2004: Ives: They are there!; Three Places in New England; Holidays, Baltimore Symphony Chorus (Decca)
2000: Adolphus Hailstork: Intrada; Done Made My Vow; An American Fanfare; I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes (NPR /BSO)
1999**: Beethoven: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, op. 61; Serenade for Solo Violin, Strings, Harp and Percussion, Hilary Hahn, violin (Sony Classical)
1998: John Tavener: The Protecting Veil; Wake Up…and Die, Yo-Yo Ma, cello (Sony Classical)
1997: Gershwin: Concerto in F; Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major, Hélène Grimaud, piano (Erato Disques)
1997: Bernstein: Candide Overture, “Symphonic Dances” from West Side Story; Fancy Free, Facsimile (Argo/London)
1996: Michael Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony, Bizarro (Argo/London)
1995: Glinka: Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla; Ippolitov-Ivanov: Caucasion Sketches, op. 10; Rimsky-Korsakov: Russian Easter Overture, op. 36; Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini, op. 32; “Polonaise” from Eugene Onegin, (Telarc)
1995: Bernstein: “Mambo” from West Side Story: John Adams in The Chairman Dances; Aaron Jay Kernis in New Era Dance; David Schiff in Stomp; Libby Larsen in Collage-Boogie; John Harbison in Remembering Gatsby; Michael Torke in Charcoal, Robert Moran in Points of Departure; Dominick Argento in “Tango” from The Dream of Valentin; Michael Daugherty in Desi; Christopher Rouse in Bonham (Decca)
1994: Copland: Rodeo; El salón México; Danzón Cubano; Billy the Kid (Argo/London)
1994+: Albert: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra; Bartók: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra; Bloch: Hebraic Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra, “Schelomo,” Yo-Yo Ma, cello (Sony Classical)
1992: Barber: Adagio for Strings’ Overture to The School for Scandal, op. 5; First Essay for Orchestra, op. 12; Music for a Scene from Shelley, op. 7; Second Essay for Orchestra, op. 17; Symphony No. 1, op. 9 (Argo/London)
1992: Elgar: Symphony No. 1, op. 55; Pomp and Circumstance Military Marches Nos. 1 and 2, op. 39 (Telarc)
1992: Christopher Rouse: Symphony No. 1; Phantasmata (Nonesuch)
1991: Stravinsky: The Firebird Suite (1919 version); Petrushka (1947 version); Fireworks, op. 4 (Telarc)
1991: Michael Torke: Green; Purple; Ecstatic Orange; Ash; Bright Blue Music (Argo/London)
1991: Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture, op. 9; Les Francs-Juges Overture, op. 3; Symphonie fantastique, op. 14 (Telarc)
1991: Britten: Diversions for Piano Left Hand and Orchestra; Laderman: Concerto for Orchestra, Leon Fleisher, piano (Phoenix USA)
1990: Tchaikovsky: Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra, op. 23; Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, op. 43, Horacio Gutiérrez, piano (Telarc)
1989: Elgar: Cockaigne Concert Overture, op. 40; “In London Town,” Variations on an Original Theme, op. 36; “Enigma Variations,” Serenade for Strings, op. 20, Salut d’amour, op. 12, “Love’s Greeting” (Telarc)
1989++: Barber: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, op. 22; Britten: Symphony for Cello and Orchestra, op. 68, Yo-Yo Ma, cello (Sony Classical)
1988: Berlioz: Overture to Benvenuto Cellini, op. 23; “Love Scene” from Roméo et Juliette; “Minuet of the Will-o’-the-Wisps” from The Damnation of Faust; “Dance of the Sylphs” from The Damnation of Faust; “Rakóczy March” from The Damnation of Faust; Le Corsaire Overture; “Trojan March” from Les Troyens; “Royal Hunt and Storm” from Les Troyens, Sylvia McNair, soprano; Richard Leech, tenor; Boys from the Choir of St. Michael and All Angels; Boys from the Choir of St. David’s Episcopal Church; Baltimore Symphony Chorus (Telarc)
1984: Brahms (orchestrated/Schoenberg): Quartet for Piano Vox and Strings No. 1, op. 25, Vox
1982: Ravel: Alborada del gracioso; Rapsodie espagnole; Concerto in Piano Left Hand in D Major, Leon Fleisher, piano (Vanguard)
1981: Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, op. 78, “Organ” (Silverline)
1980: Respighi: Feste Romane; Pini di Roma (Vanguard)
(*2010 Grammy Nominee) (**2000 Grammy Nominee) (***1998 Grammy Nominee) (+1995 Two-time Grammy Award Winner) (++1990 Grammy Award Winner)
References
reflist
Bibliography
cite book | last=Spencer | first=William |title=The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, 1965–1982: the Meyerhoff years (D.M.A. dissertation) | location=Baltimore | publisher=Johns Hopkins University | year=1994 | oclc=137340795
http://www.bsomusic.org/ Baltimore Symphony Orchestra official site
http://www.marinalsop.com/ Marin Alsop official site
http://www.bsomusicians.org/ Baltimore Symphony Orchestra musicians site
http://sonybmgmasterworks.com/artists/baltimoresymphonyorchestra/ Baltimore Symphony Orchestra discography at Sony BMG Masterworks
http://www.bsomusic.org/main.taf? p=6,1,1,1,25& id=90000004 Baltimore Symphony Orchestra discography at NAXOS
http://artofthestates.org/cgi-bin/performer.pl? ens=96 Art of the States: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Baltimore Symphony conductors Category:American orchestras Category:Culture of Baltimore, Maryland Category:Maryland culture Category:Musical groups established in 1916
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