About
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is internationally recognized as having achieved a preeminent place among the world's most important orchestras. Acclaimed for its uncompromising pursuit of artistic excellence, the Baltimore Symphony has attracted a devoted national and international following while maintaining deep bonds throughout the Maryland community through innovative education and community outreach initiatives.
In October 1997, Yuri Temirkanov accepted the position as the Orchestra's eleventh Music Director. Regarded on every continent as among the most talented conductors of his generation, Maestro Temirkanov is also the Music Director and Chief Conductor of Russia's legendary St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Principal Guest Conductor of the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and Conductor Laureate of London's Royal Philharmonic. Beginning with the Inaugural season in 2000, the Temirkanov-BSO partnership has captured the imaginations of both audiences and critics alike. Major newspapers such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Post and Baltimore Sun have consistently extolled the extraordinarily high level of music-making of the BSO during Temirkanov's leadership.
A LONG, RICH HISTORY
Organized 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 visionary philanthropist and the charismatic conductor ensured the creation of an artistic institution, which has become the undisputed leader of the arts community throughout the State of Maryland.
MARYLAND'S MUSICAL AMBASSADOR TO THE WORLD
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 having been the first American orchestras in eleven years to tour the Soviet Union after cultural relations were resumed at the end of the Afghanistan war.
The Baltimore Symphony'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" which 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 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. Again, the Orchestra's performances were embraced as among the most critically successful of the season.
RECORDING ACCLAIM
The BSO has achieved critical success for its prolific discography on such major labels as Argo/London, Telarc and Sony Classical. The Orchestra and David Zinman won their first Grammy Award in 1987 for a Sony Classical recording of cello concertos by Barber and Britten with soloist Yo-Yo Ma. The BSO's stature as one of America's most admired orchestras was further enhanced in 1994 when "The New York Album," recorded under the direction of David Zinman and again featuring Yo-Yo Ma, won two Grammy Awards. The Baltimore Symphony has continued to add to its extensive discography, adding three new recordings in 1997: a London recording featuring symphonic dance works of Leonard Bernstein; an Erato Disques recording of the piano concertos of George Gershwin and Maurice Ravel, featuring pianist Hélène Grimaud; and a Grammy-nominated London recording of violin concertos by Samuel Barber and William Walton with violinist Joshua Bell. In 1999, the Orchestra was again nominated for a Grammy for its recording of Bernstein's Serenade and Beethoven's Violin Concerto with Baltimore-born violin phenomenon Hilary Hahn as soloist. Early in 2000, the Orchestra released, "I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes," a commemorative recording to honor the tenth anniversary of its Community Outreach initiatives. The CD is comprised entirely of the works of the prominent African American composer Adolphus Hailstork and was the subject of a special NPR Performance Today national broadcast during Black History Month, 2000.
BROADCAST SERIES
The Baltimore Symphony has attracted a devoted following nationwide as a result of its prominent radio presence, begun in 1986. The Orchestra's highly successful 13-season Casual Concerts broadcast series was heard on more than 150 radio stations across the country and was acclaimed for its innovative and insightful presentation of orchestral performances. More recently, the Baltimore Symphony concert programs have been heard on National Public Radio's highly regarded music program Performance Today in more than 200 cities throughout the United States. Locally, the BSO is featured on the NPR news station (WYPR, 88.1 FM) on two weekly programs: "Backstage at the BSO," lively discussion show of the music and guests soloists/conductors performing each week with the Orchestra; and "Onstage With the BSO," a 2-hour program featuring archival recordings of live performances, recorded at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra gives back to the community not only through its concerts, recordings and nationally-acclaimed radio programs, but also through its Community Outreach efforts and ambitious partnerships with educational interests throughout the State of Maryland. The BSO's innovative Arts Excel initiative involves BSO musicians in developing curriculum and teaching curricular subjects like math, science, reading and language arts to primary and secondary students throughout the school year. Additionally, the BSO performs over 30 Education Concerts annually for 50,000 area students from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
The Community Outreach Committee was established in 1989 to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to address the current and potential interests and needs of the African-American community. The Committee aims to involve members of the African-American community in the full range of concert, management and volunteer activities of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
THE MUSIC CENTER AT STRATHMORE
In keeping with the Baltimore Symphony's mandate to serve as a cultural resource for all Maryland residents, the Orchestra has partnered with Montgomery County residents, county and state officials, to establish a new 2000-seat concert hall in the Washington, D.C. suburb of North Bethesda. The Baltimore Symphony will perform year-round at the future Music Center at Strathmore (beginning February 5, 2005), in addition to presenting a variety of other internationally prominent artists and ensembles throughout the year. Headed by architects William Rawn and Associates of Boston, Massachusetts, in association with Grimm and Parker of Beltsville, Maryland, the design team also includes technical consultants Theater Projects Incorporated and the highly regarded acoustical firm of Kirkegaard and Associates. For additional information about the BSO at Strathmore visit www.bsoatstrathmore.com or www.strathmore.org |
