a message from JONATHON HEYWARD BSO MUSIC DIRECTOR
a message from JONATHON HEYWARD BSO MUSIC DIRECTOR
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It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the grand finale of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’ s 2024-25 season.
This concert presentation of Giuseppe Verdi’ s Aida caps off an incredible year of performances, but it also marks a new beginning for the BSO’ s four-year Verdi Opera Initiative, which concludes each coming season with a masterpiece by this celebrated operatic composer.
I believe passionately in music’ s ability to convey stories, and this is a project very dear to my heart. Aida contains every theme that makes a story great: a love-triangle, familial conflict, and duty to country. And bringing this story to life is Verdi’ s incredible score, offering some of the most lush and captivating music in the operatic repertoire.
A concert presentation, too, provides unique opportunities for audiences to experience this powerful work in new and exciting ways. Elevating the orchestra to the stage, as opposed to stowing them in a pit, allows for dynamic interplay— a greater sense of connection and collaboration— between BSO musicians and this incredible cast of vocalists. It’ s an invitation for musicians and audiences alike to connect more intimately than ever with this beautiful music.
I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for the remarkable group of collaborators with whom I share the stage. I could not wish for a better cast of vocal soloists, and particularly look forward to reuniting with Angel Blue in the title role following our Aida performances with the Detroit Opera in 2022. I am thrilled to welcome our celebrated D. C. neighbors, The Washington Chorus, under the expert direction of Eugene Rogers. As always, it is a great privilege to conduct the members of your Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, whose incredible artistry immeasurably enriches the cultural fabric of Baltimore, North Bethesda, and beyond.
Finally, I would like to thank you for your support and unwavering commitment to world-class symphonic music. It was feedback from the community— a desire to further cultivate Maryland’ s rich legacy of opera— that first sparked the idea behind the Verdi Opera Initiative. To see the first chapter of the initiative come to fruition is immensely meaningful and leaves me optimistic for the future of this vibrant art form. I hope you enjoy the performance.