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Heyward
by LAUREN FISCHER
A LOOK AHEAD AT THE 2025-26 SEASON WITH MUSIC DIRECTOR JONATHON HEYWARD
The 2025 – 26 season is officially underway at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. From the launch of two new festivals to unforgettable guest artists, there is so much to discover as Music Director Jonathon Heyward takes the podium for his third season. Overture editor Lauren Fischer recently sat down with Heyward to hear his highlights of the year ahead.
Lauren Fischer: You’ re now embarking on your third season as Music Director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. What are you most looking forward to as you return to the Meyerhoff and Strathmore stages this fall?
Jonathon Heyward: The 2025 – 26 season includes many wonderful milestones, the first of which is, of course, our seasonopening Gala concerts with the incredible violinist, Joshua Bell. I first collaborated with Josh when I made my debut at the Mostly Mozart Festival( now my summer orchestra known as the Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center) two years ago, and I am thrilled to bring him back to the BSO. I’ m also proud that we will continue the tradition of sharing the Gala stage with our very own BSO OrchKids and BSYO students.
The season has a wonderful balance of core repertoire and living composers, as well as artistic partnerships born out of our Baltimore and Maryland communities. For example, we continue our collaboration with the University of Maryland, both on stage at The Clarice, as well as in a November program featuring an epic work by Scriabin for orchestra, choir, piano soloist, and color projections. The program’ s visual effects make it a not-to-miss moment of the season.
Finally, in June 2026, I am truly honored that we will host more than 1,000 of our colleagues from across the country in Baltimore for the annual League of American Orchestras conference. The timing could not be more perfect as we enter the next chapter of our artistic and community journey. I look forward to showcasing the
THE 2025 – 26 SEASON INCLUDES MANY WONDERFUL MILESTONES
remarkable talents of our Orchestra with a special concert featuring vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, and to highlighting everything that makes the Baltimore Symphony so special.
LF: The Symphonie Fantastique( Tales of Poe) program this October pays tribute to one of Baltimore’ s most famous residents. How did the poems of Edgar Allan Poe inspire this concert?
JH: Since coming to Baltimore, I have been searching for an opportunity to highlight Edgar Allan Poe, and his connection to our city. The fall season is the perfect time to pay tribute to his haunting legacy. Berlioz’ s Symphonie
— MUSIC DIRECTOR JONATHON HEYWARD fantastique and Mark Simpson’ s Israfel, inspired by Poe’ s poem of the same name, perfectly bookend this spooky, autumnal program. Also on the program is Prokofiev’ s Second Violin Concerto, one of the composer’ s most mystical and macabre works. Violinist Francesca Dego’ s compelling interpretation of this concerto will form a profound connection to Poe’ s well-known literary voice.
LF: You conduct your first-ever BSO Family concert on November 1. Can you talk about your previous experiences leading family performances?
JH: As a young conductor, I had the privilege of leading the Hallé Youth Orchestra as well as the Hallé Orchestra’ s education concerts in Manchester, England. These experiences sparked my deep commitment to community engagement, which became a
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