TO BALTIMORE AND MARYLAND ;
From Marin Alsop
I approached my appointment to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra with a sense of potential . Potential for the Orchestra to serve as an artistic beacon in classical music ; and to reimagine the Orchestra ’ s position within its community , reconnecting with its roots as the only symphony in the country founded by its municipality .
As with everything that is valuable in life , my time at the BSO has not been without its challenges , but through it all we have stayed connected and moved forward , always striving towards reaching our fullest potential . That is a testament to the spirit and tenacity of the musicians and organization as much as it reflects our City and our State .
I could not be prouder of what we have achieved . The artistic and technical level of the BSO rivals any other . We have performed on the world ’ s most renowned stages , brought new music to life , and recorded important works to be ( re ) discovered time and time again . We have done it all with a mindset of access and inclusion , and with a greater shared sense of our responsibility as good citizens .
Possibility was the ethos behind OrchKids . When I founded the program in 2008 , I believed it was important for the BSO to reach students at a young enough age where they could become professional musicians , impacting the makeup of the Orchestra so it better reflected the community we inhabited . Equally if not more importantly , to use music as a vehicle to ensure Baltimore ’ s youth could aspire to be whatever they want to be . Thirteen years in , they are the citizens that will change our world .
Since that very first time I saw Leonard Bernstein , I only ever wanted to be a conductor . Becoming a role model and a champion for women on the podium has certainly been a wonderful byproduct , but being a mentor for others has been among my greatest privileges . The success of our BSO- Peabody Conducting Fellows and the appointment of my student Jonathan Rush as the BSO ’ s Assistant Conductor , these are the milestones that truly matter .
My goal has always been to leave the BSO — and the field — a better place than when I started . That said , I am not really leaving . I am thrilled to be keeping a long-term connection to both the Orchestra and OrchKids , and to continue to serve as an ambassador and an advocate .
In many ways , it is the job of a Music Director to plan one ’ s own party . In curating this final Festival as Music Director , I tried to bring old friends together , to celebrate , and to revel in sharing live music again after far too long at a distance . And with $ 25 tickets to open my first season in 2007 and completely free concerts to close my tenure now in 2021 , we have come full circle .
Thank you !
4 BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA