We welcomed Jonathon Heyward as our 13th Music Director with open arms and a three-day , statewide Gala Celebration befitting the historic moment . The weekend opened with our first season opening concerts at Strathmore and closed with a free community concert in Baltimore as part of the return of Artscape .
The season continued to showcase the unique sound and talents of the Orchestra , as well as artists and artistic collaborators across 21 classical weeks . New this year , we brought classical subscription programs to audiences in two additional halls : the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland ( kicking off a two-year , three-concert and education residency ) and UMBC ’ s Linehan Concert Hall ( one of a three-program AAPI Festival ). In addition to the return of Music Director Laureate Marin Alsop for an annual Ruth and Lamar Alsop Chamber Concert featuring BSO musicians performing on the instruments and / or bows generously loaned from the Alsop private collection , highlights of the classical season included four programs featuring BSO musicians as soloists and a closing weekend featuring two multi-year artistic threads : an informal start to James Lee III ’ s Composer Residency with a world premiere inspired by the paintings of Baltimore School for the Arts alumnus Quinn Bryant , and the last of three programs featuring soprano Christine Goerke as Artist in Residence kicking off a multi-year investment in opera . And with Jonathon , OrchKids , BSYO , and guest conductor / pianist Wayne Marshall , we celebrated the 100th anniversary of Rhapsody in Blue with a weekend of BSO concerts and a digital partnership with the Library of Congress .
Beyond the classics , the season featured the return of Lunar New Year and GospelFest ; the launch of BSO Fusion at Strathmore including a program merging Stravinsky ’ s Petrouchka with Kendrick Lamar ’ s Pulitzer Prize-winning album DAMN ; dedicated Film and Holiday Series ; and an equally bold and diverse Pops series featuring everything from the Broadway scores of Andrew Lloyd Webert to the sounds of roaring 20s speakeasys , the music of Billy Joel and Elton John to the aerial feats of Troup Vertigo , and more .
New again this year , SummerFest relaunched at the Meyerhoff with pre-concert activities in the style of a summer block party . In addition to a family-friendly performance of Disney ' s Frozen Live in Concert , highlights included Vivaldi ' s Four Seasons and The Music of John Williams .
A new name for the Best View OF VISITING PIANISTS
The season featured some of the best pianists in the world : Emanuel Ax , Jean- Yves Thibaudet , and Yulianna Avdeeva , to name a few . One of the best views in the Meyerhoff to enjoy such talents received a new name : The Barbara M . Bozzuto Box ( Grand Tier Box F , Left ). Endowing a physical space , like a chair in the Orchestra , is an extraordinary action . For the Bozzuto family , endowing a box in Barbara ’ s name is not only a tribute befitting her loyal and longstanding leadership , but also a purposefully visible one designed to inspire others to follow her example in action and philanthropy .
I believe that music , of all the arts , is innate in all human beings . A force this omnipresent deserves our support , involvement and appreciation . My work for the BSO is a very small part of gratefully nurturing this force , and it is a joy !
BARBARA BOZZUTO , BSO CHAIR LAUREATE
Left to right : John and Lexie ( Bozzuto ) Greene , Barbara and Tom Bozzuto , Robin and Toby Bozzuto
2023-24 YEAR IN REVEW | 7