Educational
PROGRAMMING
Inspired by Jonathon Heyward ’ s own journey from the public school system to the podium , we committed to expansion across all BSO Education programs .
Students in grades Pre-K-8 came from across Maryland to the Meyerhoff for Midweek Education Concerts . Midweeks saw a 19 % increase in total attendance from last season , including high demand for a December production of The Nutcracker featuring the dance department of The Baltimore School for the Arts . New this year , Music Box Concerts designed for our youngest listeners ( babies and toddlers ) also welcomed new audiences at a new home , expanding to the Blackrock Center for the Arts in upper Montgomery County .
We continued to support the musicianship of our region ’ s most talented students , bringing focused string engagement to 10 Howard County public high schools , crafting a new MOU with Montgomery County Public Schools to launch a similar program by the 2024-25 year , and welcoming Baltimore County back for a celebratory Side-by-Side experience . This partnership saw dozens of students rehearse and perform a concert , side-by-side with the BSO at the Meyerhoff for 1,500 of their peers , teachers , and family members . And of course , 92 adult amateur musicians from around the country ( and the world ) spent an immersive week learning , rehearsing , and performing with the BSO in the return of our “ fantasy camp ,” BSO Academy . A new Play Date one-day only program provided yet another opportunity for musicians of all ages to sit and play with the Orchestra .
Supporting and informing this growth was a newly activated Education Committee including representation from the current music leads for Baltimore , Howard , and Montgomery Counties and Baltimore City as well as retired educators , partners like Arts Everyday , and more at the table .
16,746 students in grades Pre-K-8 – and hundreds of school buses – took a field trip to the Meyerhoff for an artsintegrated Midweek Concert . Tickets ( and in Baltimore City , transportation ) remained free for all Title-I schools , and Teacher Guides and ondemand access via OffStage free for everyone .
BY THE NUMBERS
ESTIMATED EDUCATIONAL FOOTPRINT : 37,777 STUDENTS / AUDIENCES OF ALL AGES
317 SCHOOLS
( PUBLIC / PRIVATE / HOME )
SERVED
BY IN-PERSON OR FREE DIGITAL MIDWEEKS – ACROSS 13 COUNTIES , TWO NEIGHBORING STATES , AND THE CITY OF BALTIMORE
5
MUSIC BOX VENUES SERVING
3,300
OF OUR YOUNGEST LISTENERS , AGED 6 MONTHS THROUGH 3 YEARS , AND THEIR FAMILIES
8 | BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA