NEWS
Essential Updates from your Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
ABOVE( left to right): BSO musicians Helen Hess, Bo Li, Chisa Kodaka, YaoGuang Zhai, and Holly Jenkins pose in front of a poster highlighting their performance at the U. S.-China Sister-City Conference in Hangzhou.
NOTE
MUSIC FOR MARYLAND:
Annapolis
The BSO returns to St. John’ s College for a Music for Maryland, pay-what-youwish performance made possible by state support. The concert marks the Opening Day of the Maryland General Assembly session in Annapolis, with works by Sibelius, Coleridge-Taylor, Mozart, and more.
Following the concert, and throughout the 2026 Session, the BSO will be advocating for state funding for the arts at large and specific BSO requests. Our priorities include continued operating support for statewide service, and capital investments as we strive to modernize the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.
Join us at St. Johns College on Wednesday, January 14 at 7:30 pm( Francis Scott Key Auditorium). Last year ' s concert was standing room only, so please register in advance to help us anticipate attendance.
China Tour Recap
In October, six members of the BSO family made their way to China for a 10-day tour.
Alongside President & CEO, Mark Hanson, BSO Musicians YaoGuang Zhai, principal clarinet; Holly Jenkins, violin; Chisa Kodaka, violin; Helen Hess, viola; and Bo Li, cello had meetings, masterclasses, and performances in four cities: Hangzhou, Xiamen, Xi’ an, and Shanghai.
As part of the 7th U. S.-China Sister-City Conference in Hangzhou, the musicians were on prominent display as the sole U. S. performing arts organization represented.
While overseas, the BSO’ s performance to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Baltimore-Xiamen Sister City relationship was a true highlight, sparking the signing of a Sister Orchestra partnership agreement with the Xiamen Philharmonic, to continue the relationship between the two organizations and cities.
ABOVE: BSO President & CEO Mark Hanson with BSO AAPI Council member, Dr. Ping Lu, and The Honorable Marc Elrich, Maryland County Executive.
BELOW: BSO musicians perform at the Sister- City Conference.
CELEBRATING THE RETIREMENT OF
ESTHER MELLON
BSO Cellist Esther Mellon grew up in a musical family in New York City studying cello and piano. While earning her BA from Swarthmore College, she continued her cello studies with Curtis teachers Orlando Cole and David Soyer. She went on to study with Laurence Lesser at the New England Conservatory where she received her Master’ s Degree and was the recipient of a prestigious String Quartet Fellowship.
Prior to joining the BSO, Ms. Mellon played with the Buffalo Philharmonic for a season and worked as a freelance musician in New York. An avid chamber music performer, she has appeared frequently in the Baltimore-Washington area and in New York.
Esther made history when she joined the BSO on October 10, 1977 as the Orchestra’ s first female Black musician. The BSO family thanks Esther for her 48 years of beautiful music making.
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