{ In House } { In Tech }
Tonya Robles’ brand new Porsche
Tonya Robles reluctantly left what she thought was her dream job in 1997. Landing that position, in the BSO Education department, she says,“ was like getting a Porsche for your 16 th birthday.” Now, nearly 20 years later— after accompanying her naval officer husband Michael on four overseas assignments— Robles has returned to take the post of Vice President and General Manager at the BSO, and she’ s over the moon.“ It’ s the closest thing to a dream come true,” says Robles, who has pursued a career in arts administration in spite of more than a dozen moves.“ I’ ve followed the BSO from afar for two decades and feel as if I’ ve come home again professionally.”
Robles was most recently executive director of Concert Artists of Baltimore, and has held positions at arts institutions in Virginia, Washington, D. C., Texas and Rota, Spain.
One thing Robles can promise.“ I’ m not going anywhere,” she laughs.“ The sound of packing tape and the smell of cardboard boxes gives me the shakes.”
The Sounds of Science
The BSO uses a novel app to teach new concepts
At certain BSO concerts, instead of being told to turn off cell phones, audience members will be encouraged to keep them on— and check them throughout the performance. A new smartphone and tablet app, Octava, is being tested at the BSO thanks to an unprecedented grant from the National Science Foundation.
Octava is synced with the orchestra to provide sciencerelated program notes as the music is happening, enhancing listeners’ experience by underscoring connections between music and science.
The pilot of the app was scheduled for September performances of Beethoven’ s Symphony No. 5 and Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5. The content was developed by Octava co-creator Linda Dusman; Astrophysicist and BSO Science Advisor Mario Livio and members of the BSO education department. Results from audience surveys of the pilot will be delivered in June, 2017.
Jordan August
Octava app
A new leader for OrchKids
Eight years ago, 30 students at Harriet Tubman Elementary School were offered the chance to choose an instrument and learn to play it. Today, OrchKids serves more than 1,000 children at six schools in East and West Baltimore, and is a model for social change through arts education.
Barbara Bozzuto, BSO’ s Executive Board Chair, recently announced the appointment of Raquel Whiting Gilmer as OrchKids’ first executive director. Bozzuto describes Whiting Gilmer as“ a game changer,” and predicts that the new executive director“ will build upon OrchKids’ solid foundation to further deepen the program’ s impact on Baltimore City schoolchildren.”
Most recently, Whiting Gilmer was executive vice president of Academic Support for Learn It Systems, which provides academic, enrichment and professional services in more than 150 school districts nationwide.
{ In the spotlight }
Encore
In June, students from OrchLab, the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestras and OrchKids collaborated on a presentation of Piazzolla’ s Libertango with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The piece was the encore after Ma’ s stunning performance of Dvoř ák’ s Cello Concerto, in front of a sold-out audience at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. The performance was the first time musicians from the BSO’ s three youth programs have joined the full Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Marin Alsop on stage.
September – November 2016 | Overture 5