Overture Magazine - 2018-19 Season BSO_Overture_MAR_APR | Page 11

AVI AVITAL
SHEKU KANNEH-MASON
EMANUEL AX
BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2019-20
MARIN ALSOP
deep dive into what a piece is really about—for
example, Brahms’ Fourth Symphony will allow us
to talk about why he had to be on a concert about
forbidden love. And when I discovered that our
schedule meant that an Off The Cuff performance
would fall on Valentine’s Day, I knew exactly what
to do! Talk about forbidden love—Romeo and Juliet
is one of the most enduring love stories ever written
because the happenstances of the story can still be
seen today. Prokofiev’s score captures the tragedy
and the ecstasy of Shakespeare’s story.”
Pops fans can delight in a wealth of entertaining
shows that include tributes to Lerner and Loewe,
Aretha Franklin and Nat King Cole. Preservation
Hall Jazz Band and the Tony and Grammy Award-
winning Jennifer Holliday of Dreamgirls fame will
light up the stage as well.
Movies with orchestra, in which the BSO performs
cinema’s most iconic scores live while the film plays on
the big screen, have become a staple. 2019–20 features
The Wizard of Oz, Ghostbusters, Amadeus and two Star
Wars movies: The Empire Strikes Back and Return of
the Jedi. Both Star Wars films are led by Associate
Conductor Nicholas Hersh, who also leads family
and educational programming at the BSO.
In one of next season’s Family Concerts, Through
the Eye of the Telescope, Hersh and the BSO partner
with NASA and the Goddard Space Flight Center
to present Hubble Space Telescope images in
celebration of the Hubble’s 30 th anniversary. The
images are also featured on the BSO’s subscription
series in presentations of Holst’s The Planets led by
Peter Oundjian.
“Though some of this happens concurrently, we
can really focus on our community partnerships once
the programs are set,” said Robles of this and other
2019 –20 collaborations. “Our partnerships in
Baltimore and Bethesda are essential in the
work that we do, and we are always looking
at ways to amplify those connections beyond
what happens on stage.”
we will bring diverse communities together and
communities who don’t normally work together.”
Performances take place in Brazil, the U.K., New
Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Austria, New
York City and Baltimore. The BSO’s presentations
of Beethoven’s Ninth feature a new translation of
Friedrich Schiller’s “Ode to Joy” poem by local rapper
and musician Wordsmith and a newly commissioned
work by Indian-American composer Reena Esmail.
Other season highlights include the BSO debut
of Sheku Kanneh-Mason, the cellist who captivated
the world during the Royal Wedding of Prince
Harry and Meghan Markle; the legendary Emanuel
Ax performing Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2; Gil
Shaham returning with Mendelssohn’s sparkling
Violin Concerto in E Minor; Russian pianist Olga
Kern tackling Rachmaninoff ’s virtuosic Third
Piano Concerto; cross-over artist Daniel Bernard
Roumain performing his own “Voodoo” Violin
Concerto; and mandolinist Avi Avital playing two
vibrant concertos by Vivaldi.
Of course, Alsop’s signature “Off The Cuff”
concerts, in which she explores the story behind
the music, are a big part of the BSO’s concert
seasons. Next year, presentations include Brahms’
Symphony No. 4, Stravinsky’s Pulcinella,
Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto and Proko-
fiev’s Romeo and Juliet.
“I think every piece could make for a
great Off The Cuff experience,” said Alsop.
“Audiences and musicians alike
enjoy the laid-back atmosphere
Movie with
and the chance to take a
Orchestra:
For complete details on the BSO’s
2019–20 season, visit BSOmusic.org.
CAROLYN KUAN
JENNIFER HOLLIDAY
VIVIAN FUNG
LOTTA WENNÄKOSKI
Amadeus

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