Overture Magazine - 2018-19 Season BSO_Overture_NOV_DEC | Page 6

in
B A LT I M O R E S Y M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A
NEWS OF NOTE
Above: Cynthia Erivo and Nicholas Hersh
perform Broadway favorites during the
BSO’s 36 th annual Gala celebration.
BSO CELEBRATES 36 TH ANNUAL GALA
Alsop, Hersh, Erivo and the BSO dazzle with concert performance
O
n Saturday, September 15, the BSO, Marin Alsop
and Nicholas Hersh presented the 36 th annual
Gala celebration concert at the Joseph Meyerhoff
Symphony Hall. Hersh and Alsop led a program
featuring Tony and Grammy Award-winning
Broadway star Cynthia Erivo and Baltimore-based hip-hop artist
Wordsmith served as the evening’s emcee.
Co-chaired this year by Alan and Claire Jensen as well
as Howard and Janet Majev, the Gala is the BSO’s largest
fundraising benefit of the year, supporting innovative artistic,
educational and community outreach programs. Eddie and
Sylvia Brown served as Honorary Gala Chairs for 2018.
Following dinner in the Gala tent, attendees were treated to a
concert of Gershwin’s An American in Paris and Richard Strauss’
Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks led by Alsop. Hersh then took over
for Cynthia Erivo’s set, which featured Broadway favorites like
“Home” from The Wiz and “The Impossible Dream” from Man
of La Mancha. Alsop returned to the stage to conclude the concert
with a moving rendition of “Stand By Me,” featuring Erivo and
students from BSYO, OrchKids and OrchLab.
YOUNG AND FREE
New program makes free tickets available to children
T
his fall the BSO announced the launch if its new “Young and Free” ticket program.
Beginning with performances that took place during the first weekend of October, the
BSO is offering free tickets to children ages 7 to 17 to select Classical and Pops concerts
with the purchase of an adult ticket during the 2018 –19 season.
“Thanks to the generous support of a wonderful friend of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra,
we are able to make our performances even more accessible to children and families in Baltimore and
throughout Maryland,” said BSO President and CEO Peter Kjome. “Through this new initiative, we
will increase exposure to live music for young audiences and help engage and inspire the next generation
through performances of our great orchestra.”
New this season, the Young and Free program includes performances at the Meyerhoff and
Strathmore. For more information on Young and Free and to view a full list of concerts covered
by the program, please visit BSOmusic.org.
4