Overture Magazine - 2018-19 Season FINAL_BSO_Overture_May_June | Page 42
BA LT I M O R E SY M P H O N Y O R C H E S T R A
Harvey Cohen and Michael Tardif
HARVEY COHEN AND MICHAEL TARDIF were so excited when Strathmore
opened in February 2005 as the second home of the Baltimore Symphony
Orchestra. They were delighted to have “a great orchestra and world-class
concert hall” so close to their home in Bethesda. Harvey and Michael quickly
became BSO subscribers, and in 2010 they relocated right next to Strathmore.
“Now we walk to concerts, and the music follows us home. We are very spoiled!”
Harvey, a hydrogeologist, studies piano; his
husband Michael, an architect, studies voice.
Both are passionate about music, especially
live performance in a beautiful concert hall
with state-of-the-art acoustics. “There is
nothing like the experience of live
performance,” says Harvey. “There is nowhere
else you can go to hear quiet, unamplified
music.” To which Michael adds, “For the price
of a ticket, you have something that stays with
you forever. I live for those performances that
last a lifetime.” Favorite BSO moments include
Bernstein’s MASS, Beethoven’s Symphony
No. 9 (anytime!) and Act 1 of Die Walküre
during the 2011 Wagner centenary.
Harvey and Michael believe that
everyone, especially children, should have
the opportunity to hear and perform music.
You learn to “listen carefully, absorb the
music, soak it in.” They know that musical
training develops critical thinking and
communication skills and note how
well-spoken and poised young musicians
are. Both agree that OrchLab, OrchKids
and other BSO education and outreach
programs are essential.
Harvey grew up in Queens, regularly
attending musical and theatrical performances
in New York City, both as a student and with
his family. His mother was an amateur flutist
with the Queens Symphony Orchestra, and
he has played the piano and sung in choruses
since childhood. Michael grew up in rural
Maine, where opportunities to study music
or experience live performance were more
limited. He has special memories of listening
to symphony and opera recordings with his
family and enjoying live performances of
touring chamber ensembles at his school.
“My life is so enriched by classical music,”
Harvey says. “I can’t imagine a world without
it. Exposure is so important!” Michael had
no idea how difficult it is to become a
world-class musician until he began studying
voice. This experience has deepened his
appreciation of what professional singers and
musicians do, especially the mastery of both
the technical demands and emotional
expression that opera singers must achieve
to sing and act simultaneously.
“Imagine hearing Mozart, Brahms or
Beethoven live in their day,” says Harvey.
“It’s still exciting to hear their music live. Now
everything is accessible through technology,
but no recording can come close to live
performance. Part of hearing is feeling—it’s a
visceral connection.” He delights in being
surprised by unexpected musical interpretations,
especially when performers take advantage
of the acoustical differences between the
Strathmore and Meyerhoff concert halls.
To give these experiences to future
generations, Harvey and Michael have made
a bequest to the BSO. “You can’t take it with
you, but you can give the amazing gift of
music! Live performance is ephemeral. If
you’re not there in the moment, it’s gone.
You have to make it possible for other people
to have that experience.”
YOUR MUSICAL LEGACY
Please let us know if you have named the BSO in your estate plans—we would like to thank you!
To learn more, please contact Sara Krusenstjerna, Director of Philanthropic Planning,
at 410.783.8087 or [email protected]. Please visit BSOmusic.giftplans.org.
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OV E R T U R E / BSOmusic.org