Overture Magazine - 2018-19 Season FINAL_BSO_Overture_May_June | Page 10

MUSIC
FOR
THE
AGES
by DEVON MALONEY
With the launch of the Young and Free
program and its Music Box series at
AMP by Strathmore, the BSO continues
to affirm its commitment to making
symphonic music performances
accessible for all concert-goers.
I
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t’s no secret that the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
offers a broad range of programing to appeal to a variety
of interests. Unique collaborations with crossover artists
in the BSO Pulse series and presentations of beloved
films like Harry Potter and Star Wars as Movie with
Orchestra concerts, in which the Orchestra performs the
score live along with the complete movie, have become
cornerstones of every season. Both are consistently popular with
audiences and frequently attract first-time symphony attendees.
This season, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has introduced
two new programs that aim to make symphonic performances
more available for children in Baltimore and in Bethesda, at the
BSO’s second home at Strathmore. The Music Box series, designed
for children ages 6 months to 3 years, has long been a part of the
BSO’s season lineup at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. After
a brief hiatus, the series has returned to Montgomery County with
new programming taking place at AMP by Strathmore.
The concerts give children the opportunity to explore music
through highly engaging, 30-minute performances that feature
small ensembles of BSO musicians in piano trios, wind quintets
and other similar configurations. Programs are designed to
develop children’s musicality and creativity and are preceded by
fun activities like craft-making.
“Here at the BSO, we want to be sure that we are creating multiple
opportunities for children to engage with classical music,” says
BSO Director of Education and Community Engagement Carole
Wysocki. “Exposure to live music performance is something that
plays a critical role in the development of young children, and
we create each Music Box program to be highly interactive and
entertaining. I’m thrilled that we were able to expand this season
to bringing the series to audiences in Montgomery County.”
Also new to the 2018–19 season is the Young and Free program.
Made possible by the generosity of BSO Board member Marshall
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OV E R T U R E / BSOmusic.org