MARIN ALSOP AND THE BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCE SEASON

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1 PRESS CONTACTS: Laura Farmer, Claire Berlin, MARIN ALSOP AND THE BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCE SEASON Season Celebrates Revolutionary Women: 600 th Anniversary of Joan of Arc s birth commemorated with performances of Arthur Honneger s Jeanne d Arc au Bûcher and Richard Einhorn s Voices of Light BSO Announces West Coast Tour in Spring 2012 Marin Alsop Leads BSO in Performances at Carnegie Hall, November 19 BSO Continues Strong Commitment to Living Composers: BSO commissions from David T. Little and James Lee III and works by Richard Einhorn, Philip Glass, Jennifer Higdon, James MacMillan, Kevin Puts and Joan Tower Holiday Cirque de la Symphonie Continues BSO s Tradition of Festive Holiday Family Programming Violinist and Baltimore Native Hilary Hahn Performs at Gala Concert, September 10 Guest Artist Highlights Include Pianists Leon Fleisher and André Watts, Violinists Itzhak Perlman and Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg and Conductors Vasily Petrenko, Louis Langrée and Yan Pascal Tortelier BSO Debuts Include Conductor Lionel Bringuier, Pianists Olga Kern and Lise de la Salle and Violinist Arabella Steinbacher BSO Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly Leads the Music of the Baby Boomers and Broadway s Les Miserables and Guest Vocalist Michael Feinstein Sings Frank Sinatra Summer 2011 Season Features the Music of the Beatles, Gershwin and More

2 (Baltimore, Md.) March 1, 2011 Music Director Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) announce the Orchestra s season, the fifth full season under the direction of Maestra Alsop. The upcoming season is a year long celebration of revolutionary women, featuring works by female composers and music that honors or depicts women in various roles throughout history from religious martyr to humanitarian activist. January 2012 marks the 600 th anniversary of the birth of French heroine, legend and martyr Joan of Arc. The BSO commemorates her life with two seminal works: the 1935 masterpiece by Swiss composer Arthur Honegger Jeanne d Arc au Bûcher, a piece that the BSO will also perform at Carnegie Hall, and Richard Einhorn s Voices of Light, composed to accompany the landmark 1928 silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc. The BSO will make its first tour under Marin Alsop and first domestic tour since 2000 (excluding previous Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center engagements) in March The Orchestra will travel to the West Coast to perform at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts (Costa Mesa, Ca.) and the Silva Concert Hall of the Hult Center for the Performing Arts (Eugene, Or.) and give a three day education and performance residency at the Zellerbach Hall presented by CalPerformances of the University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, Ca.). The Orchestra has a long history as a cultural ambassador for the region and I am pleased to continue and expand that commitment, says BSO Music Director Marin Alsop. Our performance this season at Carnegie Hall and our exciting West Coast tour plans will forge new partnerships and enhance the BSO s reputation on a national scale. Our three day residency at Berkeley highlights the musicians and my passion for youth education and reflects our recent achievements in the creation of programs for adult lifelong learning. The BSO will present two large scale multimedia works: Philip Glass LIFE: A Journey Through Time, paired with photographs by award winning National Geographic photographer Frans Lanting, and Richard Einhorn s Voices of Light inspired by and performed with the silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc. The upcoming concert season also boasts a line up of some of the world s most in demand artists, including Itzhak Perlman as both conductor and soloist pianists André Watts and Leon Fleisher and violinist Hilary Hahn. BSO Celebrates Revolutionary Women Under the dynamic leadership of Music Director Marin Alsop, the BSO has become a leader among American orchestras for its unique programs designed around unified themes of cultural significance and broad appeal. The season recognizes revolutionary women, with BSO Music Director Marin Alsop the first woman to lead a major American orchestra leading the celebration will mark the 600 th anniversary of the birth of Joan of Arc. To pay tribute to this unique historic figure, our season will celebrate outstanding women throughout history, with special emphasis on Joan of Arc through the presentation of a major oratorio for nearly 200 performers by Swiss composer Arthur Honneger, presented both here and at Carnegie Hall, says BSO Music Director Marin Alsop. Our regional celebration will also include the silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc by Carl Theodor Dreyer with live accompaniment by the BSO, and a tribute to fearless leader Harriet Tubman through a newly written work by James Lee III. We are uniquely positioned to celebrate the contributions of extraordinary women and their legacy provides an indelible example of heroism that affects us all male and female. A major project and the centerpiece of the BSO s upcoming season is a semi staged performance of Arthur Honegger s Jeanne d Arc au Bûcher ( Joan of Arc at the Stake ), performed in Baltimore on November Season Announcement Page 2

3 18. The BSO will then take the project to Carnegie Hall on November 19 th this work s first Carnegie performance since Honegger s dramatic 1935 French oratorio is relatively unknown (with no U.S. performances since 2004) and tells the story of Joan of Arc, the peasant girl who heard the voices of saints telling her to lead France s army to victory. James Robinson, who previously collaborated with Marin Alsop and the BSO for Bernstein s Mass in 2008, will direct the BSO s semi staged version (with English supertitles). Guest choirs will include the Morgan State University Choir, Peabody Hopkins Chorus and the Peabody Children s Choir, both frequent BSO partners from within the Baltimore community. Also honoring Joan of Arc s legacy, the BSO will present a multimedia performance of Richard Einhorn s Voices of Light on March 2 4 in Baltimore and North Bethesda, accompanied by the work s original inspiration, the extraordinary 1928 silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc by Carl Theodor Dreyer, in partnership with the Pacific Film Archive (based at the U.C. Berkeley campus). Einhorn s work is an opera/oratorio for voices and instrumental ensemble described by the composer as a patchwork of visions, fantasies, and reflections assembled from various ancient sources, notably the writings of medieval female mystics representing the spiritual, political, and metaphorical womb in which Joan was conceived. The BSO, conducted by Alsop, will be joined by the Baltimore Choral Arts Society to present this rarely performed work in its entirety. This work is also part of the West Coast Tour repertoire. On September 23 25, the Orchestra performs the BSO commission and world premiere Chuphshah! Harriet s Drive to Canaan by Baltimore based composer James Lee III, which chronicles the bold and selfless acts of Harriet Tubman. On February 23 26, the BSO will perform James MacMillan s The Confession of Isobel Gowdie. Accused as a witch in 17 th century Scotland, Gowdie s infamous detailed confession and subsequent burning receives a hair raising musical re telling. On the same program, the BSO recognizes another untamed spirit that of Bizet s Carmen. The BSO will perform Sarasate s virtuosic violin Fantasy on Bizet s Carmen, performed by BSO Associate Concertmaster Madeline Adkins. On March in Baltimore and North Bethesda, the BSO pairs Aaron Copland s Fanfare for the Common Man with Joan Tower s Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman. Also on that program is Jennifer Higdon s Percussion Concerto, featuring Colin Currie. This program will also be performed as part of the BSO s West Coast tour. This season, the BSO features five female performers making their BSO debuts: violinist Arabella Steinbacher, pianists Olga Kern and Lise de la Salle and sopranos Joyce El Khoury and Layla Claire and an impressive roster of female artists that also includes violinists Hilary Hahn and Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg, mezzo sopranos Susan Platts and Mary Phillips, cellist Alisa Weilerstein and Broadway star Judy McLane. BSO: From Coast to Coast This season, the BSO strengthens old and forges new partnerships from Coast to Coast. The BSO returns to Carnegie Hall on November 19 th to perform a semi staged production of Arthur Honegger s Jeanne d Arc au Bûcher. This project marks the BSO s fourth appearance during Maestra Alsop s tenure at New York City s prestigious Carnegie Hall. In March 2012, the BSO travels to the West Coast for four concerts, including a three day residency. Tour repertoire will include Aaron Copland s Fanfare for the Common Man, Joan Tower s Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, Jennifer Higdon s Percussion Concerto (Colin Currie, soloist), and Tchaikovsky s Symphony No. 5, performed at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts (Costa Mesa, Ca.) on March 28 th, the Zellerbach Hall with CalPerformances from the University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, Ca.) on Season Announcement Page 3

4 March 30 th (Prokofiev s Symphony No. 5 replacing Tchakovsky s Symphony No. 5) and at the Silva Concert Hall of the Hult Center for the Performing Arts (Eugene, Or.) on April 2 nd, home of the Eugene Symphony, with which Maestra Alsop previously held the post of Music Director. The program on March 30 th is part of Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra s three day education and performance residency at the Zellerbach Hall with CalPerformances of the University of California, Berkeley. Also on March 30 th, the BSO will present two education concerts at U.C. Berkeley featuring Philip Glass LIFE: A Journey Through Time, conducted and curated by Marin Alsop and offered through CalPerformance s SchoolTime concert series. Also with CalPerformances, on March 31 st the BSO will present a multimedia performance of Richard Einhorn s Voices of Light, accompanied by the work s original inspiration, the extraordinary 1928 silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc by Carl Theodor Dreyer, in partnership with the Pacific Film Archive (based at the U.C. Berkeley campus). BSO Continues Strong Commitment to Living Composers The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, under Marin Alsop, champions new music by highlighting works by several living composers. BSO commissions include Charm, by David T. Little, which captures Baltimore s unique and quirky personality, performed at the BSO Gala on September 10 th. On September 23 25, the BSO presents the BSO commission and world premiere of Chuphshah! Harriet s Drive to Canaan, by Baltimore based composer James Lee III, which depicts Harriet Tubman s yearning for emancipation, drawing on Negro spirituals to express her journey from slavery to freedom. Also this season are two largescale multimedia works, Richard Einhorn s Voices of Light performed on March 2 4 and Philip Glass LIFE: A Journey Through Time on January and February 4 (as part of the Family Series). On March 22 24, the BSO presents Jennifer Higdon s Percussion Concerto, featuring Colin Currie. The Orchestra will perform James MacMillan s The Confession of Isobel Gowdie on February On March 22 24, the Orchestra performs Joan Tower s tribute to adventurous women in Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman. Finally, the season culminates in a program that includes Kevin Puts Symphony No. 4, subtitled From Mission San Juan Bautista, which paints impressions of 19th century life in this California mission, also the setting of Hitchcock s famous 1958 movie, Vertigo. Violinist Hilary Hahn Performs at Gala, September 10 Baltimore native and internationally renowned violinist Hilary Hahn returns to perform as guest soloist with the BSO for its Gala Concert on Saturday, September 10 at 8:30 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, the Orchestra s largest fundraising event of the season. Conducted by Maestra Alsop, the special gala performance will feature the world famous violinist performing Mendelssohn s Violin Concerto. Also on the program is a BSO commission Charm by David T. Little as part of an entire evening that celebrates the City of Baltimore. In addition to event tickets available to BSO donors, gala concert tickets are first available to subscribers for $50 and $75 and will be on sale to the general public beginning in early August. Special Events: Itzhak Perlman and André Watts Legendary violinist conductor Itzhak Perlman returns to the BSO to lead an evening of audience favorites on January The program includes Summer and Winter from Vivaldi s popular The Four Seasons. Maestro Perlman also leads Mozart s Symphony No. 25, familiar to many as the opening music to the film Amadeus, and Brahms final symphonic masterpiece, Symphony No Season Announcement Page 4

5 On May 10 13, the BSO welcomes André Watts, performing Rachmaninoff s demanding Second Piano Concerto, one week after the appearance of his celebrated teacher, Leon Fleisher. Also on the program is Elgar s First Symphony. BSO Continues the Tradition of Family Holiday Programming Baltimore audiences have built a tradition of giving the gift of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to their loved ones during the Holiday season. In December, the BSO continues old traditions and begins new ones with two festive programs: On December 2 3, Edward Polochick leads the BSO and the Concert Artists of Baltimore Symphonic Chorale in Handel s beloved oratorio, Messiah, led from behind the harpsichord as Handel would have performed the work. Maestro Polochick has collaborated with the BSO for performances of the Messiah for more than 20 years. Soloists include the return of soprano Karen Clift and bass Stephen Powell, as well as the BSO debuts of mezzo soprano Kristina Szabó and tenor Nicholas Phan. From December 8 11, the BSO brings Holiday Cirque de la Symphonie to the Meyerhoff and Strathmore. In the tradition of a European circus, the concert hall turns into a Big Top as Cirque members perform on and above the stage. Holiday musical favorites serenade the audience as aerialists, strongmen and clowns perform for a delightful family event. This popular performing troupe has performed to sold out concert halls the past two BSO seasons. The Baltimore Sun praised the BSO s Cirque program in March 2010, Thereʹs a lot of talk about breaking down barriers in classical music. This imaginative venture actually did that, and with a panache that whets the appetite for whatʹs next under the BSOʹs inviting tent. Cirque artists include world record holders and gold medal winners of international competitions. Among the shows highlights, Jaroslaw Marciniak and Dariusz Wronski, former Polish national hand balancing champions, perform feats of balance and strength that recently gained national exposure on the popular TV program America s Got Talent. Subscription Season Highlights The BSO s season welcomes a line up of today s best instrumentalists and guest conductors. In keeping with the BSO s long standing commitment to championing the music of contemporary composers, this season includes first performances of two new commissions: Charm by David T. Little a musical portrait of the City of Baltimore, and Chuphshah! Harriet s Drive to Canaan, by Baltimore based composer James Lee III. Throughout the season, a lineup of distinguished guest conductors will lead the BSO, including Itzhak Perlman, Mario Venzago, Vasily Petrenko, James Gaffigan, Günther Herbig, Jiří Bělohlávek, Louis Langrée, Jun Märkl, Yan Pascal Tortelier and Nicholas McGegan and the conducting debut of Lionel Bringuier. Guest artists performing with the BSO during the season include pianists Leon Fleisher, André Watts, Barry Douglas, Shai Wosner, Jonathan Biss and Horacio Gutierrez, violinists Hilary Hahn and James Ehnes, cellist Alisa Weilerstein and percussionist Colin Currie. Special BSO debuts include pianists Olga Kern and Lise de Salle, violinist Arabella Steinbacher and vocalists Layla Claire and Joyce El Khoury. Music Director Marin Alsop kicks off the new season September with Gustav Mahler s popular Second Symphony Resurrection, which embodies Mahler s belief in the beauty of the afterlife and resurrection. Soprano Layla Claire will make her BSO debut accompanied by the Baltimore Choral Arts Society in this season opening concert Season Announcement Page 5

6 The second subscription program of the season (September 23 25) features dynamic cellist Alisa Weilerstein in Dvořák s Cello Concerto under the direction of Marin Alsop. Dvořák s concerto precedes Tchaikovsky s gripping Sixth and final symphony Pathétique, which debuted just days before the death of the troubled composer. Also on the program is James Lee III s Chuphshah! Harriet s Drive to Canaan, which draws on Negro spirituals to express Harriet Tubman s road to freedom. On October 1 2, guest conductor and BSO favorite, Yan Pascal Tortelier leads Finnish composer Jean Sibelius s rugged Fifth Symphony, followed by Elgar s portrait of Mediterranean life In the South. Cuban pianist Horatio Gutierrez returns to the BSO to perform Mozart s exuberant Piano Concerto No. 19. Conductor Louis Langrée, music director for New York s Mostly Mozart Festival, couples the orchestral masterpieces of Mozart and Debussy in the fourth subscription concert (October 20 22) featuring Grammy winning violinist James Ehnes, who will perform Mozart s Violin Concerto No. 3. Also on the program are Mozart s Symphony No. 31, Paris, and Debussy s Prélude à lʹaprèsmidi dʹun faune and La Mer. New superstar of the St. Petersburg classical music scene and recently appointed music director of the Oslo Philharmonic, Vasily Petrenko returns to the BSO for the first time since his highly successful Baltimore debut in 2009 on October Drawing on his Russian roots, he conducts Rimsky Korsakov s Capriccio Espagnol and Rachmaninoff s Symphony No. 3, and is joined by Tchaikovsky Competition gold medalist, Barry Douglas, in Liszt s extraordinary Piano Concerto No. 1. Marin Alsop leads a program filled with the distinctive sound of American music by orchestral greats, featuring Copland s Appalachian Spring and Old American Songs, featuring Baritone William Sharp, and Gershwin s jazzy orchestral showpiece, An American in Paris, on November A leading champion of American music, Marin Alsop also introduces the romantic sounds of the early 20th century composer Edward Collins, leading his Tragic Overture. Marin Alsop and the BSO present Off the Cuff program, Copland s America: Appalachian Spring on November In her candid, engaging way, Maestra Alsop uncovers the Shaker melody, Copland s colorful instrumental effects, and the stories behind the Pulitzer Prize winning music which endures today as an American masterpiece. January 2012 marks the 600 th anniversary of the birth of the legendary Joan of Arc, heroine, soldier and martyr. Fitting in with the season s theme of honoring women through music, Marin Alsop will lead the 1935 masterpiece Jeanne d Arc au Bûcher by the Swiss composer, Arthur Honegger, which depicts the final hours of Joan of Arc as she enters into a dialogue with her confessor (November 17 18). This sweeping oratorio examines her life in flashbacks, including the heresy trials before she achieves her final peace with God in death. This concert combines the orchestra with the Morgan State University Choir, the Peabody Hopkins Chorus and the Peabody Children s Chorus. The BSO will also perform this work at New York City s Carnegie Hall on November 19 th. On January 12 15, legendary violinist and conductor Itzhak Perlman will return to the BSO stage to lead the orchestra in several orchestral favorites. The concert will open with Winter and Season Announcement Page 6

7 Summer from Vivaldi s famous The Four Seasons. Maestro Perlman will then go on to explore the opening music in the film Amadeus, Mozart s 25 th Symphony, and conclude with Brahms final symphonic masterpiece, his Fourth Symphony. Russian pianist, Olga Kern Gold Medal winner of the 2001 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, the first woman to achieve this distinction in over 30 years will make her BSO debut on January 19 and 22 with Tchaikovsky s First Piano Concerto. Marin Alsop will direct the BSO in Ravel s unforgettable Boléro and Also sprach Zarathustra, Richard Strauss epic symphonic tone poem which gained popularity after it appeared in Stanley Kubrick s 1968 movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Marin Alsop leads the BSO in Off The Cuff concert, Zarathrustra! on January This program explores Richard Strauss Also sprach Zarathustra, widely recognized by modern day audiences thanks to Stanley Kubrick s 1968 movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey and as the crowd pumping, sunrising fanfare music at college football games. Marin Alsop delves more deeply into the nuances and history of this popular work. LIFE: A Journey Through Time is a multimedia extravaganza of National Geographic photographer Frans Lanting s photos from his six year journey around the earth paired with the nature inspired composition of Baltimore based composer Phillip Glass (January 27 29). Also paired with Lanting s breathtaking pictures of the natural world is another symphonic celebration of nature, Beethoven s Pastoral Symphony to be conducted by Marin Alsop. Nicholas McGegan returns to the BSO on February 2 and 4 following critical acclaim for his lively debut in This program showcases the talents of several BSO musicians with Bach s Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 as well as the first of Mozart s last three symphonies, Symphony No. 39, all written in one nine week period of brilliant creativity. Also on the program are Rameau s Orchestral Suite from Naïs and Haydn s Trumpet Concerto, featuring BSO Principal Trumpet Andrew Balio. 23 year old French pianist Lise de la Salle makes her BSO Debut on February with Mozart s Piano Concerto No. 20. James Gaffigan will lead three masterworks: Brahms Tragic Overture, Wagner s Overture to The Flying Dutchman, and Richard Strauss Death and Transfiguration. On February 23 and 26, Marin Alsop explores Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev s Symphony No. 5, which the composer himself labeled a hymn to free and happy Man. She also explores the portraits of two women known for their untamed spirits Carmen, portrayed through a violin fantasy played by BSO Associate Concertmaster Madeline Adkins and Isobel Gowdie, a 17 th century Scottish witch, through a musical rendition of her trial and burning. Marin Alsop and the BSO present Off The Cuff program, Prokofiev s Fifth Symphony, February Like Beethoven s Fifth and his compatriot Shostakovich s Fifth, Prokofiev s Fifth marked an artistic breakthrough. Marin Alsop describes how this landmark symphony, considered his greatest work for its heroic grandeur and emotional depth, symbolized a turning point in the spirit of his people. With the composer himself on the podium at the work s premiere in 1945, the original concert occurred just moments after Red Army soldiers achieved victory by crossing the River Vistula and entering Nazi Germany in the final months of World War II Season Announcement Page 7

8 Marin Alsop teams up with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society on March 2 4 to collaborate on a combination of Richard Einhorn s haunting score Voices of Light and the 1928 film The Passion of Joan of Arc. Renée Falconetti s portrayal of Joan has been ranked among the 100 greatest film performances and Voices of Light has been hailed a moving score sublimely matching one of the great films of all time. (Chicago Sun) BSO Concertmaster Jonathan Carney leads a program on March 8 with Elgar s Serenade for Strings and performs the solo in Bach s sunny Concerto No. 2. He finishes with a full orchestral arrangement by Yoon Jae Lee of Mendelssohn s Octet, written when the composer was only 16 years old. Czech Maestro and BBC Symphony Chief Conductor Jiří Bělohlávek takes audiences into the heart of Eastern Europe on March with the ebullient Carnival Overture of Dvořák, and the gypsy rhythms of a Hungarian town in Kodály s Dances of Galánta and his compatriot Janácek s orchestral masterpiece, Taras Bulba, which tells the epic tale of a Slavic hero s indomitable will and courage. Israeli American Shai Wosner will perform Beethoven s serene Piano Concerto No. 4. Marin Alsop opens the program on March with Joan Tower s Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, a response to Copland s famous score Fanfare for the Common Man as well as Tchaikovsky s popular Fifth Symphony. Colin Currie pays homage to a notable woman in music with Grammy Award winner Jennifer Higdon s Percussion Concerto. The BSO will also perform this program on tour to the West Coast. The highly gifted young French conductor Lionel Bringuier has already made his mark as Gustavo Dudamel s Associate Conductor at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He makes his BSO debut on April in three classic Russian orchestral showpieces, Tchaikovsky s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, Stravinsky s Firebird Suite (1919) and Mussorgsky s Night on Bald Mountain. Concertmaster Jonathan Carney is the soloist in the lyrical, folk inflected melodies of Khachaturian s Violin Concerto. Quickly rising violinist Arabella Steinbacher makes her debut under German conductor Jun Märkl s welcome return to the BSO stage with Beethoven s Violin Concerto. Jun Märkl leads the orchestra in a program of romantic favorites on April 26 28, including Schumann s Rhenish Symphony, inspired by the composer s home in the German Rhineland. Legendary pianist Leon Fleisher performs Ravel s Piano Concerto for Left Hand, which he made famous when an injury prevented him from playing two hand repertoire for almost 40 years. On May 3 and 6, Marin Alsop leads the orchestra in Shostakovich s Symphony No. 7 Leningrad, which was written as a patriotic testament to those living in the city under the Nazi siege during WWII. In the Off The Cuff presentation of Shostakovich s Seventh Symphony on May 4 5, Marin Alsop explores Shostakovich s Symphony No. 7, Leningrad. Composed in 1941 and dedicated to the city of Leningrad while it was under siege by German forces, Marin Alsop discovers how music can be a powerful symbol of resistance and defiance and Shostakovich survived artistically in a climate of repression and censorship under Stalin. A searing condemnation of Nazi totalitarianism, it captures the savage arena of battle, the tragedy of so many lives lost, and the taste of potential victory Season Announcement Page 8

9 On May 10 13, arriving one week after the performance of his teacher, Leon Fleisher, master pianist André Watts takes the stage to perform Rachmaninoff s Piano Concerto No. 2. The orchestra will perform Elgar s First Symphony. Always a special event, Beethoven s Ninth Symphony features a stellar cast of vocalists, including debuting soprano Joyce El Khoury and bass Morris Robinson, on May The Baltimore Choral Arts Society also joins the BSO to perform Bruckner s moving Te Deum under the direction of Mario Venzago. On May 31 June 2, the BSO showcases a night filled with classical masterpieces including Mozart s famous G minor Symphony and Schubert s Little C Major Symphony, under the leadership of venerable Maestro Günther Herbig. Ameican pianist Jonathan Biss performs Beethoven s Third Concerto. Marin Alsop and the BSO culminate the season on June 7 10 with violinist Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg s performance of Tchaikovsky s Violin Concerto. It contrasts with Stravinsky s The Rite of Spring, written only 35 years later but a world apart in its angular rhythms. Subtitled From Mission San Juan Bautista, Kevin Puts Symphony No. 4 paints impressions of 19th century life in this beautiful California mission, also the setting of Hitchcock s famous 1958 movie, Vertigo. Jack Everly and the BSO SuperPops Season Jack Everly returns for his ninth season as Principal Pops Conductor with the BSO. Maestro Everly has programmed the BSO SuperPops season with musical tributes to Elton John and Frank Sinatra, a party with the music of the Baby Boomers, headliners like Tony DeSare and the music of Broadway s most popular musical, Les Misérables. Michael Cavanaugh returns to the BSO to perform Elton John and More on October BSO audiences last heard Cavanaugh performing the music of Billy Joel in Best known for his performance in the Broadway hit Movin Out, the new voice of the American Rock and Roll Songbook (Billboard Magazine) will perform hits including Candle in the Wind, Tiny Dancer, and more. Strathmore audiences get a special treat when the BSO presents Rockapella for one night only, November 10 th. One of the most accomplished contemporary a cappella groups in the country, Rockapella showcases the supreme capability and virtuosity of the human voice. As evidenced by the hit television series Glee, a cappella has officially taken the world by storm. Some say the best musical instrument of all is the human voice if you ve seen Rockapella you know that s the truth. (USA TODAY) Please note: The BSO does not perform on this program. Hailed by the New York Times as an essential national resource, Michael Feinstein returns to the BSO on November for a special concert based on his acclaimed album, The Sinatra Project. This timeless tribute to the cherished music of Ol Blue Eyes focuses on songs written for Sinatra that were never recorded during his golden years at Capitol Records and also features favorites such as Fools Rush In, I ve Got a Crush on You, At Last Love and Exactly Like You. Please note: The BSO does not perform on this program Season Announcement Page 9

10 Jack Everly and The Brothers Gershwin (January 5 8) features Broadway star Judy McLane performing songs from George and Ira Gershwin s popular songbook, including S Wonderful and Someone to Watch Over Me. Pianist Stewart Goodyear will also perform George Gershwin s enduring Rhapsody in Blue. Just in time for Valentine s Day (February 9 12), singer and pianist Tony DeSare delivers A BSO Valentine, displaying his trademark romantic style, performing songbook standards including Fly Me to the Moon, Night and Day, Moon River, One for My Baby, That Old Black Magic and more. According to USA Today, DeSare belongs to a group of neotraditional upstarts stretching from Harry Connick Jr., to Michael Bublé and Jamie Cullum. Do You Hear the People Sing?: Miss Saigon to Les Misérables (April 19 22) celebrates the music of two of the world s most prolific writers of musical theatre, Alain Boublil and Claude Michel Schönberg, who changed the history of musical theatre with their masterpiece, Les Misérables. Jack Everly leads the BSO and Baltimore Choral Arts Society in their soul stirring favorites and even a few surprises. Jack Everly leads the BSO in The Beat Goes On! The Music of the Baby Boomers (May 17 20), featuring favorites by the Fab Four, the Beach Boys, the Supremes and even the era s most popular television and movie themes, as well as hits from the airwaves including music by Burt Bacharach and Frankie Valli. BSO 2011 Summer Season The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra continues its tradition of offering lighter fare during the summer months. The 2011 summer season kicks off with fireworks, patriotic tunes and picnic style concessions as part of the more than 20 year family tradition, The Star Spangled Spectacular, on July 2 3, led by Bob Bernhardt, hosted at the outdoor amphitheater of Baltimore County s Oregon Ridge Park. Editor s Note: All summer programs will go on sale on March 4 th. Back by popular demand, the BSO welcomes Beatles tribute band Classical Mystery Tour to the Meyerhoff and The Music Center at Strathmore on July 14 15, under the direction of Martin Herman. The BSO lends live orchestral enhancement to some of the Beatles most popular tunes, such as ʺPenny Laneʺ with a live trumpet section and ʺYesterdayʺ with an acoustic guitar and string quartet. Patrons can arrive early on July 14 to experience the outdoor bands, artists and activities that surround the Meyerhoff as part of Artscape the nation s largest outdoor arts festival. On July 21 23, The Music of John Williams comes to the Meyerhoff, Strathmore and Oregon Ridge Park s outdoor amphitheater, with Baltimore native Andrew Grams conducting. Arguably the world s most noted composer of film scores, John Williams movie score credits include the Star Wars saga, Jaws and Indiana Jones. More than a crossover artist, George Gershwin s repertoire spans strict classical to swinging jazz. On July 28 29, at both Strathmore and the Meyerhoff, Carl Topilow leads the BSO and soprano Kishna Davis in some of Gershwin s best known works. Pianist Terrence Wilson will perform Gershwin s Rhapsody in Blue and the I Got Rhythm Variations for solo piano. Education and Outreach Initiatives The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is committed to engaging, inspiring, educating and serving its community through symphonic music and to enhancing the State of Maryland as cultural center of vitality and importance. For nearly 100 years, the BSO has provided educational programming for youth as a part Season Announcement Page 10

11 of this overall vision; programs that aim to instill an appreciation for music and to foster creative and independent thinking. By providing opportunities for arts enrichment from an early age, the BSO is able to positively transform the lives of youth through the power of music. Family Concert Series Throughout the season, the BSO will present four Family Concerts in Baltimore, each on select Saturdays at 11 a.m. Featuring the BSO and guest artists, these programs are recommended for children ages 5 and up and their families and use classical music, illustration, puppetry and visuals to weave enchanting stories. Back by popular demand, the BSO Family Fun Zone enhances all Saturday morning Family Concerts with several age appropriate pre concert activities. Beginning at 10:00 a.m., families are invited to the Meyerhoff lobby to experience Music and Arts instrument petting zoo and the Maryland Zoo s ZOOmobile. On December 3 rd, the BSO collaborates with the Bob Brown Puppets to bring Prokofiev s Cinderella to the Meyerhoff. On February 4 th, young scientists will delight in the multimedia presentation of LIFE: A Journey Through Time, by Baltimore composer Philip Glass. National Geographic photographer Frans Lanting s stunning photos of natural phenomenon from dewdrops to sandstorms will be projected on a screen above the Orchestra, choreographed to Glass elegant score. On March 10 th, the BSO performs a program of Sea Songs. Works by legendary composers about the sea and sea life, such as the shipwreck from Rimsky Korsakov s musical fable Scheherazade, create a musical voyage for youth. Babar the Elephant comes to the stage on April 21 st, courtesy of award winning cartoonist Angie Jordan. She will illustrate the story right there onstage, as the BSO performs Francis Poulenc s lively music. Rheda Becker will narrate, marking the 37 th season that Ms. Becker has narrated for the BSO s youngest concertgoers. Additionally, the BSO also presents Midweek Education Concerts to more than 35,000 school children annually. This season, the BSO announces a new partnership with Arts Education in Maryland Schools Alliance (AEMS), which will create fully arts integrated lesson plans to accompany all education concert programs. The BSO will also launch the first ever Mapping the Maestra project, allowing students to follow Maestra Alsop as she leads concerts around the world. Naxos Music Library Offered Free to Subscribers Continuing the Orchestra s ongoing relationship with the classical record label Naxos, the BSO is pleased to offer the return of the exclusive online access to the Naxos Music Library for all BSO subscribers. By subscribing to the BSO, patrons gain exclusive online access to the world s largest collection of streaming classical music. Naxos Music Library is a streaming audio music resource that features more than 400,000 tracks, powerful tools to stimulate music education and research, the daily addition of new releases and remote access. This subscriber benefit has an estimated value of $300 per person and is completely free to all patrons with a BSO subscription and a valid address. More information is available at BSOmusic.org/naxos. Coming to a concert hall near you For an interactive preview of the season featuring Marin Alsop, go to BSOmusic.org to access a video highlighting the just announced concert season Season Announcement Page 11