Marin Alsop conducts Baltimore Symphony in Saint-Saëns’ “Organ Symphony,” February 19—21

Program also features works by Mozart, Ives

Baltimore, Md. (January 26, 2009)— Marin Alsop leads the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3, “Organ” on Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. at The Music Center at Strathmore and Friday—Saturday, February 20–21, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Additional works include Charles Ives’ The Unanswered Question and W.A. Mozart’s energetic Symphony No. 29. See below for complete program information.

French composer Camille Saint-Saëns would undoubtedly be surprised that his Symphony No. 3 has been dubbed, “Organ” symphony. Saint-Saëns included the organ to great effect not as a soloist, but as a new orchestral color. The organs swells add drama to the work’s gradual progression to the climax, concluding in a stunning finale of fast, fugal passages buoyed by the strength of the organ’s rich voice.

The sheer force of Saint-Saëns’ “Organ Symphony” is contrasted by the youthful exuberance of W.A. Mozart’s Symphony No. 29.  Here, Mozart proves his creative genius, blending the perfect Classical balance of grace and energy, drawing the maximum of color and expression out of the leanest means: a very small orchestra composed of a few strings and pairs of oboes and horns. Finally, Charles Ives’ poignant The Unanswered Question combines tonal strings, solo trumpets and an atonal flute quartet to ask the “unanswered question” of the meaning of human existence.

Marin Alsop, conductor
Hailed as one of the world’s leading conductors for her artistic vision and commitment to accessibility in classical music, Marin Alsop made history with her appointment as the 12th music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. With her inaugural concerts in September 2007, she became the first woman to head a major American orchestra, which mirrored her ongoing success in the United Kingdom, where she served as the Principal Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony from 2002-2008 and now holds the title of Conductor Emeritus. In 2005, Marin Alsop was named a MacArthur Fellow, the first conductor ever to receive this prestigious award. In 2007, she was honored with a European Women of Achievement Award; in 2008 she was inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and in 2009 Musical America named her Conductor of the Year. Maestra Alsop is a regular guest conductor with the New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic. She also appears frequently as a guest conductor with many distinguished orchestras worldwide. After a highly successful 12-year tenure as music director of the Colorado Symphony, Ms. Alsop continues her association as conductor laureate. She also continues as music director of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in California. Marin Alsop attended Yale University and received her master’s degree from The Juilliard School. In 1989, her conducting career was launched when she became a prizewinner at the Leopold Stokowski International Conducting Competition.

COMPLETE PROGRAM INFORMATION
Classical Concert Series: Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3, “Organ”
Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. –The Music Center at Strathmore*
Friday, February 20, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. –Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (JMSH)**
Saturday, February 21 at 8:00 p.m. -JMSH 

Marin Alsop, conductor

* FREE! Pre-concert lecture: Music Notes LIVE! is a free pre-concert lecture at the Music Center at Strathmore, hosted by WETA’s David Ginder. The program begins at 7:00 p.m. and is free to ticket holders.

** FREE! Pre-Concert Lecture: Classic Conversations is a pre-concert lecture at the JMSH, hosted by the Baltimore Symphony Associates. The program begins at 700 p.m. and is free to ticket holders.

Tickets for concerts in Baltimore range from $20 to $85, and are available through the BSO Ticket Office, 877.BSO.1444 or 410.783.8000 or www.BSOmusic.org.  

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