Marin Alsop leads the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in Copland's Symphony No. 3, April 16-17

Shortened program to be performed as part of Casual Series, April 18

Baltimore, Md. (March 24, 2009) - Music Director Marin Alsop will lead the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on Thursday, April 16 and Friday, April 17, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Copland's Symphony No. 3. The concert opens with Brahms' Variations on a Theme by Haydn and will feature BSO concertmaster Jonathan Carney in Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1. A shortened program will be performed as part of the Casual Series on Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Please see below for complete program information.

American composer Aaron Copland was recognized for creating music more quintessentially American than that of any of his peers. A witness to the effects of the Great Depression, Copland decided to address his music not to the elite few but to all music-lovers, while simultaneously refusing to compromise his own fierce integrity. His first large-scale symphony was Symphony No. 3, an end-of-war piece intended to reflect the euphoric spirit of the country at the conclusion of World War II. Divided into three separate movements, the piece commences with simplicity and gentleness, and ends with Copland's signature nostalgic-Americana style.

Max Bruch, one of the most prolific and respected German composers of the second half of the 19th century, began composing Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor when he was a teenager. Written for and first performed by Joseph Joachim, Bruch's concerto immediately took its place in the core repertoire of virtuoso violinists. It is said that the piece was perfectly written for the violin and allows the instrument to be exploited in the hands of a master. Violin Concerto No. 1 greatly emphasizes Bruch's talent for writing haunting, deeply expressive melodies.

Johannes Brahms, viewed as the 19th century's greatest writer of variations, had not written a purely orchestral work in nearly 15 years before composing Variations on a Theme by Haydn. The theme, discovered to have actually originated as a pilgrims' hymn from an earlier era, was what Brahms needed to set his imagination on fire. All eight variations and the finale range from the very soft and mysterious, to the strong and lively.

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.

Jonathan Carney, violin
Concertmaster Jonathan Carney begins his seventh season with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra after twelve seasons in the same position with London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He also held the concertmaster post with the Basque National Orchestra in Spain. Born in New Jersey, Jonathan Carney hails from a musical family with all six members of his family having graduated from the Juilliard School in New York. After completing his studies with Ivan Galamian and Christine Dethier, he was awarded a Leverhulme Fellowship to continue his studies in London at the Royal College of Music. After enjoying critically acclaimed international tours as both concertmaster and soloist with numerous ensembles, Mr. Carney was invited by Vladimir Ashkenazy to become concertmaster of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1991. He was also appointed concertmaster of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in 1994.


COMPLETE PROGRAM INFORMATION
Classical Concert Series: Copland's Symphony No. 3
Thursday, April 16, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. - Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Friday, April 17, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. - Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

Casual Concert: Bruch Violin Concerto
Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. - Joseph Meyerhoff Hall*

Marin Alsop, conductor
Jonathan Carney, violin

Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Haydn
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1
Copland: Symphony No. 3

*This concert is part of the Casual Concert Series. It does not include Copland's Symphony No. 3.

Tickets for these concerts range from $20 to $68, and are available through the BSO Ticket Office, 877.BSO.1444, 410.783.8000 or BSOmusic.org.
###