BSO and Cirque de la Symphonie Combine Circus Feats with Classical Masterpieces, March 11-14

Marin Alsop leads BSO in works by Poulenc, Bartók, Satie and Copland in second week of BSO Under the Big Top Festival

Baltimore, Md. (January 29, 2010) — The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of BSO Music Director Marin Alsop, lends musical panache to the impossible exploits of talented contortionists, aerialists, strongmen and more in Cirque de la Symphonie on Thursday, March 11 and Friday March 12 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 14 at 3 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and Saturday, March 13 at 8 p.m. at The Music Center at 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. Maestra Alsop dons the top hat of ringmaster to lead Francis Poulenc’s Les Biches Suite, Satie’s Parade, Copland’s Billy the Kid Suite and Bartók’s Miraculous Mandarin Suite.See below for complete program information.

Due to popular demand, Cirque de la Symphonie returns again this year to perform with the BSO, having performed four sold-out shows with the BSO last season. These 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.”

The performers’ feats will be paired with dramatic Classical favorites. Poulenc’s first work for full orchestra, Les Biches Suite (“The Does”), was an immediate hit when it premiered in 1924 in Monte Carlo. Satie’s Parade was yet another creation for Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, and it brought together a remarkable ensemble of talents: Satie for the music, Jean Cocteau for the scenario, Pablo Picasso (in his theatrical debut) for the set and costumes and Léonide Massine for the choreography. Copland's 1938 ballet Billy the Kid became one of his most enduring hits and crystallized the “Wild West” orchestral idiom still used today. Featuring the BSO without Cirque performers, Bartók’s pantomime-ballet The Miraculous Mandarin tells a tale so scandalous that it was banned following is premiere in Cologne, Germany in 1926.

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 and in 2008 she was inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 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.

About Cirque de la Symphonie
Cirque de la Symphonie brings the magic of the circus to the music hall. It is an exciting adaptation of artistic performances widely seen in theaters and arenas. Artists include veterans of exceptional cirque programs throughout the world—aerial flyers, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, jugglers, balancers and strongmen. These artists are among the best in the business, including world-record holders and gold-medal winners. The performances are uniquely adapted to stage accommodations shared by symphonies, and each artist’s performance is professionally choreographed to classical masterpieces and popular contemporary music in collaboration with the music director.

COMPLETE PROGRAM INFORMATION
BSO SuperPops: Cirque de la Symphonie
Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.—Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (JMSH)
Friday, March 12, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.—JMSH
Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.—The Music Center at Strathmore
Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 3:00 p.m.—JMSH

Marin Alsop, conductor
Sagiv Ben-Binyamin, trapeze
Irina Burdetsky, hoop
Simon Chaban, juggler
Aloysia Gavre, hoop
Jarek & Derek, strongmen
Alexander Streltsov, aerialist
Vladimir Tsarkov, juggler
Elena Tsarkova, contortionist
Christine Van Loo, aerialist

Poulenc: Les Biches Suite ‡
Bartók: Miraculous Mandarin Suite
Satie: Parade ‡
Copland: Billy the Kid Suite

‡ Denotes a BSO premiere

Tickets for these concerts range from $34 to $90. Tickets are available through the BSO Ticket Office, 410.783.8000 or BSOmusic.org.