MARIN ALSOP AND THE BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCE 2010-2011 SEASON

(Baltimore, Md.) March 23, 2010-Music Director Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra announced today the Orchestra's 2010-2011 season, the fourth full season under the direction of Maestra Alsop. The 2010-2011 season celebrates Gustav Mahler's double jubilee, recognizing the 150th anniversary of his birth and the centennial of his death. Mahler's works are closely associated with themes of youth and the innocence of childhood, prompting the BSO to create a season that highlights today's rising young stars and that features the earlier works of several seminal composers. Notable BSO debuts  include 17-year-old BSO-Peabody Bruno Walter Assistant Conductor Ilyich Rivas and German violinist Augustin Hadelich, and there are welcome returns for seasoned performers like Emanuel Ax and Midori. By coupling the beauty of music with the vigor of youth, the 2010-2011 season aims to nourish the youth inside all individuals and affirms the season's overarching theme: life is better with music.

"I believe that the ability to appreciate the beauty of music is one of the key elements that makes us human," comments Maestra Alsop. "Music reawakens that sense of wonder that we all had as children. To me, Mahler is a composer whose music has always tapped into that sense of wonder, reveling in the vitality and fearlessness of youth. To honor his memory, every aspect of the BSO's 2010-2011 season celebrates themes of youth and the innocence of childhood. Music is the catalyst that helps us remember a time when we stood in awe of the world."

BSO Celebrates Gustav Mahler Double Jubilee
The BSO honors the 150th anniversary of Gustav Mahler's birth and 100 years since his death by performing several of his most beloved works. The 2010-2011 season includes everything from his large-scale symphonies to delicate Lieder to his retouched arrangements of works by Beethoven and Schumann. The BSO's season-opening concerts on September 24-25 feature Mahler's grand Seventh Symphony, paired with his arrangement of music from Bach's orchestral suites. On October 14-16, the BSO performs the second movement "Blumine" from Mahler's Symphony No. 1. The program on November 4-6 features the 10th symphonies of both Mahler and Beethoven, works left unfinished as both composers died before completing the works. Also on this program are Beethoven's Leonore Overture No. 3, arranged by Mahler, as well as Sieben Lieder, a work by Mahler's wife, Alma. The BSO also performs Mahler's retouched versions of other composers' works, including Smetana's The Bartered Bride Overture, to be performed April 28-30. Benjamin Britten intended to widen audiences for the composer he idolized by creating his own arrangement of Mahler's What the Wild Flowers Tell Me, performed May 27-28. Das Lied von der Erde, performed May 6-8, demonstrates the composer's profoundly expressive and personal nature in this symphonic song cycle. An all-Schumann program on May 12-15 features two works arranged by Mahler, the Manfred Overture and Symphony No. 1, "Spring."

Special Off the Cuff Program: "Analyze This: Mahler and Freud"
Inspired by the BSO's hit "CSI: Beethoven" program in 2008, Marin Alsop leads an Off the Cuff program dubbed "Analyze This: Mahler and Freud" on November 5-6, reenacting the little-known meeting in 1910 between Gustav Mahler and famous psychologist, Dr. Sigmund Freud. Maestra Alsop, "Dr. Freud" and a team of experts psychoanalyze the essence of Mahler's relationship with his wife Alma, his music and his crippling fear of death-all interposed with performances of excerpts of his music, performed by the BSO. The BSO welcomes back Didi Balle to write and direct the event, whose work as writer/director of CSI: Beethoven earned praise from The Baltimore Sun, "…Didi Balle's script achieved concision, naturalness and good flow …this look beneath the epidermis of a musical giant, 'CSI Beethoven' cut smoothly and entertainingly."

Music as a Fountain of Youth
The 2010-2011 season celebrates the dual themes of youth and beauty by introducing audiences to young, "up-and-coming" performers and programming works by well-known composers written in the early stages of their careers. Three works, all composed at the age of 19, signal the composer's emergence as a major voice: Shostakovich's First Symphony, conducted by 17-year-old Ilyich Rivas on October 14-16; Rachmaninoff's First Piano Concerto , performed in a program on January 20-23, and Schubert's Fifth Symphony, which will be performed by the BSO on March 17-19.

A bevy of artists, whose already successful careers belie their youth, will appear with the BSO this season, including pianists Markus Groh, Kirill Gerstein, Simon Trpceski, Yuja Wang, Orion Weiss, Ingrid Fliter and Lukáš Vondrácek; violinists Augustin Hadelich, Midori, Baiba Skride, Karen Gomyo, Stefan Jackiw and Tianwa Yang; and conductors Cornelius Meister and Ilyich Rivas.

The season-long focus on youth also includes works intended for or about youth. In the BSO co-commission by Philip Glass, Icarus at the Edge of Time, (January 14-16) the BSO presents a multimedia recreation of string theorist Brian Greene's board book for children, depicting a young boy's accidental journey to a black hole. The season's celebration of youth is epitomized in a June 2-5 program featuring Benjamin Britten's tour of the orchestra, A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, paired with the First Piano Concerto of Johannes Brahms, written when the composer was just 25.

Off the Cuff Series Expands to Music Center at Strathmore
Audiences at the BSO's second home, The Music Center at Strathmore, will have the opportunity to experience the BSO's popular series, Off the Cuff. On Fridays at Strathmore and Saturdays at the Meyerhoff, this series takes classical music appreciation to a whole new level by making it fun and engaging for any level of music enthusiast. In each of the four programs, Marin Alsop explores the evening's featured masterpiece in a candid and engaging dialogue with the audience that is illuminated by orchestral excerpts and musical examples performed by the BSO. Each performance culminates with the featured work performed in its entirety and a Q&A session. The programs run 60 to 90 minutes without intermission, designed to enable audience members at Strathmore to arrive early to enjoy special dinner options before a later concert start time of 8:15 p.m. Baltimore patrons can arrive for the earlier start time of 7:00 p.m., leaving time to dine out afterwards in the Mount Vernon/Cultural District area.

Marin Alsop and the BSO Return to Carnegie Hall, November 13 and 14
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, under Maestra Alsop's direction, regularly performs at New York City's prestigious Carnegie Hall. On November 13, Marin Alsop leads the BSO in two seminal works by 20th-century giants, Samuel Barber's Essay No. 2, op. 17 and Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3, which features lauded Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski, making his Carnegie Hall debut. The program's second half features Beethoven's heroic Symphony No. 3, "Eroica" in Gustav Mahler's "retouched" orchestration. On November 14, a choir of New York City students joins Marin Alsop and the BSO for Maestra Alsop's jazzy re-interpretation of Handel's classical oratorio, Too Hot to Handel: The Gospel Messiah.

BSO Releases Dvorák's Symphonies Nos. 7 and 8 on Naxos
During the 2007-2008 season, Marin Alsop and the BSO began a recording cycle of Antonín Dvorák's Symphonies Nos. 6-9. The first CD in this cycle featured the "New World" Symphony and Symphonic Variations and its release in the 2008-2009 season earned praise from The Baltimore Sun, "Alsop has the Ninth unfurling with plenty of fire and lyrical power." BSO subscribers have the exclusive option to purchase Symphonies Nos. 7 and 8 at a special price, before this second album is released to the general public in June 2010. The BSO will reprise Dvorák's popular Symphony No. 9, "From the New World" on October 2-3.

Violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg Performs at Gala, September 11
Violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg returns to perform as guest soloist with the BSO for its Gala Concert on Saturday, September 11 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 the sizzling rhythms of Piazzolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. In addition to event tickets available to BSO donors, gala concert tickets are first available to 2010-2011 subscribers for $50 and $75 and will be on sale to the general public beginning in early August. 

Special Events: Pianist Emanuel Ax and Chaplin's The Gold Rush
Among today's most celebrated pianists, Emanuel Ax burst onto the concert scene in 1974 when he won The Arthur Rubenstein International Piano Competition, followed one year later with the Michaels Award of Young Concert Artists and after that, the coveted Avery Fisher Prize. Marin Alsop will lead Mr. Ax and the BSO in subscription concerts of Brahms' First Piano Concerto on June 2-5. 

Based on the enormous success of the BSO's performance of Charlie Chaplin's City Lights in 2009, the BSO will present a special multimedia event that features Chaplin's 1925 masterpiece, The Gold Rush, on April 15-17. Projected on a screen above the stage, patrons can watch The Little Tramp seek his fortune during the Klondike gold rush, accompanied by a live BSO performance of the original musical score.

Subscription Season Highlights
The BSO's 2010-2011 season will feature 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 four new works: a specially commissioned world premiere by David Rimelis for OrchKids performers and the BSO; and co-commissions by Argentine-American composer Osvaldo Golijov, part of the Henry Fogel Commission Consortium; Puerto Rican-born composer Roberto Sierra's Sinfonia No. 4, a work initiated by the Sphinx Commissioning Consortium; and Baltimore native Philip Glass' Icarus at the Edge of Time.

Emerging Stars and Familiar Faces
Throughout the season, a lineup of distinguished guest conductors will lead the BSO, including Juanjo Mena, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Hans Graf, Mario Venzago, Carlos Kalmar, Günther Herbig and the conducting debuts of young conductors Ilyich Rivas, Cornelius Meister and Gilbert Varga. Guest artists performing with the BSO during the 2010-2011 season include pianists Markus Groh, Kirill Gerstein, Simon Trpceski, Orion Weiss, Yuja Wang and Lukáš Vondrácek, violinists Midori, Baiba Skride, Karen Gomyo and Stefan Jackiw, BSO Principal Flute Emily Skala and BSO Concertmaster Jonathan Carney. Special BSO debuts include violinists Augustin Hadelich and Tianwa Yang and pianist Ingrid Fliter.

• Music Director Marin Alsop kicks off the new season September 24-25 celebrating the life and music of Gustav Mahler with the legendary conductor/composer's arrangement of music from Bach's orchestral suites, including the famous "Air on a G String." The Double Jubilee celebration continues with the performance of one of Mahler's most powerful yet rarely performed symphonies, his grand Seventh Symphony.

• The second subscription program of the season (September 30; October 2-3) brings the return of violin prodigy Stefan Jackiw, who will perform Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto under the direction of Marin Alsop. John Adams' dramatic symphony from his opera Doctor Atomic portrays the suspenseful, momentous events at Los Alamos on the eve of the creation of the atomic bomb. Also on the program, the BSO celebrates the release of its second album in its Dvo?ák recording cycle for Naxos with a reprise performance of the composer's popular "New World" Symphony.

• Continuing the season-long celebration of youth and vitality, 17-year-old conducting prodigy BSO-Peabody Bruno Walter Assistant Conductor Ilyich Rivas makes his subscription concert debut with a major American orchestra on October 14-16. He will lead the BSO and young German pianist Markus Groh in Beethoven's Second Piano Concerto. He also leads Shostakovich's Symphony No. 1, written when the composer was just 19 years old. Also on the program are Brahms' Academic Festival Overture and Mahler's Blumine.

• On October 21-23, world-renowned violinist Midori tackles Shostakovich's virtuosic First Violin Concerto. Stravinsky's ballet score Petrouchka and Glinka's Ruslan and Ludmilla Overture are also on the program, all led by distinguished French conductor Gilbert Varga, making his BSO debut.

• Marin Alsop leads a program on November 4 of "unfinished symphonies": Beethoven's Symphony No. 10, completed by Barry Cooper, and Mahler's Symphony No. 10, "Adagio." Both composers died before they could complete these works, rendering them among the composers who fell prey to the famous "curse of the Ninth Symphony." Also on the program are Sieben Lieder by Gustav Mahler's wife, Alma, and Beethoven's Leonore Overture No. 3, arranged by Mahler. Excerpts from the works in this program will be repeated in the Off the Cuff program dubbed "Analyze This: Mahler and Freud" on November 5-6, reenacting the little-known meeting in 1910 between Gustav Mahler and famous psychologist Dr. Sigmund Freud. Inspired by the BSO's hit "CSI: Beethoven" program in 2008, Marin Alsop leads "Dr. Freud" and a team of experts as they psychoanalyze the essence of Mahler's relationship with his wife Alma, his music and his crippling fear of death. Writer and director Didi Balle, whose work in "CSI: Beethoven" met with critical acclaim, will collaborate with the BSO for this event.

• The program on November 11-12 opens with two seminal works by 20th century giants, Samuel Barber's Essay No. 2, op. 17 and Sergei Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3, which features lauded Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski. The program's second half includes Beethoven's inspiring Symphony No. 3, "Eroica," under the baton of Marin Alsop. Following the Baltimore concerts, the BSO travels to Carnegie Hall where it will perform the same program on November 13.

• Audience favorite Günther Herbig leads the BSO and Tianwa Yang in her BSO debut, performing Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1 on November 20-21. Also on the program is Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony, motivated by the death of Stalin, contrasted by Ravel's fairy tale-based Mother Goose Suite.

• Marin Alsop leads a program where science and sound collide when the BSO performs Baltimore native Philip Glass' Icarus at the Edge of Time on January 14-16. This multi-media event recreates the  board book for children by Brian Greene, string theorist and author of The Elegant Universe. Icarus tells the story through music and visuals projected above the Orchestra, of a young boy's journey into a black hole. Also on this intergalactic-inspired program are John Williams' popular Star Wars Suite and Brett Dean's Komarov's Fall, written in memory of Soviet cosmonaut, Vladimir Mikhailovich Komarov's tragic death during a pioneering space voyage in 1967.

• Aptly titled "Robustly Russian," the program on January 20-23 led by Marin Alsop features Russian pianist Kirill Gerstein, First Prize winner of the Arthur Rubinstein competition and recent winner of the prestigious Gilmore Artists Award. He performs Rachmaninoff's First Piano Concerto, paired with an orchestral transcription of Rachmaninoff's melodic Vocalise. Shostakovich weaves the scintillating unrest of the Soviet's 20th century political landscape into his powerful Fifth Symphony. This work will also be performed as part of the Off the Cuff series on January 21-22, with Marin Alsop leading the audience through the period of scrutiny that served as the catalyst for many of the composer's most evocative creations.

• Twenty-six-year-old Italian-born son of German parents, violinist Augustin Hadelich, makes his BSO debut performing Brahms' Violin Concerto on January 27-29. Puerto Rican-born composer Roberto Sierra combines classical forms with Latin American idioms-a compositional process he dubs "Tropicalization," seen in Sinfonia No. 4, a work made possible by the Sphinx Commissioning Consortium. This Consortium was created in partnership with 12 major American orchestras to commission a new work from a Black or Latino composer each year. Audience favorite Spanish conductor Juanjo Mena leads this diverse program.

• Young pianist Yuja Wang performed a critically acclaimed BSO debut in 2008. The BSO welcomes her back to perform Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto on February 10-13. Spanish conductor Juanjo Mena returns to lead the BSO's first performance since 1988 of Bruckner's Sixth Symphony.

• Argentine pianist Ingrid Fliter makes her BSO debut February 18-19, performing Chopin's First Piano Concerto, his earliest masterpiece which tenderly captures the pathos of unrequited love. Tchaikovsky's joyous Second Symphony provides a welcome contrast, celebrating the colorful Ukrainian folk tunes of the composer's homeland. Also on the program is Rossini's William Tell Overture.

• In 2010, the BSO welcomed singers from the Washington National Opera's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program to perform an all-opera program. The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists return to join the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to perform a semi-staged concert version of Mozart's popular The Magic Flute, February 24-27. Marin Alsop conducts, with Michael Ehrman providing stage direction.

• Czech pianist Lukáš Vondrácek, whose 2008 BSO debut was hailed as "a mix of sinew and sensitivity" (Baltimore Sun), returns to perform Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini on March 4-6. Marin Alsop begins a fascinating survey of the great 20th-century symphonist, Sergei Prokofiev, pairing his youthful Symphony No. 1, "Classical," with his Sixth Symphony, a haunting memorial to World War II.

• Conductor Mario Venzago makes a return appearance on March 17-19 leading Latvian violinist Baiba Skride in Alban Berg's Violin Concerto, an emotionally charged elegy dedicated to the 18-year-old polio-stricken daughter of Alma Mahler. Also on the program is Beethoven's most famous symphony, the Fifth, preceded by Schubert's Fifth Symphony, written when he was just 19.

• Young American pianist Orion Weiss returns to the BSO to perform Grieg's Piano Concerto on March 24-26, led by French conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier. Also on the program are Ravel's Valses nobles et sentimentales and a Concerto for Orchestra by Witold Lutostawski, replete with folk themes from the composer's native Poland.

• On March 31 and April 3, Marin Alsop leads a world premiere of a new work by American composer David Rimelis, commissioned by the BSO for this program of works performed by and written for children. Members of the BSO's OrchKids program are also included in the concert. BSO Principal Flute Emily Skala takes center stage to perform John Corigliano's colorful Pied Piper Fantasy. Prokofiev's Cinderella Suite, one of his most popular and enduring ballet scores, continues this program's whimsical journey. The Cinderella Suite will also be performed on the Off the Cuff series on April 1-2, with Marin Alsop expanding upon Prokofiev's musically personified cast of characters.

• Marin Alsop leads the BSO in the original musical score of Charlie Chaplin's 1925 silent film comedy, The Gold Rush, on April 15-17. Chaplin's favorite film will be projected above the stage in its entirety. With memorable scenes like the "dance of the dinner rolls," or when the starving "Little Tramp" must eat his own boot, Chaplin tells the hilarious tale of a young man seeking his fortune in the Alaska Gold Rush. Chaplin often remarked that this was the film for which he most wished to be remembered.

• At barely 30 years old, German conducting prodigy Cornelius Meister's career already boasts prestigious appointments such as music director and principal conductor of the Philharmonic Orchestra and Opera of Heidelberg and his current role as principal conductor and artistic director of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. On April 28-30, he makes his BSO conducting debut leading Brahms cheerful Second Symphony and Mahler's arrangement of Smetana's The Bartered Bride Overture. BSO Concertmaster Jonathan Carney performs Bruch's Second Violin Concerto.

• Continuing the season-long celebration of Gustav Mahler, Marin Alsop conducts one of his most expressive and personal symphonic song cycles, Das Lied von der Erde ("Song of the Earth") on May 6-8. Opening the program is Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony, infused with the composers' enchantment with a visit to Italy in 1831.

• Marking the 200th anniversary of Robert Schumann's birth, the BSO and Marin Alsop perform an all-Schumann program on May 12-15 that includes two of his most well-known orchestral works, the First and Second symphonies. His Symphony No. 1, "Spring" is retouched or orchestrated by Mahler, as is Schumann's Manfred Overture, also on the program. Excerpts from these works will be repeated when Marin Alsop leads an Off the Cuff presentation on May 13-14, exploring how Schumann's bipolar disorder affected his genius.

• Gustav Mahler's penchant for retouching some of his heroes' compositions was mimicked by one of his most ardent fans, Benjamin Britten. Carlos Kalmar will lead the BSO in Britten's arrangement of Mahler's What the Wild Flowers Tell Me on May 27-28. The BSO welcomes young Canadian violinist Karen Gomyo to perform Sibelius' Violin Concerto. Also on the program is the BSO's first-ever performance of Sir William Walton's landmark 1935 Symphony No. 1, a passionate work composed during a tempestuous love affair.

• Among today's most celebrated pianists, Emanuel Ax burst onto the concert scene in 1974 when he won The Arthur Rubenstein International Piano Competition, followed one year later with the Michaels Award of Young Concert Artists and after that, the coveted Avery Fisher Prize. Marin Alsop will lead Mr. Ax and the BSO in subscription concerts of Brahms' First Piano Concerto on June 2-5. 

• Marin Alsop leads the BSO and The Washington Chorus in a season finale performance of Verdi's Requiem on June 9-12. Scored for an expanded orchestra, offstage trumpets, four soloists and large chorus, Verdi's extraordinary tribute to Italian poet and novelist Alessandro Manzoni is a fittingly dramatic way to end a dynamic season.

Jack Everly Brings Dance, Swing and Stars to BSO SuperPops Season
Hailed by The Baltimore Sun for his ability to create "deftly constructed and smoothly delivered" programs, Jack Everly returns for his eighth season as principal pops conductor with the BSO. Maestro Everly has filled the 2010-2011 BSO SuperPops season with lively repertoire, Grammy Award-winning entertainers and tributes to the music of Ireland, Beatles legend Paul McCartney and the works of Rodgers & Hammerstein.

Jack Everly welcomes a host of dancers to perform everything from Celtic dance, tap, ballroom, tango, ballet and more in this high-energy BSO SuperPops season opener, Gotta Dance! on October 7-10.

Strathmore audiences will have the chance to hear Grammy Award-winning performer Judy Collins in concert on November 4. Famous for her unique blend of interpretive folksongs and contemporary themes, she will perform favorites like "Both Sides Now," "Chelsea Morning" and "Send in the Clowns." Note: The BSO does not perform on this program.

Grammy award-winning trumpeter Chris Botti and his band offer a post-Thanksgiving treat on November 26-28. His signature sound infused with pop, jazz and classical influences has been hailed by the New York Times as a sound that "luxuriates in melody and mood." Note: The BSO does not perform on this program.

Jack Everly leads the BSO, Broadway star Judy McLane, clarinetist Jon Manasse and the Capitol Quartet in a celebration of the swinging hits of the Big Band era, February 3-6. The program features a special tribute to the "King of Swing," Benny Goodman.

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, A Celtic Celebration: Music of the Emerald Isle on March 10-13 explores a wide range of Irish and Celtic repertoire, featuring vocalists, step dancers, a traditional Irish instrumentalist and even culminating in an audience sing-along. Led by Jack Everly, highlights include excerpts from An Irish Symphony, Four Scottish Dances, Brigadoon and more.

Tony Kishman, regarded by Beatles connoisseurs as the world's best Paul McCartney look-alike and sound-alike delivers authentic performances of McCartney's most popular songs in Live and Let Die: A Tribute to Paul McCartney, April 7-10. Michael Krajewski conducts Mr. Kishman and the BSO in a concert experience for Beatles fans of all ages.

The BSO SuperPops, led by Jack Everly, will perform the music scores of Rodgers & Hammerstein's great movie musicals on May 19-22. Featuring favorites such as Oklahoma!, The King and I and The Sound of Music, stunning re-mastered clips of each timeless film will be projected on a screen above the Orchestra.

Education and Outreach Initiatives
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) 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 one hundred years, the BSO has provided educational programming for youth as a part 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 2010-2011 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 4 and up and their families and use classical music, dance, puppetry and theatre 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 October 30, Halloween Spooktacular! brings children the BSO's premiere of Lemony Snicket's The Composer is Dead. Host/inspector Timothy Marrone helps children determine how the composer met his demise. Children are encouraged to wear costumes for the chance to win a prize. A seasonal favorite, the Baltimore Ballet performs Prokofiev's timeless ballet, The Nutcracker on December 4, narrated by Rheda Becker. Actor Tony Tsendeas takes children back in time to explore the remarkable life of composer Ludwig van Beethoven on February 5, narrated by Rheda Becker. The BSO will perform some of Beethoven's most recognizable works, such as Für Elise and Moonlight Sonata. On April 9, youngsters will get to know the orchestra better in an adaptation of Benjamin Britten's A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra. 

BSO on the Go Outreach Expanded in Montgomery County
Under the banner BSO on the Go, the education outreach programs of the BSO at Strathmore continue to thrive and grow. Designed to take music beyond the auditorium, BSO on the Go brings small groups of BSO musicians into the classroom for highly interactive experiences in a relaxed and informal setting.  Offered at no cost to all public and private elementary schools in Montgomery County, BSO on the Go now reaches more than 2,000 students annually. 

BSO on the Go musicians' Theme & Variations residency will continue into the 2010-2011 academic year. Geared to students with a year of recorder-playing experience, these residencies provide two annual opportunities for students to collaborate with members of the Orchestra's double-reed woodwind section both as performers and composers.

Following its successful launch last year, the BSO's partnership with the A. Mario Loiederman Middle School and Wheaton High School also will continue. The centerpiece of this partnership features BSO players mentoring school musicians in orchestra rehearsal techniques. In addition to leading daytime in-school rehearsals, selected BSO musicians also are engaged in teaching sectional master classes to school orchestra members. A highlight of the program involves side-by-side participation by the Wheaton High School Orchestra in a BSO rehearsal directed by Maestra Marin Alsop.

The BSO also reaches out to younger musicians through the dynamic synergy offered by our presence on the Music Center at Strathmore campus. Working with our Strathmore education partners, the Maryland Classical Youth Orchestra (MCYO) and the Levine School, BSO musicians and featured soloists conduct master classes throughout the year-all of which are open to the public.  In addition, BSO Concertmaster Jonathan Carney will continue to serve as MCYO's artistic advisor.

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 email address. More information is available at BSOmusic.org/naxos.

Watch Marin Alsop Preview the Season
For an interactive preview of the season featuring Marin Alsop, go to BSOmusic.org to access a webumentary highlighting the just-announced 2010-2011 concert season.