Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Receives $5 Million from The Sherman Family Foundation to Build and Sustain Family and Educational Programming

Media contact:
Whitney Clemmons Brown
Director of Communications
wbrown@BSOmusic.org

Allison Burr-Livingstone
SVP, Chief Advancement & Communications Officer
ablivingstone@BSOmusic.org

For Immediate Release
May 12, 2025

Link to hi-res press images. Courtesy of the BSO.

 

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Receives $5 Million from The Sherman Family Foundation to Build and Sustain Family and Educational Programming

Gift establishes The Sherman Foundation BSO Family Collection, supports OrchKids growth, and challenges others to play a part in expanding education and youth programs

BALTIMORE, MD – The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) announced today a transformative $5 million gift from The Sherman Family Foundation to broaden access to symphonic music for students and families throughout Baltimore and beyond.

The gift allocates $3 million for the immediate expansion of BSO family programs. The remaining

$2 million will provide long-term support through the Baltimore Symphony Endowment: $1 million will go to the OrchKids Endowment Fund, matching a 2023 seed gift from Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker, and $1 million will endow The Sherman Family Education Chair as a dedicated leadership position within the BSO’s administrative team.

“Education has always occupied a special place in the BSO’s mission, exemplified by programs like OrchKids,” said Mark Hanson, President and CEO of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. “We are deeply grateful to Mrs. Sherman and The Sherman Family Foundation for doubling down on their support of OrchKids and for making an incredible investment in robust intergenerational programs, dramatically expanding our ability to provide meaningful, barrier-free musical experiences and create a sense of belonging for the whole family.”

A former early childhood educator, this gift reflects Betsy Sherman’s lifelong work and unwavering belief that adults and institutions must enrich the lives of children and families.

“Immersive, hands-on programs like OrchKids, or attending a symphony concert with a parent or grandparent—these musical experiences open a child’s view of the world and their place in it, providing opportunities for artistic expression and personal growth,” said Betsy Sherman. “It is exciting to help the BSO scale more programs and pathways for youth and families to discover joyful experiences of live, symphonic music and forge lifelong connections to the arts.”

OrchKids: Program Expansion

In 17 years, the OrchKids program has grown from 30 students at one school to 2,000+ Pre-K through 12^th grade students across in-school and after-school programming, nine embedded sites in Baltimore City, and a summer home at Goucher College. Betsy and George Sherman, together with The Sherman Family Foundation, made their first gift to OrchKids in 2014, providing steady and increasing annual support as the program grew in scope and scale.

In addition to endowment, this gift represents the Foundation’s most significant commitment to OrchKids to-date and will advance expansion plans to serve more students in more ways. Growth in the 2025-26 school year will add a fifth day (Friday) to the weekly after-school program (moving to six days in the coming years), establish a new choral program, and formalize a performance track (including private lessons, new side-by-side opportunities, application/tuition assistance, and advanced instruments) designed to position talented OrchKids students on a pathway toward professional musical careers.

The Sherman Foundation BSO Family Collection: Enhanced Programs, Dedicated Promotion, and an Open Invitation for Baltimore City Families

The Foundation’s gift will center family-friendly programming and messaging at the Baltimore Symphony, creating The Sherman Foundation BSO Family Collection, the fourth in a series of evergreen collections. Family joins the BSO’s Classical, Popular, and Celebrations Collections to help audiences more easily discover and explore music they love. It is a selection of programs and ticket products that grow as families grow, inclusive of three dedicated concert experiences:

• Music Box Concerts: Interactive, 30-minute programs designed for babies and toddlers as young as 6 months.
• Family Concerts: Saturday matinee programs featuring the full orchestra and kid-friendly themes designed for children ages 4-8.
• NEW Symphony Explorers: Behind-the-scenes experiences for kids aged 8+ at select BSO concerts including on-stage photo ops, meet and greets with artists, backstage tours, or other special opportunities.

“Music Box and Family Concerts have long been an important part of the BSO’s offerings,” said Brian Prechtl, Director of Education & Community Engagement now holding the endowed title of The Sherman Family Education Chair. “The establishment of the Family Collection gives them a more visible place in our season, creating new pathways to more concerts, and reaffirming to all families: the BSO is a place for you.”

In addition to launching Symphony Explorers experiences, the Foundation’s support will specifically enhance Family Concerts with sensory friendly, pre-concert activities including age- appropriate crafts, movement, and a Musical Petting Zoo; new food and beverage offerings; high quality productions and special guests. In the 2025-26 season, highlights include Music Director Jonathon Heyward leading his first-ever Family Concert, Lemony Snicket’s The Composer is Dead, with special guest narrator Dan Rodricks. Also new in 2025-26, all Family Concert tickets will be subsidized by the Foundation to just $10 for all ages, regardless of seat location.

Pricing is an intentional element of the Family Collection. Currently, the BSO’s Kids Listen Free program provides free tickets to children aged 7-17 available at all Classical Collection concerts. Thanks to Mrs. Sherman and the Foundation, the new Families Listen Together program provides an option for adults to enjoy their own discounts along with Kids Listen Free tickets. For an annual registration fee of just $60, Families Listen Together cardholders enjoy free tickets to all Music Box and Family Concerts (two adults and up to four children at each event) and special discounts on adult tickets to most BSO concerts. Kids continue to listen free at all classical concerts.

For families in Baltimore City, the Foundation is partnering with the BSO to extend a special invitation to enjoy the Family Collection. Families with children enrolled in Baltimore City Head Start programs and/or Baltimore City Public Schools can sign up to have their $60 annual Families Listen Together registration fee waived, as well as enjoy specially subsidized $10 adult tickets to Classical Collection concerts (with kids continuing to listen free).

A Matching Challenge

Of the total $5 million gift, $1 million is designated as a public matching challenge. The Sherman Family Foundation has structured this portion of its donation to encourage additional support, calling for $1 million in new or increased contributions to the BSO’s Annual Fund by August 31, 2025. The challenge aims to broaden community investment in the Orchestra’s expanding family and education initiatives.

To explore The Sherman Foundation BSO Family Collection including Families Listen Together and Kids Listen Free registration, visit BSOmusic.org/families.

For more details on the public matching challenge and gift donations, visit BSOmusic.org/giving.

About the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

For over a century, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) has been recognized as one of America’s leading orchestras and one of Maryland’s most significant cultural institutions. The orchestra is internationally renowned and locally admired for its innovation, performances, recordings, and educational outreach initiatives, including OrchKids.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra performs annually for more than 275,000 people throughout the State of Maryland. Since 1982, the BSO has performed at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, and since 2005, with the opening of The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, MD, the BSO became the nation’s first orchestra performing its full season of classical and pops concerts in two metropolitan areas.

In July 2022, the BSO made history with the announcement that Jonathon Heyward would succeed Music Director Laureate and OrchKids Founder Marin Alsop as the Orchestra’s next Music Director. Maestro Heyward began his inaugural season in September 2023.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is a proud member of the League of American Orchestras. More information about the BSO can be found at BSOmusic.org.