Marin Alsop, conductor
Daniel Bernard Roumain, violin

VERDI La forza del destino Overture 
DANIEL BERNARD ROUMAIN Voodoo Violin Concerto
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4 

The power of fate and destiny loom over the season-opening concert, beginning dramatically with the overture to Verdi’s La forza del destino, an opera about ill-fated lovers who seek atonement in a monastery for their forbidden affair. At the centerpiece is the kinetic Voodoo Violin Concerto by cross-over violinist/composer Daniel Bernard Roumain, making his BSO debut with his unique blend of violin and urban sounds. Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony ends the concert with an explosion of joyful abandon.

Matthias Pintscher, conductor
Conrad Tao, piano

RAVEL Mother Goose Suite 
SCRIABIN Piano Concerto 
BARTÓK The Wooden Prince 

Returning to the BSO is the brilliant young pianist Conrad Tao, heralded by The New York Times as one of the top pianists performing today. Tao brings his probing imagination to the rarely heard Scriabin Piano Concerto, highlighted by lyrical beauty and gorgeous orchestral writing. Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite and Bartók’s The Wooden Prince complete the program with vivid settings of fairy tales.

Celebrate the colors of fall, from pumpkins to brightly colored leaves, with a BSO oboe, bassoon and piano trio.

Please note: Tickets for the Saturday, October 12 performances at AMP by Strathmore will be available soon.  

Presented by the Murphy Family Charitable Foundation. Tickets to this performance can only be purchased through Ticketmaster.com. 

In his boldly imagined first novel, Ta-Nehisi Coates, the National Book Award–winning author of Between the World and Me, brings home the most intimate evil of enslavement: the cleaving and separation of families. This is the dramatic story of an atrocity inflicted on generations of women, men, and children—the violent and capricious separation of families—and the war they waged to simply make lives with the people they loved. Written by one of today’s most exciting thinkers and writers, The Water Dancer is a propulsive, transcendent work that restores the humanity of those from whom everything was stolen.

Jack Everly, conductor
Denzal Sinclaire, vocalist

Featuring the greatest hits of one of America’s top jazz vocalists, Denzal Sinclaire brings the music of Nat King Cole to life with his superlative voice and engaging rapport. 

Marin Alsop, conductor
Aušrinė Stundytė, soprano
Renée Morloc, contralto
Sonya Alexandra Knussen, contralto
Women's Voices of Peabody Opera
Kateryna Sokolova, director

WAGNER Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde 
HINDEMITH Sancta Susanna (semi-staged) 
BRAHMS Symphony No. 4 

Marin Alsop leads the Orchestra in the Prelude and Liebestod to Tristan und Isolde, Wagner’s path-breaking expression of love that can only be fulfilled in death. Paul Hindemith’s one-act operatic shocker, Sancta Susanna, depicts two nuns visited by alluring temptations to cast away their vows and live a life of the flesh. Considered the greatest of his symphonies, Brahms’ Fourth Symphony concludes this program revolving around the most intense and forbidden of human passions.

Marin Alsop, conductor

BRAHMS Symphony No. 4 

Composed at the height of the Romantic period, Brahms’ Fourth Symphony is both a nod to the past and a look to the future.  Marin Alsop unpacks the profound emotions behind this masterpiece and explores how Brahms paved the way for the modernists of the 20th Century.

Nicholas Hersh, conductor

Get ready for chills and thrills! Think like a detective to figure out how the composer met his unfortunate demise. Where exactly were the violins on the night in question? Did anyone see the harp? Help solve this perplexing musical murder mystery while learning about the instruments of the orchestra.

Join us immediately following each family concert for a buffet lunch in the Meyerhoff lobby. For tickets and more information, visit BSOmusic.org/family. Luncheon tickets purchased separately. Hosted by the Baltimore Symphony Associates. 

Join us immediately following the family concert for a buffet lunch in the Meyerhoff lobby. Luncheon tickets purchased separately. Hosted by the Baltimore Symphony Associates.

David Danzmayr, conductor
Stefan Jackiw, violin

WEBERN Six Pieces for Orchestra 
MOZART Violin Concerto No. 5, “Turkish” 
SCHUBERT Symphony in B Minor, “Unfinished” 
J. STRAUSS, JR. On the Beautiful Blue Danube 

Violin phenom Stefan Jackiw returns to the BSO in a program of Viennese masterpieces, led by rising young Austrian conductor David Danzmayr. From Webern’s daring miniatures for large orchestra to the unforgettably beautiful melodies of Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony, from Mozart’s last violin concerto, brimming with exotic flair, to the instantly recognizable Blue Danube waltz, this concert illustrates why Vienna is widely heralded as the capital of classical music.

Nicholas Hersh, conductor

GLASER March of the Little Goblins
STOOKEY The Composer is Dead           
GRIEG “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from Peer Gynt      

Get ready for chills and thrills!  Think like a detective to figure out how the composer met his unfortunate demise.  Where exactly were the violins on the night in question? Did anyone see the harp? Help solve this perplexing musical murder mystery while learning about orchestral instruments through this engaging story for narrator and orchestra.

If you are a school, or reserving more than 20 tickets please fill out our reservation request form - Mid-Week Reservation Form. 

Click here to view the Teacher's Activity Guide

PRIME TIME: GRADES 3-5

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: SOCIAL STUDIES, HISTORY, SCIENCE (forensics)

Nicholas Hersh, conductor
Leslie Odom, Jr., vocalist

He won the 2016 Tony^® Award for Best Actor in a Musical and the Grammy^® Award for Best Musical Theater Album for his role as Aaron Burr in the original production of Hamilton. We are thrilled to present Leslie Odom, Jr. with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, for one night only, in hits from Hamilton, Spring Awakening, the Nat King Cole songbook and more.

PREMIUM CONCERT

John Jesensky, conductor

Bring your proton pack and join the original paranormal investigation and elimination team as they capture their first ghost, with the score performed live by the BSO.

Ghostbusters © 1984 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All rights reserved

Ruth Reinhardt, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano

LOTTA WENNÄKOSKI Hava 
SCHUBERT Symphony No. 6 
BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2 

Distinguished pianist Emanuel Ax returns to perform Brahms’ mighty Second Piano Concerto, notable for its formidable demands. A scintillating work by Finnish-born composer Lotta Wennäkoski, Hava, is paired with Schubert’s Sixth Symphony, which ranges from the majestic thunder of his idol, Beethoven, to a light-as-air operatic finale.

Presented by The Birchmere. Tickets to this performance can only be purchased through Ticketmaster.com. 

Black Violin is led by classically trained string players Wil B. (viola) and Kev Marcus (violin). Joining them onstage are DJ SPS and drummer Nat Stokes. The band uses their unique blend of classical and hip-hop music, often described as “classical boom," to overcome stereotypes and encourage people of all ages, races and economic backgrounds to join together to break down cultural barriers.

Black Violin is currently writing and recording their next studio album expected to be released late 2019. Their last record, Stereotypes, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Classical Crossover Chart and #4 on the Billboard R&B Chart. NPR praised the album and band, saying“their music will keep classical music alive for the next generation.” Some of their creative collaborations include Kanye West,Wu-Tang Clan, Wyclef Jean, Lil Wayne and Alicia Keys. The group advocates for educational outreach and in the past 12 months have performed for over 100,000 students in the US and Europe. 

Think big! Elephants, whales and rhinos are the stars of this show with a jazz quartet.

Please note: Tickets for the Saturday, November 23 performances at AMP by Strathmore will be available soon.

Xian Zhang, conductor
George Li, piano

CHEN YI Ge Xu (Antiphony) 
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major 
PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 5 

A wealth of talent fills this program led by the fast-rising young conductor Xian Zhang. Celebrated female composer Chen Yi’s Antiphony opens the program, inspired by the antiphonal singing of South China’s Zhuang minority and featuring extraordinary drumming passages. Tchaikovsky Competition silver medalist George Li performs one of Mozart’s best-loved piano concertos, and Prokofiev’s greatest symphony, the Fifth, concludes the program.

Marin Alsop, conductor

BRAHMS Academic Festival Overture 
LERA AUERBACH BSO Commission (World Premiere) 
PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 1, “Classical” 
STRAVINSKY Pulcinella 

Written for a trio of singers and orchestra, Stravinsky’s Pulcinella is a sparkling evocation of the world of commedia dell’arte clowns. Marin Alsop introduces us to a brilliant and mesmerizing voice—that of the Russian-American composer and pianist Lera Auerbach, who brings grandeur and intensity to her large-scale orchestra music. The program is rounded out by Prokofiev’s witty “Classical” Symphony and Brahms’ boisterous Academic Festival Overture.

Marin Alsop, conductor

STRAVINSKY Pulcinella 

Pulcinella brought together Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, Stravinsky, and Picasso—who created sets and costumes—in a whole new direction after the riotous premiere of the Rite of Spring. Discover how Stravinsky fell in love with the forgotten music and world of commedia dell’arte clowns.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Drawing from their documentary film, "A Tuba to Cuba," the New Orleans-based Preservation Hall Jazz Band invokes the musical links between New Orleans and Havana in an evening that brings together the sounds of New Orleans jazz and the rhythm and soul at the heart of Cuban music.   

The BSO is not performing on this program.

Nicholas Hersh, conductor
BSYO Violin Soloists

GRIEG Prelude from Holberg Suite
VIVALDI “Winter” from The Four Seasons, I. Allegro
BLAKE The Snowman                                                                         
ANDERSON Sleigh Ride 

Be transported to a winter wonderland in this enchanting story of a young boy’s magical friendship with a snowman which comes to life and takes him on a trip to the North Pole. The animated film projected with live music performed by the BSO is sure to get you into the holiday spirit!

If you are a school, or reserving more than 20 tickets please fill out our reservation request form - Mid-Week Reservation Form. 

Click here to view the Teacher's Activity Guide

TINY TOTS: PRE-K TO GRADE 2

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS:  ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, SCIENCE (weather connections)

Nicholas Hersh, conductor

Be transported to a winter wonderland in this enchanting story of a young boy’s magical friendship with a snowman which comes to life and takes him on a trip to the North Pole. The animated film projected with live music performed by the BSO is sure to get you into the holiday spirit!

Join us immediately following each family concert for a buffet lunch in the Meyerhoff lobby. For tickets and more information, visit BSOmusic.org/family. Luncheon tickets purchased separately. Hosted by the Baltimore Symphony Associates. 

© Snowman Enterprises Ltd

Join us immediately following the family concert for a buffet lunch in the Meyerhoff lobby. Luncheon tickets purchased separately. Hosted by the Baltimore Symphony Associates.

Edward Polochick, conductor and harpsichord
BSO Symphonic Chorale

HANDEL Messiah 

Edward Polochick leads the BSO Symphonic Chorale in this holiday favorite, Handel’s Messiah, featuring the iconic “Hallelujah” Chorus.

Nicholas Hersh, conductor
Troupe Vertigo

Troupe Vertigo’s acrobats, jugglers and high-flying aerialists join the BSO for this spectacular twist on Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic.

Charles Floyd, conductor
CeCe Winans, vocalist
Morgan State University Choir, 
    Eric Conway, director

Back by popular demand, renowned gospel singer and twelve-time Grammy® Award-winner CeCe Winans joins the BSO and the Morgan State University Choir for a rousing Gospel Christmas program of holiday favorites.

Andy Einhorn, conductor
Baltimore Choral Arts Society,
    Anthony Blake Clark, director 

Broadway musical director Andy Einhorn leads the BSO and the Baltimore Choral Arts Society in an exciting new holiday program, highlighted by festive favorites, the ever-popular tap-dancing Santas, an audience sing-along and a few musical surprises. The Meyerhoff Symphony Hall becomes a winter wonderland with pre-concert performances, an opportunity for family photos and holiday cookies and ornaments for sale.  Join us for this celebration of the holiday season!

Nicholas Hersh, conductor
BSO Symphonic Chorale, Edward Polochick, director
Lura Johnson, piano

Experience the multi-Academy Award winning 1984 motion picture, Amadeus, on a giant HD screen while Mozart’s most celebrated works are performed live by the Baltimore Symphony, joined by the BSO Symphonic Chorale.

Amadeus LIVE is an Avex Classics International production

What fun to frolic with a BSO string quartet in a beautiful winter wonderland of fluffy, white snow!

Please note: Tickets for the Saturday, January 25 performances at AMP by Strathmore will be available soon.

Jack Everly, conductor
Ben Crawford, vocalist

Vocalist Ben Crawford, current star of The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, returns to the BSO to perform show-stopping songs from Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, South Pacific, Company and more.

John Storgårds, conductor 
Gil Shaham, violin

SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 9  
MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto 
HAYDN Symphony No. 103, "Drumroll" 

Shostakovich confounded the expectations of the Soviet authorities, who were expecting a big, triumphant symphony saluting Stalin, with his Ninth, the lightest and brightest of his symphonies. Legendary violinist Gil Shaham performs Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, often called the most perfect violin concerto ever written. Haydn’s penultimate symphony, known as the “Drumroll,” features high spirits, drama and a brilliantly dynamic finale.

Marin Alsop, conductor 
Sheku Kanneh-Mason, cello

PRICE The Oak 
SAINT-SAËNS Cello Concerto No. 1 
DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7 

The royal wedding of Meghan Markle to Prince Harry made an international sensation out of the mesmerizing cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who makes his BSO debut playing Saint-Saëns’ charming First Cello Concerto. The concert opens with composer Florence Price’s brooding and lush tone poem, The Oak, and closes with Dvořák’s exquisite Seventh Symphony. 

Carolyn Kuan, conductor
Philippe Quint, violin

BARBER Adagio for Strings
JOHN CORIGLIANO The Red Violin: Chaconne for Violin and Orchestra
JOHN WILLIAMS Three Pieces from Schindler’s List
ENNIO MORRICONE Love Theme from Cinema Paradiso 
CARLOS GARDEL "Por una Cabeza" from Scent of a Woman
VARIOUS Charlie Chaplin’s Smile

Combining clips from classic Chaplin films with live music, Charlie Chaplin’s Smile is violinist Philippe Quint’s tribute to Charlie Chaplin on his 130th birthday, tracing Chaplin’s relationship with 20th-century master composers and his own film scores. This cinematic program also features John Corigliano’s Red Violin Chaconne, Barber’s heartbreaking Adagio for Strings (Platoon) and John Williams’ poignant Three Pieces from Schindler’s List.

Marin Alsop, conductor 
Yulianna Avdeeva, piano

MOZART Marriage of Figaro Overture 
CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 2 
PROKOFIEV Suite from Romeo and Juliet 

The worlds of opera, ballet, comedy and tragedy visit this melodious program, bookended by Mozart’s vivacious Marriage of Figaro Overture and Prokofiev’s dramatic Suite from Romeo and Juliet. Russian piano sensation Yulianna Avdeeva performs Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto, the work that first won the composer international fame. A feast of keyboard virtuosity and irresistible lyrical themes, it is highlighted by a magical Nocturne, in which a rapturously beautiful melody makes time stand still.

Marin Alsop, conductor 

PROKOFIEV Suite from Romeo and Juliet 

Originally wanting to give his ballet a happy ending, Prokofiev ultimately composed heartbreakingly beautiful music for the tale of the star-crossed lovers' deaths, alongside the shocking violence of the Capulet/Montague feud that dooms them.

Nicholas Hersh, conductor
Christylez Bacon, beatboxer
Wytold, electric cello

Program to include:
PROKOFIEV “Montagues and Capulets” from Romeo and Juliet
BACON/WYTOLD How to Play the Cello
SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 10, II. Allegro
BACON/WYTOLD It’s the Beatbox Baroque Style
WYTOLD Homework at Home and Bach Remix
BERNSTEIN Mambo from Overture to West Side Story

Imagine the sounds of the classics with a hip hop beat! Don’t miss this special program when the BSO joins with Grammy®-nominated beatboxer and progressive hip-hop artist Christylez Bacon and wildly original electric cellist/composer Wytold for a crash course in the fundamentals of remixing! Through beatboxing, improvising, and other creative techniques, these area favorites take inspiration from a Bach Prelude, Pachelbel’s Canon, Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony and other masterpieces and make them completely their own.

If you are a school, or reserving more than 20 tickets please fill out our reservation request form - Mid-Week Reservation Form. 

MUSIC FOR YOUTH+: ALL AGES (especially grades 3-8)

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: SOCIAL STUDIES, HISTORY, ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

Nicholas Hersh, conductor

Imagine the sounds of the classics with a Hip Hop beat! How about a mash-up with some cool rockin’ rhythms? Don’t miss this special program when the BSO joins with Grammy®-nominated beatboxer and multi-instrumentalist Christylez Bacon and wildly original electric cellist/composer Wytold for a crash course in the fundamentals of remixing! Through beatboxing, improvising and other creative techniques, these area favorites take inspiration from a Bach Prelude, Pachelbel’s Canon, Beethoven's Seventh Symphony and other masterpieces featured everywhere from movies to TV to weddings—and make them completely their own.

Join us immediately following each family concert for a buffet lunch in the Meyerhoff lobby. For tickets and more information, visit BSOmusic.org/family. Luncheon tickets purchased separately. Hosted by the Baltimore Symphony Associates.  

Join us immediately following the family concert for a buffet lunch in the Meyerhoff lobby. Luncheon tickets purchased separately. Hosted by the Baltimore Symphony Associates.

Lucas Waldin, conductor
Capathia Jenkins, vocalist
Darryl Williams, vocalist

A tribute to the Queen of Soul, this program features symphony favorite Capathia Jenkins performing such iconic hits as “Respect,” “A Natural Woman,” “Chain of Fools,” “Amazing Grace” and much more.

Nicholas McGegan, conductor and harpsichord
Avi Avital, mandolin

HAYDN Symphony No. 80 
VIVALDI Mandolin Concerto 
VIVALDI Lute Concerto in D Major 
BIZET Symphony No. 1 

Early-music specialist Nicholas McGegan returns to the BSO to lead a vibrant program of music for chamber orchestra, from Haydn’s effervescent Symphony No. 80 to two sunny Vivaldi concertos featuring Israeli mandolinist Avi Avital. The concert concludes with the youthful verve of Bizet’s Symphony No. 1, composed when he was 17 and a student at the Paris Conservatory.

Marin Alsop, conductor 
Cierra Byrd, mezzo-soprano
University of Maryland College Park Concert Choir
   Edward Maclary, director  
Peabody Children’s Chorus
     Doreen Falby, director

MAHLER Symphony No. 3 

Mahler’s Third Symphony is the heart of his symphonic output. In six movements, it looks at the totality of the natural world, beginning with plants and animals, rising to humans and culminating in the divine. Its last movement, which Mahler named, “What love tells me,” is a magnificent arc of melody, as beautiful as anything he wrote.

Jun Märkl, conductor
Ray Chen, violin

MESSIAEN The Forgotten Offerings 
SHOSTAKOVICH Violin Concerto No. 1 
RAVEL Pavane for a Dead Princess 
STRAUSS Death and Transfiguration 

Violin sensation Ray Chen returns to perform Shostakovich’s formidable First Violin Concerto, a deeply personal work that was hidden from the scrutiny of the Stalinist regime. The program also includes Ravel’s hauntingly beautiful Pavane for a Dead Princess and Richard Strauss' contemplative and powerful tone poem, Death and Transfiguration.

Cherry blossoms, sunshine, and budding flowers and trees herald spring with a BSO brass quintet! So refreshing!

Please note: Tickets for the Saturday, March 28 performances at AMP by Strathmore will be available soon.

Jun Märkl, conductor
Ray Chen, violin

SHOSTAKOVICH Violin Concerto No. 1 

Shostakovich's First Violin Concerto was composed during a time of severe censorship in Soviet Russia, so the composer did not premiere his work until after Stalin's demise. Violinist Ray Chen, winner of the Yehudi Menuhin and Queen Elisabeth competitions, illuminates the hidden messages of this highly personal work.

Marin Alsop, conductor 
David Fray, piano

ANNA CLYNE BSO Commission (World Premiere)
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 9, “Jeunehomme” 
FANNY MENDELSSOHN-HENSEL Overture in C Major 
FELIX MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 4, “Italian” 

A work newly commissioned by the BSO from the dynamic young British composer Anna Clyne is juxtaposed with Fanny Mendelssohn’s Overture in C Major. We also hear Fanny’s famous brother’s “Italian” Symphony, with its most joyous of all opening themes. French pianist David Fray performs Mozart’s youthful masterpiece of the classical style, the Piano Concerto No. 9.

The Chicago Multicultural Dance Center’s select Hiplet Ballerina Company makes their first appearance at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, fusing classical pointe technique with urban dance that is rooted in communities of color, fueled by inclusivity, modern movement, and Instagram-ready style. Come see the Company everyone is talking about during this special one night engagement. Hiplet Ballerinas first found fame in 2016 when their videos went viral on BuzzFeed, Good Morning America, and The Huffington Post. Since then, they’ve traveled the world performing at Fashion Week in Paris, at half-time shows for the NBA, and in Hong Kong’s Chinese New Years Day Parade.

Please note: The BSO is not performing on this program. Please note this performance was originally scheduled for Sunday, July 28 at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, and has been postponed to Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 3 pm.

Nicholas Hersh, conductor
Hubble Scientist, host TBA

STRAUSS On the Beautiful Blue Danube Waltz  
HOLST “Mars” from The Planets   
MOZART Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter,” I. Allegro vivace    
HOLST “Uranus” from The Planets    
HOHVANESS Symphony No. 48, “Vision of Andromeda,” II. Fugue
DEBUSSY Claire de Lune                                                                         
WILLIAMS “Adventures on Earth” from E.T.               

Experience otherworldly images of galaxies far, far away projected on a large screen above the stage, as a Hubble Scientist is your guide in this concert featuring music by Strauss, Mozart, Holst and more.  In celebration of the 30^th anniversary of the Hubble Telescope, this program is presented in collaboration with NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center and Space Telescope Science Institute.

If you are a school, or reserving more than 20 tickets please fill out our reservation request form - Mid-Week Reservation Form. 

Click here to view the Teacher's Activity Guide

PRIME TIME+: GRADES 3-6

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: SCIENCE, MATH, ART

Nicholas Hersh, conductor

Experience otherworldly images of galaxies far, far away as a Hubble Scientist is your guide in this concert featuring music by Strauss, Mozart, Holst and more. In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Hubble Telescope, this program is presented in collaboration with NASA, the Goddard Space Flight Center, and Space Telescope Science Institute.

Join us immediately following each family concert for a buffet lunch in the Meyerhoff lobby. For tickets and more information, visit BSOmusic.org/family. Luncheon tickets purchased separately. Hosted by the Baltimore Symphony Associates. 

Join us immediately following the family concert for a buffet lunch in the Meyerhoff lobby. Luncheon tickets purchased separately. Hosted by the Baltimore Symphony Associates.

Scott Terrell, conductor

Enjoy The Wizard of Oz on the big screen, and follow the yellow brick road with Dorothy and her friends as the BSO performs the Academy Award-winning score.

Peter Oundjian, conductor
University of Maryland College Park Concert Choir
     Edward Maclary, director

VIVIAN FUNG Dust Devils 
DEBUSSY Nocturnes 
HOLST The Planets 

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Hubble Telescope, the BSO salutes this historic milestone with performances of Holst’s The Planets, complete with Hubble photos and a special guest from NASA. The program also includes the tone poem Dust Devils by Canadian-born composer Vivian Fung and Debussy’s Nocturnes, the ultimate impressionist work capturing the beauty and wonders of Planet Earth.

Peter Oundjian, conductor

More an astrologer than an astronomer, Gustav Holst’s depiction of planets from our solar system has been sampled, stolen and cherished by the likes of Frank Zappa, John Williams and Hans Zimmer. The BSO salutes the 30th anniversary of the Hubble Telescope, complete with Hubble photos and a special guest from NASA.

HOLST The Planets 

Marin Alsop, conductor 
Olga Kern, piano
Hayley Abramowitz, soprano

ANNA CLYNE Restless Oceans (U.S. Premiere)
MAHLER Symphony No. 4 
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 3 

Rachmaninoff’s most virtuosic work, the thrilling and dauntingly difficult Third Piano Concerto, is performed by the great Russian pianist Olga Kern. First prize winner of the Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition when she was just 17, Kern is known for her vivid stage presence and extraordinary technique. The concert opens with a new work written by dynamic British composer Anna Clyne and Mahler’s enchanting Fourth Symphony.

Tweet, tweet! Soar like the little birdies flying through the air and nesting in the trees with a BSO flute, violin and viola trio.

Please note: Tickets for the Saturday, May 9 performances at AMP by Strathmore will be available soon.

Nicholas Hersh, conductor

The fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance as the Rebel Alliance continues its fight against the Empire in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. The iconic full-length film plays on the big screen as the BSO performs John Williams’ legendary score live.

The Saturday, May 9 performance has been rescheduled to Thursday, May 7. If you hold tickets for Saturday, May 9, new tickets will be reissued for the Thursday, May 7 performance. Tickets dated Saturday, May 9 will no longer be valid, and should be destroyed.

If you are unable to attend on Thursday, May 7, you have the option of moving to another date. In order to exchange, please contact the BSO Ticket Office at 410.783.8000 or ticketoffice@bsomusic.org. The deadline to exchange your tickets is Friday, August 2. After that date, tickets will automatically be reissued through the delivery method you selected at the time of purchase.

Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts in association with 20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm Ltd., and Warner /Chappell Music. © 2019 & TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

PREMIUM CONCERT

Itzhak Perlman, violin 

World-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman joins the Baltimore Symphony for its annual Gala Concert at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

For sponsorship opportunities and full Gala packages, please contact the Development Office at 410.783.8074.

(Please note that the BSO’s Gala has been rescheduled from September 14, 2019)

PREMIUM CONCERT

Paolo Bordignon, harpsichord
Emily Skala, flute
Jonathan Carney, violin
Peabody Dance Department
danah bella, director

BACH Orchestra Suite No. 3 
BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 
TELEMANN Don Quixote 
PURCELL The Fairy Queen: Suite No. 1 
HANDEL Water Music: Suite No. 2 

In a conductor-less program that puts the musicians of the BSO front and center, this concert explores the mastery of Bach and musical story-telling at its finest. Handel’s popular Water Music captures the audacious mood of George I’s boating parties on the Thames, while Telemann and Purcell depict two classics of literature, Don Quixote and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is a musical feast of high drama for those who love the colors and sonorities of Baroque music.

Evgeny Kissin, piano

BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 8, “Pathétique” 
BEETHOVEN Variations and Fugue, “Eroica” 
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 17, “The Tempest” 
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 21, “Waldstein” 

“Without question he is a phenomenal pianist, a deeply intuitive and sensitive musician,” The New York Times. One of the most gifted classical pianists of his generation, Evgeny Kissin performs a recital of Beethoven's treasured piano sonatas.

The BSO is not performing on this program.

PREMIUM CONCERT

Jack Everly, conductor
Baltimore Choral Arts Society,
    Anthony Blake Clark, director 

You’ll hear the most popular Broadway hits of this dynamic composer and lyricist duo, including selections from My Fair Lady, Camelot, Gigi and Brigadoon, performed by three exciting vocalists along with the BSO.

Marin Alsop, conductor
Viktoria Mullova, violin

BEETHOVEN Coriolan Overture 
BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto 
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral" 

The first orchestral program commemorating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth features the long-awaited BSO debut of renowned Russian violinist Viktoria Mullova, who performs Beethoven’s sublime Violin Concerto. Beethoven’s beloved “Pastoral” Symphony, evoking birdsong and flowing streams, takes us to the scene of a bucolic village and draws our attention to the beauty and fragility of the natural world.

Marin Alsop, conductor 
Wordsmith, spoken word artist
Morgan State University Choir, 
    Eric Conway, director
Community Chorus of Peabody
Voices Rise: A Baltimore Choir of Hope

REENA ESMAIL New Work (World Premiere)
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9, “Choral” 

The season closes with Beethoven’s ode to joy, the Ninth Symphony, which conveys his message about humankind. Reimagining the Ninth Symphony as a 21st-century call for unity, justice, and empowerment, Marin Alsop, the BSO and members of the rich musical community of Baltimore boldly interpret Beethoven’s ideas in response to today’s world.