Advocacy Alert: BSO $1.6M Appropriation on Board of Public Works Agenda

At the Wednesday, July 1 Board of Public Works (BPW) meeting, a proposal will be heard to cut the $1.6 million appropriation for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra from the State’s FY2021 budget (Fiscal Year beginning July 1). BSO President & CEO Peter Kjome will testify on behalf of the BSO Board of Directors, Musicians, and Staff, to respectfully reject this proposed elimination of the statutorily required appropriation.

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A Message from BSO President and CEO Peter Kjome

Dear Friends of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra,

It is with a spirit of gratitude that I write to share an update on our work. With your support, the pandemic that we are facing together has brought new urgency to our charge to innovate and collaborate. All of us look forward to the moment when the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra can safely return to the stage, and we will continue to keep you informed on our progress towards that goal in the weeks ahead.

As we maintain our commitment to the organizational transformation that began earlier this year, we also recommit ourselves to the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The BSO has stated unequivocally that it stands against racism and injustice. I share this message today following the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, and so many others. These heartbreaking losses have devastated the lives of countless people and their families across the nation.

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May 2020 President's Letter

Dear Friends of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra,

We hope that you are well and miss seeing you during this time of social distancing. All of us look forward to the moment when the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra can return to the stage, and we will continue to share great music with you until then.

The pandemic that we are facing together may have changed our world, but it has not changed our resolve. At the BSO, it has brought new urgency to our charge to innovate, collaborate and respond quickly to our community’s need for the comfort and solace that only music can provide.

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The BSO at the BBC Proms: A Gala Celebration on MPT

A Message to our Baltimore Symphony Friends,

Though the Baltimore Symphony’s Gala Celebration and Concert featuring Itzhak Perlman cannot proceed due to social distancing measures – we are delighted to announce that, on the same evening, Maryland Public Television is presenting the U.S. broadcast premiere of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s debut performance at the BBC Proms in London’s Royal Albert Hall, which took place in August 2018 during the BSO’s tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland.

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Workgroup on the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Report

Dear Friends of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra,

We are encouraged by the continued progress in creating a strong and thriving BSO. Community leaders are engaged, key stakeholders are engaged, state leaders are engaged, and national thought leaders are engaged as we pursue a compelling and achievable vision and model for the future.

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BSO Announcement Regarding Marin Alsop

Dear Friends of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra:

After fourteen extraordinary seasons as our Music Director, at the conclusion of her current contract in a year and a half on August 31, 2021, Marin Alsop will step down as Music Director. Beginning in September 2021, Marin will assume a new role with the BSO as Music Director Laureate and OrchKids Founder. Marin’s tenure as Music Director will represent one of the longest in the history of the BSO and one of the longest tenures of any Music Director in the nation.

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BSO Announces Five-Year Strategic Plan

Dear Friends of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra:

We are excited to announce the BSO’s five-year Strategic Plan, a transformative and sustainable plan for the future. The Plan is the result of deep analysis into performance and industry trends, as well as input from former Senator Ed Kasemeyer, Chairman of the State Workgroup on the BSO, and the advice of Michael Kaiser, the leading national consultant on cultural organization turn-arounds.

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Great news from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Dear Friends of the BSO:

We are delighted to announce some great news!

As we recently shared with you, the Vision Committee, the State Workgroup and the strategic engagement of national thought leaders including TDC and most recently Michael Kaiser, are helping to shape the comprehensive, collaborative and forward-looking work underway.

Today, we are pleased to share that in the last month the BSO has secured $6 million in extraordinary operating gifts as well as a $1.25 million endowment gift as a bridge to a bright future. We are thrilled by this generous outpouring of support, and it is certainly an inspirational example of how members of our community are responding to our multi-year planning efforts.

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