BSO – Baltimore Magazine

Jonathon Heyward is the Exact Right Conductor at the Exact Right Time for the BSO

Aaron Hope — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 16:15:32 +0000

Jonathon Heyward is the exact right conductor at the exact right time for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

By Max Weiss

Photography by Mike Morgan

ARTS & CULTURE

The Chosen One

Jonathon Heyward is the exact right conductor at the exact right time for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

By Max Weiss

Photography by Mike Morgan

Opening Spread: Heyward in front of the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, wearing his signature Converse.

September 2023

on stage at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. The assembled musicians, several in their formal concert attire, others in street clothes, are all doing different things: Some are talking and laughing. Some are playing scales. Some are tuning. Some are just making noise for the sake of it.

In the box seats, another group files in—they will be the chorus for tonight’s performance. They crane their necks and peer onto the stage. They squirm. They giggle. A harried minder tries to get them to stand up straight.

Of course, these aren’t members of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, but rather, members of OrchKids, the public-school music program started by Maestra Marin Alsop in 2008. Tonight is their 15th anniversary gala concert and this is the dress rehearsal. They’ll be playing a jazz- and gospel-tinged version of Matisyahu’s “One Day” arranged by Brian Prechtl, a percussionist with the BSO who also chairs the percussion department of OrchKids. He’s on stage now, getting their attention, and doing the warm-ups.

At some point, a tall, impossibly slender young Black man enters from stage right. He’s dressed casually in a blue button-up shirt, grey jeans, and a pair of his signature black Chucks. He’s holding a score.

Prechtl stops the playing to introduce him.

“This is Jonathon Heyward,” Prechtl says, “and he grew up in a music program a lot like this one.”

The kids applaud.

Prechtl turns things over to Heyward, the music director designate of the BSO—at 31 years old, he’ll be both the youngest and the first Black maestro in the orchestra’s history—and he sprints onto the podium.

“Hi everyone, how are you doing?” he says brightly.

“Gooooood.” It’s the rote reply of a bunch of kids who have answered this question way too many times before.

“How are you doing?” Heyward repeats, louder this time.

This time they’re more enthusiastic: “Good!”

“How does it feel to be at the Meyerhoff?” Heyward asks.

There are whoops and cheers.

“I just want you to know that this is your home. This space is your space,” Heyward says.

And he raises his arms and begins to conduct.

Even for this dress rehearsal with a bunch of high-school, middle-school, and elementary students, Heyward’s enthusiasm for music, for conducting, for the fellowship that music creates shines through.

“You’ve got all of your bow for a reason,” he says to the cellists. “You should use all of it!”

“Can you say ‘sss’ like a snake?” he instructs the chorus.

They imitate his “sss” sound. That’s how he wants them to enunciate the word “sometimes.”

“I think you can play louder than that!” he encourages. So they do.

And as he conducts, the music becomes better—the diminuendos softer, the fortes louder, the musical expression more precise.

“Thank you everyone for being amazing!” Heyward says, hopping off the podium, satisfied that they are ready for tonight’s performance. “Bravo!”

Heyward conducts the OrchKids gala dress rehearsal. —Courtesy of Max Weiss

THEY SAY IF YOU CAN SEE IT, you can be it. But that didn’t really apply to young Jonathon Heyward. He grew up in West Ashley, South Carolina, just outside of Charleston. His father, who is Black, was a chef. His mother, who is white and Yugoslavian, was a waitress. Money was a struggle. He and his younger brother, Anthony, shared a cramped room. At times they relied on food stamps.

It’s not just that there are only a handful of Black conductors on the world stage, even to this day. It’s that young Heyward would’ve had no exposure to them. Classical music wasn’t played around his house—or at any of his friends’ houses.

All that changed when he was introduced to orchestral music at his public elementary school. They were handing out instruments and he picked the cello, not because he was particularly drawn to it, but because the line was shorter than the one for the violin. Things like this happened to Heyward a lot. Little serendipitous moments that completely changed the course of his life.

He started to play, and he liked it. “It was an outlet,” he explains. “Still is an outlet. And, you know, my brother, who’s 13 months younger than me, is very much into sports. And that was his outlet. And I think when kids find their outlet, they’ve found their voice, so they stick to it, get enamored by it. So yeah, I was completely enamored by this new outlet of classical music.”

His mother took notice and decided to have Jonathon audition for the Charleston County School of the Arts at the age of 11. He admits that the audition went badly. He wasn’t really an advanced player, he just loved making music.

“The cello was bigger than he was,” chuckles Sarah Fitzgerald, the now-retired orchestra director of the school.

“He was so precious. And I can’t say that his audition was stellar. But we were like, this guy’s got something. We’re not real sure what it is, but it’s something.”

They added his name to the waitlist.

And then another one of those serendipitous things happened. A sixth grader dropped out of the program and Heyward got his slot. (In a further coincidence, that sixth grader, who joined the school the following year, would go on to become Heyward’s best man at his wedding.)

Heyward immediately loved the school. He felt like he was among his people.

“The school was a melting pot of different socio-economic backgrounds, religions, races, creeds,” he says. “But we were all interested in the arts. That was the link. I had friends who grew up in mansions. And it didn’t faze them one bit when they came to my house that I shared a small bedroom with my brother, and we slept on these tiny little cots. Because we all just loved music, it was our common ground. It taught me so much at such a young age about how we break barriers with the arts.”

Despite the slow start, he was getting better at the cello every day, and Fitzgerald, who remains close to Heyward and has watched his career take off with great pride, took notice.

“He was like a sponge,” she says. “I mean. . . he wanted to just soak up everything around him. He was always curious and always so appreciative of the opportunity—and he still is very appreciative. He’s just such a great guy.” She gets choked up for a second reflecting on her beloved pupil. “Anyway, I’m not gonna cry. . ."

Heyward tried his hand at conducting for the first time at the Charleston County School of the Arts and yes, it was the result of another bit of extraordinary happenstance.

There was a substitute teacher who didn’t know how to conduct. Names were put in a hat to determine which student would conduct that day. Heyward’s name was drawn. (You couldn’t make this sort of thing up.) He got to the podium, raised his hands over his head, and the orchestra sat up, in attention. Then he began to conduct—and they followed him, his emotions, his tempos. It was his first time experiencing the thrill of leading an ensemble.

He became obsessed, he says, not just with conducting, but with scores—those giant books containing all the different orchestral parts. “The idea that you can make one sound out of so many different voices, that’s still something that really inspires me today,” he explains. “And I think it’s what makes classical music so powerful, actually.” He would go home and actually read scores, for fun.

“I was a giant dweeb,” he admits. And he kept getting better.

Eventually, he attended the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, as a cellist. He told his professor that what he really wanted to do was conduct.

By junior year, he was named the assistant conductor of the school’s opera department.

After Boston, in 2014 he was accepted to the Royal Academy of Music to study conducting, which changed everything.

et's start with his voice. When you hear Charleston County Art School’s Sarah Fitzgerald speak, you’re struck by how Southern she sounds—it’s a voice that evokes sweet tea and grits and a rocking chair on a porch.

Heyward sounds nothing like that. He has a clipped, quasi-British accent—he sounds positively posh. It’s the result of years studying and conducting in London and living with his now-wife, Millie Aylward, who is English.

“I’ve been in London for 10 years,” he explains. “And my job is to listen. I think I just picked it up. I’m a bit of a chameleon, actually.”

(Aylward agrees with this. “When he comes back from Germany, he’ll have a slight German twinge,” she says.)

It makes sense that he would absorb accents differently from the rest of us. Accents have a certain music-like cadence—and Heyward’s life is music.

He met Aylward his first year at the Royal Academy. She was also doing her postgrad, studying the clarinet. (A soprano, she has since switched to studying and performing voice.)

She attended an orchestral workshop that Heyward conducted and was instantly smitten.

“I know it sounds cliché, but he popped onto the podium, and I just thought, ‘Oh great. I’m marrying him.’” She relays this in a matter-of-fact voice, like it was some official bit of business that she had settled. “And then we didn’t talk for the next two years!”

She says what initially drew her to Heyward was the sense of serenity about him. “He has this inner calm,” she explains. “And also, he felt very familiar to me, even though we had just met.”

Heyward had spotted her in the orchestra and felt similar stirrings. But both were too busy to pursue a relationship. (He also insists she gave him zero signs.) Then a few months before graduation, he got “the guts” to ask her out. They began dating, as though it had been preordained. They got married last May.

The proposal, as Aylward describes it, was very romantic and bit farcical—like something out of a Hugh Grant rom-com.

It was Christmas morning. One thing you have to know about Aylward is that she loves Christmas. Her job, which she took quite seriously, was to make Brussels sprouts for the family Christmas supper. The timing was essential—“nobody likes soggy Brussels sprouts,” Aylward says. But the previous night, Heyward insisted on going for a morning walk and wouldn’t take no for an answer. She indulged him, but said they would have to get up very early to do it.

“It was very cold, very dark, like very miserable,” she says. “We were walking in our wellies, the sun hadn’t even begun to rise yet. And we got into the middle of this field that’s near where my parents live. And then the sun started to rise. And it was really beautiful.”

At that point, she was ready to turn around. “He was dawdling,” she remembers. “I was like, ‘Jonathon, I’ve come for your walk, we’ve got to speed this up!’ And he started being really mushy and did this whole speech. And then he got down on one knee. And I was like, ‘Oh my God!,’” She laughs remembering it. “I had no idea what was going on.” As for the Brussels sprouts?

“I gave them to my sister [to make]. I said, ‘I just got engaged. You can handle the Brussels sprouts.’”

After the Royal Academy, Heyward’s career took off rapidly. While in school, he had won the Besançon, a prestigious conducting competition. It set him on his path—a job as conductor of the Hallé Youth Orchestra and assistant conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, England; an appointment as chief conductor of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie.

One day, while still with the Hallé, he forgot his shoes before an educational gig in front of Manchester school children. He was in a panic, but his supervisor told him it was too late to go home and get proper shoes—he’d have to conduct with his sneaks on. Later, he received feedback from the students on little cards, and “an overwhelming number of them said that what they enjoyed most about the concert was my red Converse.”

It was embarrassing, but it taught him a valuable lesson: “Suddenly, they related to me, and they related more to classical music, just because I was wearing Chuck Taylors. And I thought, how powerful is that? It was a way to break that barrier, that wall, which is so important to me. It wasn’t on purpose, it was just another serendipitous moment, but it stuck.”

It also earned him a new nickname, the Converse Conductor, which he still uses as his Instagram handle.

Heyward was young, he was hip, he was talented, and his star was on the rise. And then the BSO came calling.

t's a wonderful thing to watch Jonathon Heyward conduct. He doesn’t just dance on the podium, as many conductors do. But he seems to use his whole body, particularly his long, graceful hands and arms, in such a way as to make geometric shapes. There are circles and semicircles, arcs, and angles—it’s as though Bob Fosse himself had choreographed his movements. When he conducts, he tends to wear close-cropped Nehru-style jackets with sleeves that are a little too short, so you can see the top of his white dress shirt and not only his hands but his dancing wrists.

He has a musicality and a joie de vivre that oozes out of him. It’s noticed by orchestras and audiences alike.

It was certainly noticed by the hiring committee at the BSO. In 2021, artistic director Marin Alsop had stepped down after a 14-year tenure and the orchestra was looking for her successor. While her years with the orchestra—which included a Grammy nomination for the orchestra’s performance of Bernstein’s Mass, a performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall, and a slew of community outreach initiatives, including OrchKids and the BSO Academy—could only be described as a success, her initial hiring had been somewhat controversial. The musicians felt they hadn’t been sufficiently consulted during the hiring process, which led to a tense start for the new maestra.

Current BSO executive director Mark Hanson was determined to do it right this time. He assembled a hiring committee that included several musicians, board members, staff members, and even some members of the community. And after each auditioning conductor rehearsed and performed with the orchestra, members were asked to fill out a card assessing their abilities. Hanson put a lot of weight on those assessments.

The first time Heyward conducted the BSO, in March of 2022, he was tackling the tricky and rarely played Shostakovich 15th Symphony. He knew it was an audition to be the permanent maestro. And it was like being thrown into the deep end.

“I had never conducted it,” says Heyward. “And they had never played it. It could’ve gone wrong very quickly.” Instead, the performance was a rousing success—he got several curtain calls. And what’s more, he and the orchestra developed an immediate simpatico.

“From the start of the rehearsal, he was doing all of the tangible and intangible things that you want from a conductor,” says BSO first violinist Greg Mulligan, who was a member of the search committee. “You want a traffic cop at times, but only when you need a traffic cop. The rest of the time you want inspiration. And he was giving us that.”

Associate principal second violinist Ivan Stefanovic was similarly inspired. “At the Meyerhoff, it’s very easy to play with a full sound all the time and to forget what a true pianissimo is,” he explains. “Because it’s a loud hall, you have to try harder to play with an intimate sound. And my God, in the first rehearsal already, Jonathon was having us play some dynamics and colors that I had not heard in a while. It was remarkable.”

(Heyward’s contrasting dynamics seem to be something of a specialty. In a Washington Post review of a May concert, critic Michael Andor Brodeur wrote, “Heyward’s way of bringing out the softer side of this orchestra is what intrigues me most about his forthcoming tenure.”)

The response was so overwhelmingly positive, BSO officials invited Heyward back a month later, in late April of 2022, this time for a benefit concert for Ukraine. Once again, crowds were euphoric.

The committee was getting to know Heyward better, too, seeing not just his talent and his rapport with the orchestra, but his bone-deep belief in programs like OrchKids and his commitment to making the Meyerhoff a more welcoming, inclusive space. Even as a guest conductor, he was keen on exploring Baltimore—the Lexington Market, Mt. Vernon Place—and interacting with its people.

“He’s an ideal music director for an organization that is very much about evolving as an institution to ensure that we not only continue to inspire and engage longtime audience members, but find the next generation of audience members,” says Hanson.

The committee knew that if they didn’t act quickly, Heyward would likely be snatched up by another orchestra. (Case in point, in the last year alone, he was named “One to Watch” on the Bloomberg 50 list and was appointed summer director of New York’s Mostly Mozart festival.)

That July, Heyward was formally announced as the BSO’s new maestro.

eyward doesn't have a lot of hobbies—remember, this is a man who likes to read orchestral scores for fun.

He is, however, a hardcore espresso drinker. Aylsworth says he always has a collection of coffee-stained demitasse cups that pile up on his nightstand and desk in Folkestone, the southeast England town where the couple has a house. This is mostly because he’s gotten so engrossed in whatever musical passage he’s studying, he forgets to take them to the sink. Otherwise, he’s good at doing his share of chores around the house. “He’s a modern man,” she says.

To that end, Heyward has recently embarked on a new hobby, one that engages all of his senses—he’s taken up flying.

“For my birthday last year, my darling wife got me my first flying lesson,” Heyward says. “And I’ve been hooked since. It’s something completely different. And I think it’s the only time where music isn’t playing in my brain, because I have to focus so much. I love it.”

Aylsworth isn’t too worried about the potential danger of her husband’s new pastime—she says it’s nice for him to have a pursuit that’s completely separate from music. “You have to have time away from music in order to bring something back into the music,” she explains. For now, she’s still in England, studying voice, but she’ll hopefully move to Baltimore later this month—at least part time; Heyward says they’re looking to find a loft-style apartment, possibly in Canton or Fells Point.

Of course, the life of a conductor, even one with a permanent appointment, is peripatetic. There are guest conducting jobs, world tours, and summer festivals. Aylsworth, who describes the whirlwind of the past two years—COVID, followed by Heyward’s rapid hiring—as “surreal,” says she likes to travel with her husband whenever possible. As a singer, she brings her “instrument” wherever she goes. And Heyward says he never would’ve accepted the position without her blessing. Luckily, she is as bullish on Baltimore as he is. “The people are just so unbelievably friendly,” she gushes.

At 31, Heyward will be one of the youngest music directors in the country. This gives him lots of advantages— an exuberance, an energy, even a touch of irreverence.

And we’ve already seen his cheeky personality come out on stage.

During a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in May (he conducted a few concerts this spring, in anticipation of his full-time appointment), the crowd got a little too excited and applauded after the first movement. This is a classical music no-no, but exactly the kind of thing Heyward wants to encourage—why shouldn’t they applaud in the middle of the piece? But the cheering went on a bit too long. Heyward swiveled on the podium and said, “Wait, there’s more.”

It happened again, later that month, after the prelude to Xavier Foley’s “Soul Bass.” This time, Heyward turned to the crowd and quipped, “It gets better.”

These incidents demonstrated a couple of things: One, that Heyward is comfortable breaking the “fourth wall” of classical music—he wants it to be fun, not this rarefied, intimidating thing. He also is clearly bringing new fans to the Meyerhoff, people who are perhaps not steeped in classical protocol, who don’t sit on their hands between movements and try so hard not to cough it results in a coughing fit.

On the other hand, being a young conductor is not without its challenges. For one thing, he’s learning a lot of these massive works of repertoire for the first time. How does he gain the respect of seasoned musicians who have possibly played the piece dozens, if not hundreds of times? As always, it comes down to the music.

“What I learned the most, as I explore life as a young conductor, is that if you have a common ground of just purely making music and collaborating, people will, nine times out of 10, be on your side,” Heyward says. “If you show the passion and love for the art form, that can be your driving force.”

That love of music is the thing that has propelled him throughout his career. He never really needed to “see it to be it,” because he was always following his own calling, his own muse. He never gave much thought to his age, or the color of his skin, or his relative inexperience. It was always about making music.

But he’ll never forget how it all started. At a public-school music program, where he stood in a shorter line and picked the cello, and at a school for the arts, where he first found his outlet—and his tribe.

The week he was in town for that Ukraine benefit—mind you, this was before he was named music director—he went to visit the OrchKids.

“He spent like three hours actually going around to two of our main sites and talking to all the students and teachers,” says Nick Skinner, the OrchKids VP. “And it was just such a beautiful experience to have someone so willing to give his time for something he’s so passionate about. And the students connected to him so well, because this was someone who had been on a similar journey as some of them. I remember thinking, ‘I hope [the BSO] hires him, because he will be so good for us.’”

It’s no secret that attendance is down at symphony halls across the country, as orchestras struggle to attract young and diverse audiences.

This is why Heyward’s appointment is so crucial. He wants to bring new people into the Meyerhoff. He wants to strip orchestral performance of its perceived stuffiness. He wants everyone, as he told those OrchKids players, to feel like this is their home. And he wants to be a role model so that young people, especially young Black people, can “see themselves on that stage.”

“Because if a 10-year-old boy from Charleston, South Carolina, can be enamored by this music, I think anyone can,” he says. “I really believe that.”

Source

Brava, Maestra!

Max Weiss — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 13:50:51 +0000

BSO's Marin Alsop on stage at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. —Photography by Mike Morgan

The word trailblazer is perhaps thrown around too casually, along with the word genius. Both, however, apply to Maestra Marin Alsop, the history-making outgoing music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

During the course of her 14-year-tenure with the BSO, she became something of an international celebrity—a highly sought-after guest conductor, festival curator, and pedagogue—as well as a role model to aspiring female leaders everywhere. While she is technically continuing a relationship with the BSO as Music Director Laureate and OrchKids Founder, she will be focusing on her many other endeavors—in particular, her role as Chief Conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra in Austria.

Alsop’s years with the BSO were marked by soaring highs—a celebrated discography (14 of them), a prestigious world tour, community outreach programs that integrated the symphony with its city in unprecedented ways—as well as some undeniable lows: labor disputes, financial problems, and a few infamous clashes among the musicians.

Indeed, even Alsop’s arrival was not without controversy. While most of the world was celebrating her historic appointment in 2007—she was (and remains) the only female conductor to lead a major U.S. orchestra—many members of the orchestra groused about it, feeling they weren’t suitably consulted over her hiring.

In classic Alsop style, she confronted the players head on, saying, essentially: Do you want me here or not? Thank goodness for Baltimore, they wanted her. Almost a decade and a half later, she is leaving the orchestra—and the city of Baltimore—better than she found it.

You’re leaving the BSO after 14 years. How are you feeling about that?
I guess I shouldn’t say I feel great, but I feel great about it. I feel like I accomplished most of what I wanted to. I did as good a job as I think I could have. It was a really long run, and we saw lots of ups and downs. I’m super excited about what I’m doing now [with Vienna Radio Symphony]. It’s nice to have a change in life and open a new chapter and explore some new things. And I’m especially happy that I will continue a relationship with the orchestra for many years to come. That is something that hasn’t traditionally happened with exiting music directors at the Baltimore Symphony.

You’re 64. It’s great that in your line of work you can keep getting opportunities like this.
Yeah, but that said, you don’t see a lot of old ladies on the podium throughout the world, so there’s still a little bit of room to go. That’s one of my new missions—to talk about aging for women and the perception in society. But I have to say that moving my focus more to Europe has been really fun, and I’m really enjoying my time in Vienna. I think the United States is very entrenched in certain images of women. It’s very, very hard to change that perception. And I’m not saying that Europe is the mecca of open-mindedness, but they’ve been extraordinarily welcoming to me.

The maestra at the podium. —Courtesy of The BSO

Of course, you had a hand in changing the perception of female conductors around the world.
I hope so, yeah. I think the #MeToo movement really kicked it into gear. Without that, I don’t think we would have seen the dramatic changes we’ve seen in the last few years. It’s only been the last five years that orchestras have been open to inviting women to guest conduct, women from a variety of backgrounds. There have been incredibly talented women and people of color around for centuries, but they simply were not given a chance. Because they were consciously kept out. The organizations and institutions haven’t been open to them—until now. Suddenly everything is really transformed because of #MeToo and Black Lives Matter. Finally. It’s great.

You’ve been pushing for this sort of thing for years.
A couple of years ago, I did a whole manifesto for the BSO about diversity and inclusion, but it [never happened]. Maybe everything is catching up to itself now.

You’ve always been ahead of the curve.
[Laughs wryly] There’s a certain amount ahead of the curve that is a great amount. And then there’s a further amount ahead of the curve that is not helpful. I’m always way too far ahead of the curve! I think the classical music industry is so conservative. They start to do something one way and then they do it that way for a hundred years.

“YOU DON’T SEE A LOT OF OLD LADIES ON THE PODIUM THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.”

One thing I admire about you: As a woman, you’ve encountered doubters in your career, but you’ve never let them define you. You set out to prove people wrong.
I think when people say you can’t do something, there’s part of you that gets crushed by that, for sure. And you start to have self-doubt. But I think the much bigger part of me gets really mad. Because it’s not fair. I think inequity and injustice are the biggest motivators. If I don’t stand up for justice, people who don’t have the same stubborn qualities, the same thick skin, they’re really going to get hit hard. I feel like that’s my job. I’m going to stand in front of them.

By the time this story comes out, you’ll have given the commencement speech at Juilliard. What do you plan to say to the students?
That it’s probably the most important graduating class in their entire history [because of the social and cultural changes that are going on]. They stand at the crossroads of what art is going to be moving forward. What kind of relationship is society going to have to art and art to society? What kind of responsibility does art have to society? It’s going to be up to these young people to really carry that mantle forward, to make some kind of cohesive statement.

Alsop with a young violinist from OrchKids. —Courtesy of The BSO

After 14 years, what accomplishment at the BSO are you most proud of?
I would say the artistic quality of the orchestra. I think the orchestra now plays at a comparable level to the leading orchestras of the world. Technically, musically, in terms of sound palette and colors, I think the orchestra is right up there.

Next would probably be the discography that I leave them with. They’re all of extraordinary high quality. So that’s a nice legacy to leave. We’ve done some wonderful commissions. Tried to really diversify the repertoire. Bring in new composers. Feature Baltimore composers like Chris Rouse or regional composers like James Lee [III]. Celebrate creativity from the region.

And then, I’d say, the initiatives I was able to start. OrchKids, of course. And the Rusty Musicians program. And the BSO-Peabody Conducting Fellowship program. All of these things have brought a different dimension of access and inclusion to the table.

OrchKids is such a legacy. You changed lives.
The program did. I hope I contributed a little bit. The fact that [the students] see me as somebody from the neighborhood—Miss Marin: “Oh, if she can do it, I can do it.” I like that. I like that they’re so comfortable at the concert hall. They’re so comfortable listening to concerts. They’re so comfortable in front of people. The program has given them not just musical skills but also social poise. They’re really capable kids now. They can get out there and be leaders in the community. I think that’s great.

Famously, the orchestra took to the streets to perform during the Freddie Gray Uprising. What was that moment like?
It’s very important to me that you understand the impetus for that. That came from the musicians, not from me. And it was Michael Lisicky, the second oboe, who really spearheaded the idea of just stepping into the street and playing as a response. I called him and said, “Hey, if you need a conductor let me know. I’ll happily join you.” I was just a tagalong. I wish that, in that moment, we could’ve moved things forward more. To me, it was lost time between Freddie Gray and losing George Floyd.

What are some of your regrets about your tenure?
I would’ve really loved to have gotten the musicians integrated into the OrchKids program in a more meaningful way—built an ecosystem that included that program. I hope in the future that the orchestra will consider apprenticeships for the super-talented kids in OrchKids. Like, a junior apprenticeship for the top five, ten kids to come and play in rehearsals, to be mentored by some of the musicians. It could also change the complexion of the orchestra on stage, the demographics. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

Another thing I would’ve liked to accomplish, something I’ve been talking about for 10 years, is an urban redevelopment project centered on the Meyerhoff that would create a kind of arts place, an arts destination, not just for music but also for the visual arts, involving MICA, involving The Lyric. There are just so many resources. Center Stage is close by. My vision was to try to create a destination that had retail and residential and lots of creativity. Maybe a community arts center. People from the community could come and bring their kids and do things.

I mean, that’s a big lift and a big dream. But there are so many incredible creative resources in Baltimore, right? To try to connect them all up in some meaningful way would be so powerful. One of the problems is that the rest of the United States doesn’t recognize what we have in Baltimore. We haven’t been able to get together to promote it enough.

“I THINK INJUSTICE AND INEQUITY ARE THE BIGGEST MOTIVATORS.”

The BSO was more integrated in the community than ever before. Did you feel a responsibility to open the often rarefied world of classical music up to the people of Baltimore?
I did. And I do. I feel that’s part of the responsibility of being a leader. You create as much opportunity for as many people from as many varied backgrounds as possible. I think art is owned by people. I don’t think art is owned by the privileged. That’s wrong. And I really believe in access and inclusion. That’s my biggest passion.

A BSO selfie at the famous BBC Proms event. —Courtesy of The BSO

I felt like Baltimore audiences formed a real love affair with the orchestra—and you in particular.
Yeah, Baltimore audiences are awesome. They’re rowdy. It’s the only classical concert I do where people are whistling and catcalling. I’m like, bring it on, people! And the audiences have done so much. And our supporters and donors have done so much. I can’t thank them enough, really. The musicians are rock stars in Baltimore. That’s a really important part of the equation.

Now that you’re stepping down, will you watch the BSO from afar like it’s your child?
No, it’s more like being the grandparent. You can enjoy the kids. But you get to go home. I’m already feeling that. When the arguing starts or the, you know, the consternation or the divisiveness, I’m like, “Okay, see ya!” And that is a really nice place to be.

All the good stuff, none of the hassle.
Exactly. I think that’s what being a grandparent is supposed to be about.

What will you miss most about Baltimore?
Well, I’m not leaving Baltimore. I teach at Peabody, and I adore my position there. We love our house [in Roland Park]. For me, besides the orchestra, of course, whom I adore, I really love the people of Baltimore. When I’m away that’s what I miss most. I had a great run. And I’m not really going. I’ll still be around.

Source

GameChanger: Wordsmith

Lauren Cohen — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 15:57:03 +0000

—Photography by Mike Morgan

Over the past decade, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has strived to break down cultural barriers, defy the limitations of genre, and free classical music from its perceived ivory tower. Now, they’re taking that mission one step further with the two-year appointment of Anthony Parker—aka the rapper Wordsmith—as an official Artistic Partner, where he’ll reimagine classical standards and advise the BSO on more inclusive programming. We caught up with Wordsmith to discuss his new role.

You’re a rapper. How did you even get involved with the BSO?
A couple years ago, I ran into [BSO vice president] Tonya Robles at Light City. She said, “I don’t know if this is up your alley, but would you be interested in working with the orchestra—doing some new interpretations of old music, writing some new material?” I said, “Yeah, this is on my bucket list!” Plenty of times I walked past the Meyerhoff from my house [in West Baltimore] and said, “I’m going to be there some day, somehow. I don’t know how, but I’m going to be there.” The first project I worked on was [Saint-Saën’s] “Carnival of the Animals.” I used the original text as a guide and updated it for more modern times. It didn’t sound so old anymore.

From there, you did a remix of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” and hosted the BSO’s annual gala. And then they offered you this Artistic Partner role.
To be honest with you, I didn’t just want to take a position with a name and a title, where I was just there. It was about the BSO being held accountable. It was about me being held accountable as well. I expressed to them that as Artistic Partner, I wanted to create diversity-driven programs that can bring more of the Black community, the Latino community, the indigenous community into the BSO, because when I was on the outside—and I know a lot of minorities feel this way—you look at it and go, “That’s not a place for me. I don’t feel welcome there.” I also told them it had to be more than a one-year deal. Because some of the programs we want to work on are going to take longer.

You seem particularly keen on expanding hip-hop’s boundaries, as well.
Music is universal. I’ve learned that through my concerts and workshops and international travels. I go to different countries and sometimes they can’t speak English, but music speaks for you. The basis of hip-hop is storytelling. And classical music tells the greatest stories, just through instrumentation. You can literally close your eyes and it will take you to so many different places. There’s a stigma that only one group of people should be playing and listening to classical music. And that’s just so far from the truth. My words are just enhancing it.

What would you say to young people or people of color who feel like the BSO is not for them?
I would tell them that we have a brand new [Black] assistant conductor, Jonathan Rush. We have me coming in as Artistic Partner. We’re going to be doing programs that are relatable to every community out here in the city. I’m doing a retelling of [Stravinsky’s] “A Soldier’s Tale,” but I’m telling it from the perspective of a Black soldier during Vietnam and the Civil Rights movement. My job is to make it more relatable. I want to be an asset to not just the BSO but to my community. I just want to be a bridge.

Source

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is Back at the Meyerhoff

Lauren Cohen — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 18:07:19 +0000

—Photography by Mike Morgan

This October, as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra launched its 104th season, musicians took to the stage in their formal attire and performed to a largely empty Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

A small team of engineers checked sound and video as the new high-definition cameras livestreamed the performance directly into the audience’s homes.

“We’re trying to embrace the weirdness of this time,” says associate conductor Nicholas Hersh, pictured right, who, like his colleagues, wore a mask. “The music is still here, and we’re working as hard as we can to keep it a part of everyone’s lives.”

An extension of BSO OffStage, a digital platform launched in the wake of COVID-19, the new BSO Sessions brings the players back to the stage after a summer of canceled concerts. Smaller, socially distanced string ensembles (for now at least—wind players can’t wear face coverings) will be performing an innovative repertoire focused on diversity and inclusion.

“The halt of live music hurt, but orchestras needed this time to reflect and improve,” says Jonathan Rush, pictured left, the BSO’s new assistant conductor. “We have such a cool opportunity to present voices we don’t often hear in classical music. I think the world is tired of the old, dead, white men. Let’s bring on women composers and composers of color and explore what else the world has to offer.”

Source

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Enters a New Era

Lydia Woolever — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 12:00:15 +0000

This time last year, musicians gathered outside of the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, but instead of instruments, they held picket signs to protest a summer-long lockout and series of contentious contract negotiations at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

This fall, however, it’s a much different scene for the 104-year-old symphony, which has just reached a new five-year agreement between musicians and management—the first long-term contract since the last ended in 2016—marking a new chapter on the eve of their 2020-2021 season.

“It’s an astonishing reversal of fortune,” says percussionist Brian Prechtl, who is also co-chairman of the players’ committee. “There’s a very long history of adversity and distrust at the BSO, but we’re trying to move to a new paradigm—one of collaboration, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Even in the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic, which arrived in Maryland just as the bargaining process began again in March, the new agreement creates an unprecedented sense of stability for an orchestra long mired in internal—but rather public—disputes. But the changes afoot are the result of many conversations over the last year, through the recently established “vision committee,” including various stakeholders, from musicians and board members to community leaders, as well as the General Assembly’s mandated state working group. The organization also received advice from “turnaround king” consultant Michael Kaiser, who was hired by the BSO last fall and is credited with helping to revive the American Ballet Theatre, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Royal Opera House in London during times of trouble.

“We’re working together in ways we haven’t in many, many years,” says president and CEO Peter Kjome. “The pandemic may have changed our world, but it hasn’t changed our resolve to share great music and chart the course for the future.”

Due to financial pressures associated with COVID-19, with in-person concerts cancelled through November 29, musicians will take a pay cut this season, starting with a 26 percent decrease in base compensation before gradual increases through 2025, ultimately reaching a minimum annual wage of $90,100—which is more than six percent increase from pre-pandemic salaries. Musicians say this new figure will help retain and attract world-class musicians. And in that vein, the organization will also restore the number of full-time musicians from 75 to 85 over the next five years, moving closer to a peak of 98 in the early 2000s.

“This isn’t some number pulled out of the blue,” says Prechtl, noting that the country’s top orchestras have more than 100 musicians. “It was decided by Tchaikovsky and Brahms and Strauss and Mahler, many, many years ago. That’s what it takes to play the great works of art.”

Also part of the BSO’s five-year contract, and inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, is the formation of a new task force to address diversity, inclusion, and equity within the organization—which will include examining hiring and audition practices as well as establishing fellowship programs. In early September, assistant conductor Jonathan Rush and artistic partner Wordsmith were appointed to the BSO’s artistic team, joining cellist Esther Mellon as the orchestra’s only African-American artists. Rush, a 25-year-old conducting fellow alum of the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra, will join associate conductor Nicholas Hersh on the podium. Local rapper Wordsmith will serve as an advisor and collaborator, presenting original orchestral projects throughout the season, including an accompaniment to Igor Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale, featuring the perspective of a Black soldier during the civil rights movement.

“We all agree that we need to do more,” says Kjome. “We’re looking forward to welcoming these additional voices to these important conversations.”

All of these changes arrive as part of a broader five-year strategic plan, created with Kaiser and announced in February, which aims to solve the BSO’s financial woes. Earlier this winter, the organization raised upwards of $7 million towards a $15 million, multi-year goal of public and private funds, plus $1.25 million toward its $60 million endowment.

“The stars sort of aligned,” says Prechtl of the donations. “That kind of dedication attracts others who have been waiting to see what will happen. I think more people will step forward. And it’s really important that we now do everything we can to drive contributed revenue, because we’ll have very little earned income to balance the books this year.”

Both the musicians and management agree that the conflict and compromise of 2019 has allowed the BSO, which did receive a Paycheck Protection Program loan, to better weather the calamity of COVID-19.

The orchestra was already operating on a reduced schedule when it pivoted to all online content via its BSO OffStage platform this spring, featuring livestreamed performances, virtual discussions, and podcasts.

February’s strategic initiative had also committed to investing in livestreaming technology, which the BSO will utilize this fall during a brand-new digital concert series, with newly installed robotic cameras bringing the symphony home to an expanded audience. Rehearsals have resumed at the Meyerhoff, but safety protocols are still being solidified, such as smaller ensembles and a socially distanced stage. Aerosols produced during woodwind performances still an area of concern.

“There’s been tremendous innovation during these times,” says Kjome. “While we might not be able to fit all of the musicians on stage for a Mahler symphony, there is some remarkable music we’re going to be performing that our audiences have not heard in a long time, if ever.”

There’s a palpable sense of excitement in the air.

“We’re hopeful,” says Prechtl. “I think we’re on the cusp of the next golden age of the BSO.”

Source

Weekend Lineup: May 1-3

Lauren Cohen — Fri, 01 May 2020 09:30:00 +0000

EAT

May 3: Blue Moon Cafe’s Breakfast To-Go

1621 Aliceanna St. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. 410-522-3940

Since restaurants were forced to shut down in March, brunch lovers have been missing this tried-and-true mid-morning spot (and bonafide hangover helper). After weeks of longing for Blue Moon’s massive breakfast platters and famous Cap’n Crunch French Toast, fans will be happy to hear that chef Sarah Simington is launching carryout service this Sunday. For the first run, expect classics like the “Sweet Baby Jesus” (hash browns topped with jumbo lump crab, fresh diced tomatoes, cheddar cheese, eggs, and hollandaise) and sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches. Place your order online by noon on Friday, wait for your confirmation, pick up curbside from the Fells Point location at your preferred time Sunday, and prepare for all of your brunch dreams to come true.

DRINK

May 2-3: Nepenthe Brewing Co.’s First Can Release

3626 Falls Road. 2-8 p.m. $14-18

The team at this Hampden favorite just added a special new offering to its takeout menu, which already highlights everything from sandwiches and frites to growlers and bottled cocktails. This weekend, the brewery is celebrating its first-ever can release with three beers available in four packs for curbside pickup. Head to Nepenthe’s website to order the newly canned “Lord Bones” double dry-hopped milkshake IPA, “Dubbabeebweepa” double IPA, and the “Tiny Tyrant: Idaho Gem” single hop pale ale. Regulars might recognize the can art by illustrator Mike Moses, whose pieces are on display in the taproom. Pre-sale will be live until 3 p.m. Friday.

SEE

May 2: Healthcare Heroes Day

Multiple locations including Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium.

At a press conference earlier this week, Gov. Larry Hogan declared Saturday, May 2 to be Heathcare Heroes Day in Maryland. To honor the selfless efforts of doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other providers fighting on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, landmarks throughout the state—including the Annapolis State House, M&T Bank Stadium, and Camden Yards—will be illuminated blue. Additionally, the Navy’s Blue Angels and Air Force’s Thunderbirds are scheduled to fly over Maryland Saturday. Head outside to watch the planes overhead, take a drive to see the glowing blue buildings, or don some blue gear throughout the day to show your support for our healthcare workers. “These men and women are as compassionate as they are fearless,” Hogan said in a statement. We couldn’t agree more.

HEAR

May 1 & 3: BSO Off-Stage Performances

Facebook Live. Friday 7:30-8:30 p.m., Sunday 3-4 p.m. Free.

As much as we wish we could enjoy these BSO performances from the seats of the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, a comfy sofa or outdoor patio chair will be as good a venue as any to take in the solo concerts. First up is principal oboist Katherine Needleman, who has organized a Friday-night lineup including the “Solo Sonata” by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. If you prefer to tune in on Sunday afternoon, catch violinist Greg Mulligan performing the first four movements of Bach’s “Partita in D Minor,” as well as the “Largo and Allegro assai” from Bach’s Sonata No. 3 on his Baroque violin.

DO

May 2: Virtual Kinetic Sculpture Race Salute

Zoom. 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Free

On the day that would have hosted the American Visionary Art Museum’s 22nd-annual Kinetic Sculpture Race—one of the city’s most beloved events in which makers race wacky, imaginative, human-powered works of art made from used bicycle parts—organizers are still celebrating by live-streaming a portion of the opening ceremony. Each year before peddlers take off, Sister Euphonia O’Blivion (aka Joe Wall) performs a blessing of the feet. This year, the virtual “Blessing of De-Feet” will undoubtedly feel a bit different, but it’s still an opportunity for devotees to don clean socks, throw on a costume, and show their support for the time-honored tradition.

Source

Four Key Updates on the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Lydia Woolever — Thu, 21 Nov 2019 10:58:00 +0000

It’s been a long, strange year for the century-old Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: ongoing contract negotiations that tumbled into labor disputes, the cancellation of the summer season, a highly publicized lockout of the musicians by BSO management, months of player protests outside the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Then this fall, just before the official postponement of the 2019-2020 season, both parties reached a one-year agreement that resulted in the meeting of many of the players’ demands, such as salary increases, continued benefits, and the reinstitution of the orchestra’s summer performances. And since the new shows launched in late September, even more has happened. Here, we help you catch up.

BSO Brings In Outside Help

Earlier this week, the BSO hired Michael Kaiser to act as an adviser for the organization’s multi-year strategic plan. Dubbed a “Turnaround King” by The Washington Post, Kaiser is credited with helping to revive the American Ballet Theatre, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Foundation, and the Royal Opera House in London during times of trouble. President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in D.C. for over a decade, he also created the DeVos Institute of Arts Management, which is now headquartered at the University of Maryland. The appointment was applauded by both the symphony management and the players’ committee. “Mr. Kaiser has an impressive track record of increasing revenues for arts organizations, and his arrival is welcomed by management, board and musicians alike,” wrote the Baltimore Symphony Musicians group on Facebook. “We look forward to building the healthy, vibrant orchestra that Baltimore and Maryland deserve.”

Marin Alsop Hints at Her Departure

Last week, Maestra Marin Alsop expressed frustration and disappointment with operations at the BSO, according to the Sun. Alsop had refrained from speaking publicly about the contentious contract negotiations between players and management that took place earlier this year, but during a work group meeting created by the state to help resolve the BSO’s financial woes, the veteran conductor—who joined the BSO in 2007—was vocal about lack of communication, poor support of programming, and missed opportunities within the organization. “The Baltimore Symphony is the only major orchestra in the United States to have a woman as its leader, and we haven’t capitalized on that once,” said Alsop, who also hinted at her departure. “I’m nearing the end of my tenure here.”

The Board Embraces Change

Following the organization’s new contract agreement, the BSO announced the re-election of 10 members of the organization’s Board of Directors in late September. But there were also big changes. After five years, Board Chair Barbara Bozzuto has been replaced by Barry Rosen, being named Chair Laureate where she will continue to work with the BSO in its fundraising efforts.

Bozzuto was the orchestra’s first female board chairwoman at the time of her election in 2014. She has been both applauded for her contributions to the BSO—such as serving as acting CEO during an eight-month transitional period and overseeing a campaign that raised nearly $50 million for the organization—as well as critiqued for the board’s recent handling of contract negotiations and the subsequent lockout, which the musicians maintained would be dire and damaging to both the players and the institution.

Rosen is the former Vice Chair of the BSO board and acting CEO and chairman of health-care law firm Gordon Feinblatt LLC. “Barbara Bozzuto is a hard act to follow, but I am excited to work as hard as I can during these important times for the BSO,” he said in a press release at the time of his promotion. Meanwhile, “Barry has shown an interest in welcoming the musicians and other constituents into the decision-making processes of the BSO,” said Brian Prechtl, co-chair of the players’ committee, to the Sun. “The musicians hope for a new era of cooperation.”

The 2019-2020 Season is Underway

After an uncertain summer, the new BSO season opened in late September to many a standing ovation with performances such as Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4, Alsop’s Off The Cuff series, and a special night with Leslie Odom Jr. of Hamilton fame. Later this month, the revered Preservation Hall Jazz Band will perform on Thanksgiving weekend, while a holiday lineup features Handel’s Messiah, a Cirque de Soleil version of The Nutcracker, and a Holiday Spectacular show with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society. The new year will also bring a Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra recital, a tribute to the late Aretha Franklin, and more film screening and score presentations, such as Amadeus and The Wizard of Oz.

Stay tuned for more coverage of the BSO.

Source

Culture Club: Charm City Fringe Festival, Elizabeth Catlett, and An Evening with Mike Rowe

Christine Jackson — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 13:46:00 +0000

Visual Art

Eye to Eye

Rethink the way African-American male bodies are viewed at this new exhibition featuring artists Christopher Batten, Schroeder Cherry, and James Williams II. Observations are both welcomed and obscured in these three contemporary painters’ works. Stop by Oct. 10 from 5-8 p.m. to celebrate the pieces at the opening reception. Oct. 10 through Nov. 9. Catalyst Contemporary, 523 N. Charles St.

Elizabeth Catlett: Artist as Activist

Elizabeth Catlett spent a lifetime using her art to advocate for social and political change, lending her support to Mexican workers and African-Americans living under racist policies during the Jim Crow era. Starting this month, dozens of her sculptures and graphic prints will go on display at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, beginning a long stretch of programming surrounding the iconic artist-activist. Oct. 26 through March 1, 2020. Reginald F. Lewis Museum, 830 E. Pratt St.

Literature

Story Time with Rachel Kolar

Grab your littlest ghouls and head to The Children’s Bookstore for this story time with local author Rachel Kolar, who will read from and sign her book of spooky retellings of classic nursery rhymes. Enjoy such spirited new versions as “We Willie Werewolf” and “Mary Had a Little Ghost,” and don’t forget to grab your own copy of Mother Ghost: Nursery Rhymes for Little Monsters. Oct. 19. 1-2 p.m.The Children’s Bookstore, 4717 Harford Rd.

An Evening with Mike Rowe: The Way I Heard It

Baltimore’s own jack of all trades and Discovery Channel superstar Mike Rowe is coming home to share some highlights from his new book, The Way I Heard It, featuring a collection of 35 true(ish) stories about figures you think you know. Grab your copy at the door and join hosts from The Ivy Bookshop for a moderated Q&A and audience questions. Oct. 19. 7-9 p.m. Church of the Redeemer, Baltimore, 5603 N. Charles St.

Music

Off the Cuff: Brahms Symphony No. 4

Johann Brahms’ “Symphony No. 4” represents a transitional period from the lush Romantics to the very beginnings of the 20th century’s modernists. Join Baltimore Symphony Orchestra conductor Marin Alsop for an evening of food, drinks, and lively conversation as she reveals the importance of this 19th-century master work. 7 p.m. Oct. 19. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St.

Theatre

Charm City Fringe Festival

Charm City Fringe is back and ready to spread its stories all over the Bromo Arts & Entertainment District. Catch such exciting new pieces as WombWorks’ The Channeling of Ms. Sybby Grant, Amanda Erin Miller’s The Jew in the Ashram solo show, and Tres Brujas Productions’ exploration of witchcraft and Virginia Woolf, Modern Witches. There are 10 days of productions across six venues to explore, so we suggest you start making your checklist now. Oct. 10-20. Various locations.

August Wilson’s Radio Golf

As we roll ever closer to an election year, August Wilson’s final play feels as timely as ever. Resident company member Dawn Ursula will be joined by Charles Dumas, Anton Floyd, Jamil A.C. Mangan, and Jason B. McIntosh on the Everyman stage for this tale of real estate developer Harmond Wikins’ run at becoming Pittsburgh’s first black mayor. Oct. 15 through Nov. 19. Everyman Theatre, 315 W. Fayette St.

Stoop Storytelling: Twilight Zone

Everyone knows someone who swears that thing that went bump in the night was more than their imagination. Meet a few more at this month’s iteration of the Stoop Storytelling series featuring takes of all things strange and supernatural. Be sure to come early for cocktails and live music from local rockers Super City. 7 p.m. Oct. 24. The Senator Theatre, 5904 York Rd.

Film

Art, Youth, and Justice Day at the Baltimore Museum of Art

Greenmount West Community Center and Advocates for Children and Youth are celebrating Youth Justice Month with a whole day of programming at the Baltimore Museum of Art. In addition to self-guided tours of Generations: A History of Black Abstract Art (the ticketed exhibition will be free all weekend long) and an evening concert, the day will feature screenings and panels of both PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools and Rethink Baltimore. 12-5 p.m. Oct. 26. Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr.

Source

What the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s One-Year Agreement Means For its Musicians

Evan Greenberg — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 13:30:00 +0000

Percussionist Brian Prechtl knows what kind of reception the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is going to receive when the ensemble walks onstage for its official season opener: “They’re going to go nuts.”

Their entrance, done together in the European style, will mark the musicians’ ceremonious return to the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall following a four-month, tension and struggle-filled absence. After an extended period of collective bargaining, the cancellation of its summer season, and months of picketing outside of the historic venue, the BSO hosted a press conference on Monday and announced in front of city leaders that it has reached a one-year agreement.

“This has been a difficult period,” Prechtl says. “There’s a lot of anger and a lot of hurt. As soon as it looked like an agreement was going to possible, we knew we wanted to be back.”

Despite buzz about postponement, this news means that the orchestra will start its 2019/2020 season on time, with three performances this weekend at both the Meyerhoff in Baltimore and Strathmore in Bethesda.

And along with the grand return, the musicians are also celebrating that their demands have finally been met by the BSO’s board of trustees.

Those include a 2.4 percent increase in weekly salary, a continuation of the musicians’ year-round benefits package, two weeks of summer shows that include the annual Star Spangled Spectacular at Oregon Ridge, which the musicians organized and performed for free on their own this summer, as well as a bonus compensation of $1.6 million for their lost summer wages, which was made possible by donors. Management has also expressed commitment to hiring additional performers in the coming years, which has been an ongoing request from the musicians.

Both sides have also agreed to have no lockouts or strikes in this next year, and that the musicians would withdraw the unfair labor practice charge that was submitted earlier this month.

“The Baltimore Symphony is uniquely wonderful,” said BSO music director Marin Alsop at the press announcement. “It reflects this community and this city—it’s willing to roll up sleeves and get hands dirty, to show what they are about and how they feel.”

With this in mind, the BSO will also form a “vision committee” to create a broad plan for the orchestra’s future, looking far beyond the one-year agreement.

“We want to get to a place where we can sit down and talk about structure,” Prechtl says. “We’re going to sit down and struggle through it.”

But for now, what was once lost is now found again. The season will open with Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 this Friday, and continue with performances such as the return of Alsop’s Off The Cuff series in October, a special performance with Leslie Odom Jr. of Hamilton fame in October, and a live score to a film screening of Ghostbusters in November.

The musicians are calling upon Baltimoreans to fill the Meyerhoff and show their support for one of the city’s great institutions.

“Four months is a long time,” says Prechtl. “I can’t wait until this room is full with the amazing sounds of the BSO again.”

Source

Ten of Many Reasons Why We Love Charm City

Lauren Cohen — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 19:20:00 +0000

You may have heard that Baltimore has been disparaged recently. Here at Baltimore, we’ve spent 112 years celebrating this city—and we’re not about to back down now. Take a look back as we revisit some of the many reasons why Charm City lives up to its name. Here are some highlights from our archives:

We’ve got Otterbein’s.

The sacred sugar cookies of Bawlmer.

And the best crab houses in the country .

From Captain James, Oprah’s favorite, to the James Beard Award-winning Schultz’s Crab House.

Photography by Scott Suchman

Oprah Winfrey got her start here on WJZ.

Recently, she made a local news appearance on WBAL to defend Baltimore’s honor. “This charming city is anything but full of rats,” she said.

Illustration by Anita Kunz

We have sports legends.

The Iron Man even beat The Iron Horse’s streak!

Photography by Mike Morgan

Our chefs win James Beard Awards.

Woodberry Kitchen’s Spike Gjerde is a farm-to-fork pioneer. Even former First Lady Michelle Obama eats here.

Photography by Mike Morgan

We have some of the best museums in the country.

Among them are the first-of-its-kind National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History & Culture, and the Baltimore Museum of Art—which is expected to unveil its upcoming Matisse center by 2021, making it the premier place to study the French artist and his works.

Some of the most iconic artists hail from here.

John Waters, Blaze Starr, and Joyce Scott. (Need we say more?)

-Bryan Burris

We have the largest free arts festival in the country.

Local legends (Ethel Ennis) to national names (TLC) have stepped up to the stage here.

Our symphony is home to conductor Marin Alsop, the first woman to head a major American orchestra.

In an era when symphonies around the country are closing their doors permanently, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is one of only 25 of the 800 or so U.S. orchestras to have been around for more than 100 years.

Photography by David Colwell

We invented just about everything.

Hyperbole? We think not. Read on.

Sean McCabe

Source

BSO Musicians Face Uncertainty As Contracts Expire

Lydia Woolever — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 10:54:00 +0000

Yesterday morning, the musicians of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra woke up without a contract. In an ongoing, contentious dispute, the current agreement between the players and the administration expired today, leaving the fate of the century-old symphony hanging in the balance as the BSO continues to face financial struggles.

This is the second time in less than six months that the players will be arriving to work with no contract. Last fall, their contract, or collective bargaining agreement, was expired for nearly two full months before both parties agreed to an extension through January 15. Around the same time, the administration released a proposal to cut the ensemble’s 52-week schedule to 40 weeks, effectively eliminating the summer season and decreasing player base salaries, which the musicians rejected.

“The situation that they’ve proposed is so grave—draconian,” says Brian Prechtl, a percussionist with the symphony and co-chairman of the Baltimore Symphony Musicians Players’ Committee. “It affects all of us who have decided to make our homes and our lives here in Baltimore.”

The BSO declined further comment due to ongoing negotiations, though in a statement released last night, they stated that “the BSO Board of Directors and management greatly appreciate and value the members of our orchestra and admire their superb musicianship.”

Cutting 12 weeks from the orchestra’s schedule might not seem that significant to the average concert-goer, but for an ensemble that is paid weekly, the changes would reduce salaries by at least 20 percent and adjust benefits including fewer vacation and sick days. (At press time, both pay and benefits will continue under the terms agreed upon in the expired agreement.) The players have received cost-of-living raises by a total of six percent over the past two years after a 19 percent pay cut in 2010 following the recession.

“This proposal is extremely regressive,” says Greg Mulligan, a BSO violinist and fellow co-chairman of the players’ committee. “If we were to accept it, it would damage not only our ensemble but affect our concert-goers and donors.”

The musicians call the move a demotion of a“full-time, world-class symphony orchestra into a part-time regional orchestra.” According to The Sun, only about 15 other orchestras operate on a 52-week schedule, which the BSO has done for more than 35 years.

“We think we need to be playing more in our Baltimore community, not less,” says Prechtl. “We’re just not accepting this reformatting of our season and downgrading our orchestra to a regional orchestra. We’re just not.”

The current situation has been one of many contract disputes over the past several years, and just another drop in the bucket for an orchestra that has struggled with periods of financial constraint and player-management conflict throughout its 102-year history. What makes this dispute different, according to Mulligan, is that the symphony is made up of 75 players, including two music librarians, compared to 98 in 2000. The current contract calls for a minimum of 83 players.

“It’s getting laughable that we continue to call ourselves a major orchestra while having significantly fewer full-time musicians than our peers,” says Mulligan.

For example, the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, and Boston Symphony all have around 100 musicians. In recent years, similar reductions, in size and pay, have taken place at symphonies like the St. Louis Symphony and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, though the former has recently negotiated to increase the players’ base salary to $100,000 (compared to the BSO’s $82,742 base) and the latter has just agreed to add 11 new positions with a 3-percent pay increase.

The musicians fear that lower salaries, combined with a shorter season and a reputation for in-fighting, will inspire fewer and fewer substantial musicians from considering the BSO a worthy place of employment. Mulligan and Precthl both mentioned that a number of the ensemble’s current musicians are looking for other jobs or considering retirement.

The BSO has an annual operating budget of $28 million, but in the face of issues encountered by symphonies across the country—changing demographics, local economics, declining attendance, and inconsistent fundraising (though revenue from contributions is currently at an all-time high)—it has lost $16 million over the past decade, or an average of $1.6 million each year. The symphony cut more than $1 million from the budget in 2016 through layoffs, administrative streamlining, and the elimination of all professional development, as board chair Barbara Bozzuto noted in an op-ed to The Sun last November.

“In spite of successful fundraising, our costs have outrun our revenues in recent decades,” she wrote. “It is not enough to raise more funds. Our business model needs alignment between an exceptional product and market demand.”

After “a careful analysis of our current financial situation,” the administration has concluded that it is “not feasible to maintain our current business model as a 52-week orchestra,” according to a statement released in November by president and CEO Peter Kjome, who arrived at the BSO in early 2017 after a six-month vacancy following the department departure of Paul Meechum. Without restructuring, tours such as last fall’s successful trip of the United Kingdom and Ireland with maestra Marin Alsop—their first overseas visit in 13 years—will also be “highly unlikely,” according to Bozzuto’s op-ed.

In late December, donors and supporters banded together to form a “Save Our BSO” committee in response to the administration’s proposal. “Management’s proposal may be one that would produce lower costs, but, in doing so, we believe it will exacerbate the BSO’s problems retaining its musicians and will seriously hinder the BSO’s ability to attract the caliber of musicians who have made the BSO a world class orchestra,” they wrote in a letter to the symphony’s board of directors in December, calling for better use of the organization’s endowment trust in this time of financial need.

The purpose of the $62.3-million endowment trust “is to support the long-term sustainability of the organization, while honoring the intent and directives of the donors,” according to the proposal. Each year, the BSO draws more than $3.5 million from the trust for operation, which the musicians have suggested increasing as a short-term solution. “We are certainly not supporting raiding the endowment,” Prechtl says. “But right now, when we’re throwing our hands up. We believe there are other places we could apply ourselves, other things that we could try. Until those happen, this feels very, very premature. We don’t believe they’ve actually done everything that they could.”

In the months since the proposal’s release, the BSO musicians and administration have met for intermittent negotiations, as they did yesterday as well. “We’re hoping that at some point we’ll be able to have a more constructive dialogue,” Prechtl says. “For the time being, [management] has articulated that they would not lock the musicians out and we have articulated that we will not strike.” The last strike ended in 1989 after 22 weeks, which, at the time, was the longest of its kind in American history. But the musicians will play on, like during the BSO Pulse concert with Dan Deacon this Thursday or this weekend with performances of the Sibelius violin concerto both at the Strathmore and Meyerhoff.

“There is just something in our ethic that will change almost nothing about how we play,” Prechtl says. “When you do this for your living, the performance is a sacred space. It’s a sacred time and we leave all of our reservations and resentments off the stage. I have been really proud; I really think the orchestra is playing better now than it ever has. It’s just so precious to us. This is not just a job. This is our great passion. When you come and see the orchestra play, you will still see an incredible performance.”

That being said, they’ll still be handing out leaflets about the contract negotiations at future performances, much as they did throughout the end of last year, when musicians popped up in various places across the city, such as outside of the Meyerhoff or at impromptu performances inside Penn Station or along the median of North Charles and Centre streets as part of what could best be characterized as an ongoing goodwill tour.

“A hit to any one of us is a hit to all of us,” says Mulligan of the impact on the larger city. “We give short shrift to Baltimore sometimes. It’s a very cool, creative, artistic, cultural city, and to have the biggest musical organization taken down a notch—or three—would certainly hurt. . . . We love to play, we love to play for Baltimore, and we’re going to keep doing that for as long as we possibly can.”

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BSO and WTMD Announce Fourth Pulse Season

Lauren LaRocca — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 13:37:00 +0000

What started out as an experiment—exposing people to concert symphony orchestra music by way of indie rock—has gained such rapid popularity, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s Pulse concerts have become some of the most sought-after events to attend in the city.

In its fourth season, the series pairs an indie music act with work by a composer that complements it, performed by the BSO. These are three-set concerts: a first set by the BSO (almost like an opening act), the next by the indie artist, and a third by the indie artist backed by the BSO. Between sets, WTMD’s Alex Cortright talks with the artists onstage.

The BSO continues to push the boundaries with this season’s lineup, featuring Dan Deacon, Rhiannon Giddens, Kelela, and Parquet Courts.

As BSO associate conductor Nicholas Hersh, who conducts the shows, puts it, this season will offer “perhaps our most daring and diverse lineup of musical talent yet,” as each artist represents a unique genre.

Ethiopian-American singer-songwriter Kelela kicks off the season October 25 with her soulful vocals; post-punk rockers Parquet Courts will host a fun, upbeat show on November 29; Baltimore’s electronic-music icon Dan Deacon will bring his DIY aesthetic and eccentricity on January 17; and Grammy-nominated banjoist Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, who is recognized internationally for her original songwriting and vocals that blend gospel, jazz, blues, and country, will play May 16.

Past seasons have brought the likes of Esperanza Spalding, Wye Oak, and Valerie June to the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall stage.

“It’s supposed to be flexible,” says Hersh, who co-curates the series. “We don’t want to do the same thing over and over, so we get feedback and implement changes.”

Attendance has been up for the shows, which have also proven to draw a younger audience to the symphony hall.

These casual concerts—where you can buy beer and bring it to your seat—kick off with a happy hour in the lobby, where local musicians perform in a party-like atmosphere.

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Culture Club: Creative Labs, Nights on the Fringe, and Talib Kweli

Lauren LaRocca — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 10:20:00 +0000

Visual Art

Profiles of Color III
Fredericksburg, Virginia, artist Ronald Jackson reimagines African-American portraiture in his solo show Profiles of Color III: Fabric, Face, and Form at Galerie Myrtis. The mixed-media pieces are collaged with bold shapes and patterns, reminiscent of Klimt but with a contemporary African accent. June 30 through July 28, with an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. June 30 at Gallery Myrtis, 2224 N. Charles St.

Landmarked
Ada Pinkston explores historical landmarks and monuments in Landmarked, a highly participatory show that invites visitors to respond to prompts and, in doing so, become part of the exhibit as it unfolds. A pedestal in the gallery will serve as a space for performance art pieces throughout the duration of the show, including a special night of guest performers on June 16. June 1 to 22 at Cardinal, 1758 Park Ave.

Music

BSO’s New Music Festival
Imagine the elegance of classical music performance against the backdrop of Graffiti Alley and you have the June 22 Chamber Jam with Mind on Fire, Shodekeh, and Ok Miss, part of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s four-day New Music Festival. In its second year, the fest brings contemporary classical music to venues across the city, highlighting living composers. This year, Kevin Puts’ oboe concerto Moonlight, a piece commissioned by the BSO, will premiere at a free show at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. June 20 to 23.

John Williams at Camden Yards
Celebrated American composer (and lifelong baseball fan) John Williams—who has written scores and served as music director for films that include E.T., Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, and Star Wars—will be at Camden Yards on June 11 to throw the first pitch. Before the Orioles game, the BSO will perform a selection of his well-known pieces, starting at 6:30 p.m. The game will be followed by the June 13 Evening with John Williams performance at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

Theater

Nights on the Fringe
Ballet, theater, puppetry, film, crankies, spoken word, dance, circus arts . . . the list goes on for Nights on the Fringe, a vaudeville-inspired cabaret weekend presented by Charm City Fringe—in case you are itching to see some Fringe-worthy shows before the main festival in November. The evenings will be hosted by Aaron Henkin (WYPR’s Out of the Blocks) and Umar Khan (Gin & Jokes, Super Comedy). 8 p.m. June 8 and 9 at the Baltimore Theatre Project.

Literary Arts

Books in Bloom
The daylong Books in Bloom festival brings a host of writers across all literary genres to Columbia for readings, discussions, children’s activities, and a pop-up bookstore. The lineup includes Amanda Lucidon, Edwidge Danticat, Elliot Ackerman, Ian Mackenzie, Jane Delury, Jeannie Valasco, Katia D. Ulysse, Nathan Bomey, Sujata Massey, Vikram Sunderam, and others. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 10 at downtown Columbia Lakefront, 10221 Wincopin Circle, Columbia.

Miscellanea

CreateScape
Creative Labs’ CreateScape event celebrates the DIY arts culture of Baltimore through a free, three-day open house at the group’s headquarters. With a focus on health, creativity, sustainability and collaboration, the fest, hosted by Creative Labs, will cross yoga and dance battles with live music and street art. An array of artisan vendors will give this event a festival feel. June 8 to 10 at Creative Labs, 1786b Union Ave.

Healthy Baltimore: A Festival of Wellness
The free Healthy Baltimore festival at Port Covington will bring an array of music, food, and health and fitness vendors aimed to get you on track—plus the inspiration to move your soul and your body with a performance by Talib Kweli. Pre-registration is required. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 16 at The Field in Port Covington, 200 E. Cromwell St.

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The Launch: March 2018

Aaron Hope — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 08:30:00 +0000

Expressions

Mar. 3-4, 6. Baltimore School for the Arts, 712 Cathedral St. Sat. 6:30 p.m., Sun. 2 & 5:30 p.m., Tues. 6:30 p.m. $15-375. 443-642-5165. At the end of every winter, there comes a bright moment in the form of the Baltimore School for the Arts’ annual fundraiser, Expressions. Support the local art school during one of four awe-inspiring student shows—plus a cocktail party and evening gala—which we consider among the don’t-miss performance art events of the year.

Stephen Towns: Rumination and A Reckoning

Mar. 7-Sept. 2. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 443-573-1700. In late 2016, Stephen Towns became an official artist to watch in Baltimore with the debut of his Take Me Away to the Stars exhibit at Galerie Myrtis. Towns’ installations were used to draw parallels between Nat Turner’s historic slave rebellion in 1831 and the modern violence and inequities that still plague African Americans today. Many of these profound textile works are now on display at the BMA, continuing both the conversation and the artist’s compelling reputation in Baltimore.

Intercambio

Mar. 9. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. 8 p.m. $25-30. As part of Stoop Storytelling’s “Stoop Special Engagement” series, and coinciding with the closing of the BMA’s Mexican modernist print exhibit, these two cultural institutions are teaming up for a night of positive foreign relations. Seven Baltimoreans will share personal stories about exchange and inspiration found across the U.S.-Mexico border.

National Cherry Blossom Festival
Mar. 20-Apr. 15. Tidal Basin, 1500 Maine Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. Times & prices vary. 877-442-5666. In the DMV, spring is marked by a bounty of flowers— including daffodils, dogwoods, and, of course, an abundance of cherry blossoms. At the end of the month, those blooms reach their peak in Washington, D.C., with the entire tidal basin turning pale pink and pillowy white. For nearly four weeks, admire their beauty and celebrate the new season with a variety of festivities, including a pink-tie party, parade, kite festival, and world-renowned performances.

Snail Mail

Mar. 21. Ottobar, 2549 N Howard St. 8:30 p.m. $10. 410-662-0069. It wasn’t long after the 2016 release of Snail Mail’s debut album, Habit, that Lindsey Jordan and her two bandmates started to get national attention. The band’s lo-fi indie rock music was suddenly getting written up in Pitchfork and, before long, sprawled across a multi-faceted feature in The New York Times. The trio sold out local shows at WTMD and the Ottobar, recorded an NPR Tiny Desk concert, signed a deal with national label Matador Records, and then went off on tour with indie darlings Beach Fossils. (We also awarded them a Best of Baltimore for “Rising Star” this past August.) Fresh out of high school and already well beyond their years, it’s safe to say that they are officially the next big thing to come out of Baltimore. See for yourself as the trio returns home to perform at the Ottobar on March 21.

BSO Pulse: Valerie June

Mar. 22. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. 8:30 p.m. $35-55. 410-783-8000. After three short years, the BSO Pulse concert series has become a beloved arts institution here in Baltimore thanks to its unlikely fusion of classical music and indie rock that features artists from near and far. This time, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and WTMD team up with June, the vibrant singer-songwriter from Tennessee whose Memphis roots shine in her soulful blend of gospel, folk, and blues. Before the show, be sure to catch a performance in the lobby by local Americana musicians Nick and Luke.

Mobile Unit: Twelfth Night

Mar. 22–25. Various Locations. $25. 410-332-0033. They say that all the world’s a stage, and Mount Vernon’s Center Stage takes that adage literally. In 2017, the local theater company launched the Mobile Unit, a free-wheeling production project, in the belief that everyone deserves access to the arts. For those who don’t have the option to enjoy a night of theater, the Mobile Unit brings it to them, and to date, actors have delivered dramatic, whimsical, and comedic performances in such unconventional spaces as shelters, jails, retirement homes, and recreation centers in underserved communities. From March 22-25, a cast of five will perform Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at various sites around the city. Center Stage calls these shows “minimal,” but we think they’re pretty grand.

Annapolis Oyster Roast & Sock Burning

Mar. 24. Annapolis Maritime Museum, 723 Second St., Annapolis. 12-4 p.m. $25-75. 410-295-0104. Every March, it’s worth the drive down I-97 for this spring tradition in the state capital. For the 40th year, celebrate the spring equinox with roasted oysters, live music, and an oddball sock burning (literally) in Annapolis to welcome the beginning of boating season (for brave, blanket-wearing souls) on the Chesapeake Bay.

Crowning Glory: Art of the Americas

Mar.-Oct. 7. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thurs. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Free. 410-547-9000. The exhibits at the internationally renowned Walters have long traversed the globe, from the tapestries of Medieval Europe to the textiles of the Middle East. In this new exhibit, the museum stays close to home with a collection culled together from North, Central, and South America. Some 20 objects spanning thousands of years will explore the two continents’ various cultures and their relationships to power, spirituality, and identity through head-worn decorations.

Jimmy Buffett

Mar. 30. Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. 8 p.m. $52.50-152.50. 410-347-2020. For one evening at the end of the month, Baltimore will transform into the blue waters of the Florida Keys with the island-themed country-pop music of the legendary Jimmy Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band. Whatever the weather—lion or lamb—imagine sun, sand, and margaritas in hand during this feel-good Friday night show.

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Lake Street Dive is Latest Band to Play BSO Pulse Series

Jess Mayhugh — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 08:30:00 +0000

Has that success changed your day to day?
MO: There are certain creature comforts we’re able to afford ourselves. We travel with a crew, we sleep overnights between shows on a bus. Four or five years ago, it seemed pie in the sky and we’ll never get there. Mike Calabrese, our drummer, his dad would always tell us when we’d rehearse in the basement, “You’ve gotta find ways to make money while you sleep.” Now that we’ve gotten to this place where there is already momentum, things happen without us directly trying to make them happen anymore.

Two nights ago in New Haven, we played at a show at a venue with 2,100 people, which was a sold-out show. The last time we played New Haven was to a 200-cap bar and it definitely wasn’t full. In the past, the model that we had always used was, if you want to sell out a venue, you go to that town and play there every six months and you do all the radio promotion and you flyer up and down the main street. But now we have this momentum, which has a life of its own. So day-to-day is like a bizzare-o new reality.

It’s funny, since we’re not touring in a tiny van together listening to one iPod anymore, we don’t always know what music we’re all into. So we’ve started planning these “listening sessions” and, independently from each other, we’ve all recently gotten into hip-hop and R&B, listening to a lot of Anderson .Paak and Kendrick Lamar. I’m not saying we’re going to put a hip-hop album out, but it would be hard not to be influenced in that direction.

What can we expect on Thursday? I know you guys have so many amazing covers.
MO: We are kind of delving into our back catalog right now. We’ve recently dusted off [George Michael’s] “Faith” and we pulled out Paul McCartney’s “Let Me Roll It.” Those were so fun that we’ll probably be playing those a lot on this tour. But it’s been such a different experience planning this symphony show. We have been communicating a ton. We have been working with this really cool national arranger Don Hart and we’ve been talking to the symphony folks for months now. We’ve added a piano player to our tour, which will make this experience even more special.

You guys recently played a show with the New England Conservatory jazz ensemble and you’re obviously about to play with the orchestra. How do these shows differ from, say, a bluegrass festival?
MO: There are some logistical and conceptual differences to prepare for sets like that. If we’re playing that big boisterous festival and it’s golden hour and people are starting to rage for the night, we’ll play a ton of covers and make our songs more up-tempo. When we’re guest artists with an orchestra, these arrangements are exactly what these musicians prepare for. So we want to nail these right on the head and not stray too far.

Being on stage at the Baltimore Symphony—if it’s anything like in Boston with the big band—we’ll hear our music differently. That’s so unusual for us because we play the same music every night and, for the most part, we know what the song is going to sound like. But with the additional musicians and with a different environment, it’s like hearing someone cover our music while we’re playing it.

How do these types of experiences influence you as a band?
MO: I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. Back when we were in college, guest artists were somewhat of a regular fixture in our academic and musical life. Especially in a scholastic environment, they wanted us as music students to meet with established and professional musicians. Those were always really valuable experiences for us. Now being on the other side of that is pretty whacky.

It’s kind of like lightning in a bottle—you can go to the symphony and hear their concert and that’s great. You can come to a Lake Street Dive show and that’s hopefully great. These kind of one-offs have mythical qualities because they are singular for the audience and players. It gets us out of our mold and routine. It was really special with the big band and I’m sure it will be the same in Baltimore. We’ll all be experiencing something for the first time together. And there’s something intrinsically beautiful about that.

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The Launch: September 2016

Jess Mayhugh — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 08:30:00 +0000

The Akimbo Dance & Movement Art Festival
Sept. 10. Station North Arts District, 1-6 p.m. To celebrate Baltimore’s growing dance community, The Akimbo Dance & Movement Art Festival returns for its fifth year with a free day of performances throughout the vibrant Station North Arts & Entertainment District. Across 18 sites like the Maryland Institute College of Art, Motor House, and the Ynot Lot, more than 150 regional artists will showcase everything from traditional and experimental dance to music, spoken word, installation, and performance art.

Star-Spangled Banner Weekend
Sept. 9-11. Fort McHenry, 2400 E. Fort Ave. Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Free-$10. 410-962-4290. One-hundred years ago last month, the National Park Service was born, and nine years after its creation, the NPS named Baltimore’s Fort McHenry one of its first national parks. The site protected the city from British invasion during the War of 1812, now known as Defender’s Day, and thus inspired the national anthem. On Sept. 9-11, commemorate these historic events with reenactments, cannon firings, colonial music, and family activities, including festive fireworks and a patriotic concert by the United States Army Field Band on Saturday, and a special 9/11 memorial ceremony on Sunday.

Hampdenfest
Sept. 17. The Avenue, West 36th Street. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Free. 410-662-4444. Grab your friends and toilet bowls—an only-in-Baltimore sentiment if we ever heard one—and head to The Avenue for Hampdenfest. At this free street festival, enjoy local beer, regional food, and live music on one of three stages. Get to know the neighborhood, but don’t miss the crowd favorite toilet bowl race down Chestnut Avenue, or the pie-eating contest with sweets by Dangerously Delicious Pies.

Baltimore Seafood Festival
Sept. 17. Canton Waterfront Park, 3001 Boston St. 12-7 p.m. $15-99. It’s no secret that Maryland is the seafood capital of the mid-Atlantic, where crab is king and the key to a perfect summer day. It’s only fitting, then, to spend one of the last afternoons of the season at Baltimore’s third annual seafood festival. On the edge of the Canton waterfront, sip on some cold beer as you dig into an endless supply of oysters, crabs, and other under-the-sea essentials, with live music from local bands, cocktails and crafts. With face painting, activities, and games for the kids, you can bring the whole family to toast our Chesapeake Bay heritage and say sayonara to 90-degree days.

John Waters’s Kiddie Flamingos
Sept. 21-Jan. 22. The Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Dr. Wed.-Fri. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat.-Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. 443-573-1700. We’re all familiar with Baltimore’s most notorious (and beloved) auteur, John Waters. The renowned director is a legend thanks to his iconic camp films and, increasingly, his fine art, which has been twice featured at The Baltimore Museum of Art. This month, catch his latest project: a 74-minute, G-rated rendition of Pink Flamingos, with lines read by children in wigs and mock versions of the original costumes. We can’t wait to see the pint-size Divine.

BSO Pulse: Houndmouth
Sept. 22. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. 8:30 p.m. $35. 410-783-8000. After a successful inaugural season, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and WTMD “Pulse” concert series returns this month with Indiana-based indie rockers Houndmouth. Sharing the stage with the BSO, the up-and-coming trio brings its Americana medleys like “Sedona” to this one-of-a-kind collaboration. Be sure to get to the Meyerhoff early for a pre-concert party in the lobby, featuring live local music, happy-hour drinks, local brews, and food specials from area restaurants.

Baltimore Innovation Week
Sept. 23-Oct. 1. Locations, times, & prices vary. 215-821-8745. While Baltimore’s heyday as a manufacturing mecca might be a memory, it’s safe to say the city is slowly becoming a new industry town of innovation and technology. During the fifth annual Baltimore Innovation Week, get to know the new techies with big-name headliners, curated events, networking opportunities, and a dedicated App Arcade.

Dirty Talk With Mike Rowe
Sept. 24. Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric, 140 W. Mount Royal Ave. 8 p.m. $25-65. 410-900-1150. Ever wonder what really goes on behind the scenes of reality TV shows? Baltimore’s own Mike Rowe isn’t afraid to tell all, and this month, he returns home for one night to reveal the dirty truth behind his popular Discovery Channel show, Dirty Jobs.

Baltimore Book Festival
Sept. 23-25. Baltimore Inner Harbor. Fri.-Sun. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Free. 410-752-8632. The Baltimore Book Festival makes us pretty confident that we are still “the city that reads.” After 21 years, this three-day fete continues to be a book-lover’s paradise, with hundreds of speakers, exhibitors, and booksellers of every genre. Hear live stories by Stoop Storytelling, listen to Baltimore native D. Watkins discuss his new book, and indulge in local food, craft beer, and live music by area bands.

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The Launch: November 2015 Highlights

Jess Mayhugh — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 08:30:00 +0000

The Book of Mormon
Nov. 3-15. Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St. Times vary. $58.50-147. 410-837-7400. Simply put, The Book of Mormon is not for the faint of heart, but we heartily recommend you see it. Hailed “the best musical of this century” by The New York Times, the nine-time Tony winner and Broadway smash hit follows two young missionaries on their quest to convert African citizens to the Mormon faith. Throwing politically correct niceties to the wind, it tackles religion, race, and sexuality through satire, song-and-dance, and a dash of explicit language. From South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, it’s a bold, witty show unlike anything on the stage before it.

Zadie Smith
Nov. 3. The Johns Hopkins University, Hodson Hall, 3400 N. Charles St. 6:30 p.m. Free. 410-516-6286. When we look back, Zadie Smith—alongside the likes of Jonathan Franzen, Michael Chabon, and Junot Díaz—will be one of the authors who helped define the beginning of the 21st century. Born in London, the young writer graduated from Cambridge before penning her remarkable, award-winning debut, White Teeth, in 2000. Tackling topics of race, identity, history, and culture through elegant prose, acute wit, flirting plotlines, and magic realism, her social dissection of modern London inspired critical comparisons to Charles Dickens, Martin Amis, and Salman Rushdie. This month, hear Smith discuss her writings as part of the President Speaker Series at JHU.

Baltimore Blast
Nov. 7-Feb. 2, 2016. Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. Times & prices vary. 410-347-2020. Indoor soccer season is back, and its time to kick things off with our oft-overlooked hometown team, the Baltimore Blast, as they return to Royal Farms Arena at the beginning of the month. Starting with Saturday evening matches against Chicago, IL, Syracuse, NY, and Harrisburg, PA, see this year’s stellar lineup, with the top three point producers Tony Donatelli, Lucas Roque, pictured, and Pat Healey all back for another shot at the Major Indoor Soccer League championship.

Jerry Seinfeld
Nov. 6. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. 1212 Cathedral St. 7 and 9:30 p.m. $65-155. 410-783-8000. What’s the deal with Jerry Seinfeld? In an era when it seems like every entertainer is trying to “expand their brand” and diversify into some kind of performer/diet guru/fashion designer/tech visionary/chakra healer, Seinfeld has, thankfully, kept it simple. Sure, he has made forays into film (the 2002 documentary Comedian; 2007’s animated Bee Movie), and yes, he can be found tooling around town with his funny friends in the delightfully idiosyncratic web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, but he has never strayed far from his core talent: He tells jokes and he does it well.

Pearls on a String: Artists, Patrons, & Poets at the Great Islamic Courts
Nov. 8-Jan. 31, 2016. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 410-547-9000. thewalters.org. In this new exhibit at The Walters, explore the exotic treasures of the great Islamic empires with over 100 artworks dating back to the 16th century. Through three vignettes of paintings, ceramics, textiles, and luxuries, delve into their rich cultural history and discover the relationship between imagination, collaboration, and creativity.

Charm City Fringe Festival
Nov. 8-15. Locations, times, & prices vary. Now in its fourth year, the Charm City Fringe Festival
returns to Station North to celebrate Baltimore’s diverse performing arts
community. Starting on Thursday with an opening party at Joe Squared, this
weeklong event features a medley of 20-plus performances by local and regional
talent, including Baltimore Improv Group, Baltimore Shakespeare Factory, and
Gilded Lily Burlesque. See theater, comedy, improv, and dance at venues like
Terrault Contemporary, Mercury Theatre, Gallery 788, and Church & Company,
followed by after-parties with shows, music, and drinks at Liam Flynn’s Ale
House and Joe Squared each night.

Waterfowl Festival

Nov. 12-15. 40 S.
Harrison St., Easton. Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free-$15.
410-822-4567
. Head across the bridge
and celebrate the Eastern Shore for one fall weekend full of wildlife arts,
tidewater culture, and local activities in the historic town of Easton. Now in
its 44th year, the Waterfowl Festival attracts thousands for its esteemed
artwork, with paintings, photography, sculptures, and carvings on view and for
sale. Also, don’t miss its bucolic, bay-oriented activities, like goose- and
duck-calling contests, dock-jumping dog competitions, and retriever, live bird,
and fly-fishing demos, all of which you can observe or participate in.

BSO Pulse: Wye Oak
Nov. 12. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. 5 p.m. $35. 410-783-8000. We have to hand it to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and WTMD for their cool new music series, Pulse. The pairing of BSO musicians with rising indie-rock bands creates one-of-a-kind concerts that connect the present to the past and takes another step in the symphony’s ongoing quest to evolve with modern times. In this second installment, see local duo Wye Oak perform a night of genre transcendence or listen live via 89.7 FM.

Bazaart Holiday Art Market
Nov. 27-28. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. Fri. 5:30-8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free-$20. 410-244-1900. This holiday season, it’s time to boycott the big boxes and instead buy your loved ones some unique local gifts. At AVAM’s annual holiday market, browse original works by more than 40 regional artists and craftspeople, including paintings, sculpture, paper crafts, metalwork, jewelry, textiles, and apparel, with early-bird shopping at the First Dibs preview party on Friday.

Miracle on 34th Street
Nov. 28-Jan. 1, 2016. 700 block of 34th St. Free. 5-11 p.m. Christmas comes early in Hampden again this month, just as it has for the past 67 years. Shortly after Thanksgiving, the festive neighborhood tradition of Miracle on 34th Street returns with the entire block decking their digs in bright holiday lights, sporting everything from illuminated Bohs and Miss Utz to crabs, flamingos, and the famous hubcap tree. Through New Year’s Day, join the throngs of locals and tourists alike to get in the holiday spirit with this Baltimore classic.

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BSO’s 100th season features premieres, old favorites

Gabriella Souza — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000

For its centennial season, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra combines world premieres and contemporary works with blockbuster standards, and brings back big names who have a close connection to Baltimore.

The Brahms and Verdi Requiems are in the line-up, as is Strauss’
An Alpine Symphony, and the first BSO performance in 50 years of Bach’s Mass in B Minor. But the season will also highlight 12 commissioned works, including a percussion concerto, as well as contemporary works like John Adams’ Harmonielehre, conducted by the composer.

“This is the year for people across Maryland to try out the BSO and see what they’re missing,” Music Director Marin Alsop said at a season announcement Wednesday.

The
2015-16 season will also mark homecomings for violinist and Baltimore native Hilary Hahn and pianist André Watts, who studied at The Peabody Institute. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who has won two Grammy awards with the BSO, performs in June, and pianist Lang-Lang takes the stage in September.

The BSO’s anniversary concert in February features Joshua Bell, playing his own version of Leonard Bernstein’s
West Side Story suite.

Few of the symphony’s musicians attended the season announcement, and recent news reports have indicated they are concerned with vacancies, increased workloads and compensation.

Alsop noted on Wednesday that the season would include efforts to attract new audiences and crossing over music genres. And she announced the symphony’s new slogan – “Come hear extraordinary.”

The symphony is “not about thinking in the past.” It’s about access, she said, and the public should know the symphony “is open to everyone.”

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BSO Announces Golden Ticket Hunt

Gabriella Souza — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000

To celebrate its 100th season, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is putting on a scavenger hunt, Willy Wonka style.

One hundred golden ticket packages are hidden across central Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, hidden “in plain sight in a clear, plastic envelope” according to a Twitter post. Each one includes tickets for you and nine others to one of the concerts in the 2015-16 season.

The BSO has posted a list of clues on its website.

“Where the history of medicine finds its future,” one reads. “Baltimore brunch spot inspired by Miss McDowell,” is another.

Winners are encouraged to post photos on social media, tagging the BSO. So far, it looks like one lucky person found one at Fells Point music store The Sound Garden.

And if you’re one of the lucky Charlie Buckets, Baltimore magazine wants to know, too. Tag us at @Baltimoremag on Twitter and @Baltmag on Instagram.

Happy hunting!

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The Launch March Highlights

Jess Mayhugh — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 08:30:00 +0000

Chicago
Mar. 3-8. Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St. Tues.-Fri. 8 p.m., Sat. 2 & 8 p.m., Sun. 1 & 6:30 p.m. $25-110. 410-837-7400. Forty years and many awards later—including Tonys, Oliviers, a Grammy, and an Oscar—this smash-hit musical has cemented itself as one of Broadway’s very best. Set in Prohibition-era Chitown, this racy, roaring-’20s story combines razzle-dazzle costumes, burlesque dance, and catchy classics like “All That Jazz” and “Cell Block Tango” to tell the tantalizing tale of fortune, fame, corruption, crime, and revenge.

Hannibal Buress
Mar. 13. Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric, 140 W. Mt. Royal Ave. 8 p.m. $25. 410-900-1150. lyricoperahouse.com. You might not know Hannibal Buress by name yet but you’ve probably already seen the young comedian’s work. As a former Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock writer, he’s touched some of the last decade’s best comedy, and now he stars in Comedy Central’s hip, unapologetic, new series, Broad City. A regular standup comedian, Buress is back on the road with a new tour of his dry, direct humor.

Maroon 5
Mar. 2. Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW, Washington, D.C. 7:30 p.m. $29.50-125. 202-628-3200. The uber-popular pop-rock band and its celebrity heartthrob leader, Adam Levine, is coming to D.C. on the heels of a new, No. 1 album, V. The Grammy-winning, multi-platinum artists will perform new hits like “Maps,” “Moves Like Jagger,” and “Animals,” as well as old favorites like “Sunday Morning” and “This Love.” Plus, opening act Magic! will jam out its reggae-pop chart-topper, “Rude.”

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus: Legends!
Mar. 25-Apr. 5. Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. Times vary. $7.50-45. 410-347-2020. Cue the lights and music: The circus is coming to town later this month. This all-new, traveling tour is a big-top bonanza that brings out all the stops, with fire-juggling clowns, high-flying acrobats, trapeze swingers, and motorcycle daredevils. The family-fun performance will also feature captivating cameos by your kids’ favorite animals, like hoop-jumping dogs, galloping horses, a star cast of big cats, and majestic, magnificent elephants.

Singin’ in the Rain
Mar. 27-29. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. Fri. & Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. $50-105. 410-783-8000. This classic movie produced one of the most iconic song-and-dance routines in cinema history, with a smitten Gene Kelly tapping, twirling, and bursting into song in the middle of a sodden city street. This month, the film returns to the big screen, with a live score by the BSO SuperPops.

[Credits from top: Jeremy Daniel; The Lyric; Verizon Center; Ringling Bros; Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.]

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OrchKids Receives $1 Million Gift

Jess Mayhugh — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 13:30:00 +0000

Robert Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker have donated $1 million to OrchKids,
the BSO-sponsored afterschool music program.

The announcement was made
during a City Hall ceremony earlier today that recognized OrchKids with a
Certificate of Achievement for “promoting measurable academic and
social change.”

According to a program-wide study recently conducted by
UMBC, OrchKids students score higher on standardized math tests and show
improved school attendance.

The money will be used to expand the
program from five to eight city schools and bump enrollment from 750 to
1,600 students.

This is the second million-dollar gift from Meyerhoff
and Becker. The first, in 2008, was used to help launch the program.

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At Home with Marin Alsop

Jess Mayhugh — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 10:00:00 +0000

After living for nearly two years in a corporate rental apartment,
BSO Music Director Marin Alsop wanted a place that felt like home.

“I wanted to have my own space,” says Alsop, who also shares a house
in Denver with her partner Kristen Jurkscheit and their five-year-old
son Auden. “I started looking at a lot of high rises with a Realtor, and
one day I finally said to her, ‘I’m so sorry. I hope you don’t think
I’ve wasted your time, but I lived in a high rise in Manhattan, and it’s
just not what I want.’ I said, ‘I’d love to live in a church or
someplace with real character.'”

Cue the angels singing. Because on the way back from her meeting with
the Realtor, Alsop noticed a “For Sale” sign hanging on a Mt.
Vernon-area historic church. The building had been converted into four
condominiums. She decided to see what was available. Though she was
first shown another condominium toward the back of the space, Alsop went
wild for the front condo with its majestic, multi-paneled, 12-foot
stained glass windows. The space was being rented at the time, but Alsop
knew it had to be hers. “Even before I had seen the inside,” she
recalls, “I knew I wanted to buy it. When I had said I wanted to live in
a church, it was like in my dreams, and here I was.”

The renters moved out and, by November 2008, Alsop had purchased her
dream home. Now she was faced with the daunting prospect of decorating
it. (After all, what’s the point of having a dream house if it doesn’t
have a dream interior?) She turned to Steve Appel, co-owner of Belvedere
Square’s Nouveau Contemporary Goods and senior designer of Whitehead
& Appel Interior Design. Alsop and Appel had worked together in
2007, when he transformed her dressing room from fusty to fabulous with
the addition of hardwood floors, grass cloth walls, and hip, retro-chic
furnishings.

“When I was thinking about trying to decorate a place, I had never
used an interior designer—that always seemed like something you do for a
hunting lodge,” says Alsop. “But Steve’s attention to detail was so
formidable, I called him when I was looking, and I said, ‘Steve, I don’t
know where I’m going to end up, but I’d like to talk to you about
designing whatever space I get,’ and then when I found this, and I
brought him over, he totally flipped.”

While the busy maestra was jaunting between London, Los Angeles,
Stockholm, and Spain, Appel began customizing the two bedroom,
two-and-a-half-bath space. His challenge? To hit a pitch-perfect
decorating note in time for Alsop’s Baltimore homecoming in February
2009.

“It needed to fit her like a glove,” says Appel. “It needed to have
areas where she could relax and write scores, listen to music, and spend
time with her son. She also needed a very sophisticated area to
entertain BSO patrons. These were her directives. I tried to bring out
the ideas that were deep inside of her that she couldn’t express in this
sort of venue. She could express it in music, but not in interior
design.”

When Appel first stepped into the space, he had a vision of incorporating elements of the church into the design.

Luckily, thanks to the foresight of builders Louren Roddick and
Jerome LeBlond, such items had been painstakingly saved and restored. As
a result, Alsop’s home is now filled with unique liturgical relics,
including pipe organ pedals artfully suspended on a wall in a sitting
room, original church pews with inset Minton tiles that stand in as
dining room seating, and a massive circa-1900 amber colored converted
gas lantern, once hung over the main altar, that now illuminates the
dining room table.

“Some guys might pick up a hammer and start swinging,” explains
LeBlond of saving parts of the original church. “That’s what we didn’t
want to do.”

An added decorating bonus: Alsop’s parents, both professional
musicians, are also inveterate collectors. “Whenever I move somewhere,
my parents love to come with a big truck and unload a lot of their
antiques like the three-legged tables,” chuckles Alsop. “They’ll say,
‘Oh, this only needs a little work.’ I wanted to bring in their love of
old things because I love old things, too, but I still wanted a place
that was livable and hip and cozy and comfortable.”

Appel offered to view her father’s collection. After an arduous,
nine-hour, snowy drive to her parent’s property in Saratoga Springs, NY,
he found himself rummaging through two barns and a basement filled with
a lifetime’s worth of antiques and bric-a-brac.

“Her dad is an obsessive collector,” notes Appel. “Antiques Roadshow could be filmed at his house.”

Recalls Alsop: “Steve was running around while he was on the phone
with me saying, ‘Okay, I like that tricycle,’ and I’m thinking,
‘Tricycle? What are you going to do with a tricycle?'”

Among Appel’s finds that are now placed throughout the maestra’s
home: a wooden scooter from the late 1800s, intricate blue and pink Art
Nouveau panels of stained glass, a 1920s black fan with brass blades, a
dark walnut Empire-style mirror, an antique manjo (a cross between a
mandolin and a banjo), an RCA Victrola, and, of course, that red 1920s
tricycle, which is now prominently suspended in an alcove between the
sitting and living rooms.

Alsop’s own sense of beauty was nurtured through exposure to many
forms of art. When she wasn’t learning to play the piano (age 2) or
taking on the violin (age 5), she helped her parents rehab several
fixer-uppers, including a modest two-bedroom home in Westchester, NY,
where Alsop’s father, Llamar, built a 40-foot cathedral ceiling room for
chamber music. “We had this tiny little house with one bathroom, and
this huge living room for chamber music,” says Alsop with a laugh.

As Alsop grew older, her father purchased the house in Saratoga
Springs, NY, a converted Victorian-era nursing home that, at the time,
was quite ramshackle.

“I spent my formative years peeling paint off that house,” says
Alsop. Although the house itself needed extensive work, Alsop’s
father—always a bit of a dreamer—decided it was a priority to build an
addition, a concert hall that seated up to 150 people. “My father loves
architecture and has always fancied himself a bit of a designer,” she
says.

Alsop’s father even smuggled in a bit of rare contraband to finish
the space. “They used to have these beautiful wooden beams for light
poles on the West Side Highway,” she says. “When my dad heard they were
taking them down, he wanted to put those in the concert hall. He did
some deal with one of the workers and picked them up in the middle of
the night, but because we didn’t have a babysitter, my parents woke me
up, and off we all went to the highway. We spent our free time on these
crazy projects.”

Her parents’ anything-goes approach to objects, art, and
architecture, made an impact on their only child. “I’m an odd amalgam—I
appreciate and have a fairly decent eye for old things, but I also love
simplicity and clarity and non-clutter,” Alsop says. “I’m a mix of
really simple taste and over-the-top taste at the same time. I think it
is reflected in this place. I want to respect tradition but do the
unexpected, too, and do it in an air of comfort not to put people off.”

Those very words could describe Alsop’s approach to conducting. After
only two seasons, Alsop has made her mark on the BSO, which just signed
her to a five-year extension. She has been lauded for making classical
music accessible and affordable to all, lowering ticket prices, and
designing innovative educational programs for school children.

“The [condo] is a fantastic blend of antique and contemporary, much
like Marin’s programming at the BSO,” says Alsop’s former executive
assistant, Jeffrey Luther. “She often pairs a contemporary piece of
music with a classic piece, putting the older piece in a new context and
highlighting the inspiration behind the new piece.”

Alsop enjoys the same sense of the unexpected in her adopted hometown.

“It’s a little quirky,” Alsop says of Baltimore. “It’s the perfect
combination of east coast city but has a really nice, warm, small town
feel to it as well. I find it interesting and curious and different, and
the people are so nice. People are always asking, ‘How can I help with
the Symphony? How can I help with the outreach programs you are doing?’
[That’s] not usually the first question people ask completely
unsolicited.”

As Alsop gets ready to launch the BSO’s 2009-10 season (beginning
September 12), she credits her new space with helping to inspire her.

“I started thinking about how we all share an innate understanding of
music and art,” explains Alsop. “This season is really a celebration of
our shared musical roots and to have this space to come to and reflect,
I find really healing and inspiring. Living here, I feel a little bit
like I’m in the eye of the storm where everything is going on around me,
but my place is very calm. When I’m on the road and in hotels, there is
a lot of trying to cope with existing. Finally, having a space that is
aesthetically pleasing and emotionally rewarding feels great.”

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