‘Classical music can transcend boundaries’
Next season also will feature visiting big-name instrumental soloists: established piano virtuosos Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Emanuel Ax, and the Dutch violinist Simone Lamsma, a rising star.
Sharing that front-of-stage spotlight also will be homegrown talent. Four BSO musicians will get a chance next season to tackle prestigious and challenging soloist roles: concertmaster Jonathan Carney, clarinetist YaoGuang Zhai, oboist Katherine Needleman and trumpeter Andrew Balio.
“It’s important to Jonathon and me to highlight the great orchestra we have right here,” BSO President and CEO Mark C. Hanson said. “I am looking forward to celebrating our artists by putting them front and center throughout each season.”
Heyward and Hanson made it clear that in addition to accentuating musicians on their roster, they also want to introduce audiences to local talent who typically perform on other stages.
Two immediate examples are Lee and Wordsmith.
Not only will Lee create a world premiere for the BSO next season, but the year after that he has been appointed as the symphony’s composer-in-residence. And in February 2024, the BSO will perform Wordsmith’s “Jazzing the Symphony,” a composition focusing on the musical contributions of such Baltimore jazz pioneers as Eubie Blake, Cab Calloway, Noble Sissle and Billie Holiday.
Alsop will conduct two programs next season, and James Conlon, who stepped in as the BSO’s interim artistic adviser, will conduct three.
Other highlights of the musical lineup include Heyward conducting Gustav Mahler’s Sixth Symphony and three free public “Symphony in the City” concerts held outside the BSO’s traditional performing halls.
The popular BSO Fusion series, which presents hip-hop, pop and rock music alongside classical standards, is expanding for the first time to Strathmore Hall under the helm of series creator, Steve Hackman.
Finally, the popular Film with Orchestra concerts are being packaged for the first time as a stand-alone, three-concert series. Concertgoers can watch such favorite flicks as “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Back to the Future” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on a large screen while the full orchestra plays the score in real time.
For full details of the 2023-24 season and to order tickets, go to bsomusic.org.
“Classical music can transcend boundaries,” Heyward said. “My goal is to get people to realize in a very short time that we share this beautiful common ground. We’ll get there. I have no doubt about that.”