Boston Symphony Orchestra Inc

THE MISSION OF THE BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (BSO) IS TO FOSTER AND MAINTAIN AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO THE MAKING OF MUSIC CONSONANT WITH THE HIGHEST ASPIRATIONS OF THE MUSICAL ART, CREATING PERFORMANCES AND PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING PROGRAMS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE.

ORCHESTRA MUSIC PROGRAMS: FROM SEPTEMBER 2020 - JUNE 2021, THE BSO'S TWO BELOVED ORCHESTRAL ENSEMBLES-THE BOSTON SYMPHONY AND BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRAS-CREATED 22 NEW PROGRAMS THAT WERE AVAILABLE THROUGH BSO NOW-THE ORGANIZATION'S NEW VIDEO STREAMING PORTAL. THE SYMPHONY'S 15 PROGRAMS EXAMINED AMERICAN PROMISE; NEW BEGINNINGS; THE SPIRIT OF BEETHOVEN; A FRAGILE PEACE: BETWEEN THE WARS; AND PATHWAYS OF ROMANTICISM. EACH HOURLONG PROGRAM FEATURED WORKS FOR UP TO 65 MUSICIANS, CHAMBER PIECES AS WELL AS WORKS BY WOMEN OR COMPOSERS OF COLOR. EACH PROGRAM ALSO FEATURED MULTI-DISCIPLINARY SHORT VIDEOS THAT ILLUMINATED BOTH THE MUSIC AND THE HISTORIC CONTEXT. THESE SHORT FILMS WERE EXTREMELY POPULAR WITH MANY AUDIENCE MEMBERS ASKING THE BSO TO CONTINUE PRODUCING SUCH ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS EVEN AFTER IN-PERSON CONCERTS RETURNED. THE BOSTON POPS CREATED NEW PROGRAMS TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS AND VALENTINE'S DAY. SPRING POPS PAID TRIBUTE TO MOTHERS AND TO JOHN WILLIAMS. THE ROOTS OF JAZZ: AMERICAN VOICES HONORED SCOTT JOPLIN, W.C. HANDY, AND THE GREAT STRIDE PIANIST JAMES P. JOHNSON-INNOVATORS WHO SHAPED THE DEVELOPMENT OF JAZZ. AN EVENING WITH CHRIS THILE AND THE STARS OF TOMORROW SHOWCASED FOUR HIGHLY TALENTED HIGH SCHOOL MUSICIANS. BSO NOW BROUGHT THE BSO'S ONLINE PRESENCE TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL; THE PROGRAMS VIEWED BY 62,550 HOUSEHOLDS. ON JULY 4, 2021, KEITH LOCKHART LED THE BOSTON POPS IN THE ORGANIZATION'S FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE-THE JULY 4 SPECTACULAR CONCERT FROM TANGLEWOOD. THIS FREE PERFORMANCE FOR 7,696 PEOPLE WELCOMED VETERANS, HEALTH CARE WORKERS, AND FIRST RESPONDERS. SPECIAL APPEARANCES BY OSCAR-AWARD WINNER JON BATISTE, LEGENDARY SINGER MAVIS STAPLES, AND THE U.S. AIR FORCE'S SINGING SERGEANTS PAID TRIBUTE TO AMERICA, ACKNOWLEDGED THE LOSSES FROM THE PANDEMIC, AND CELEBRATED THE SPIRIT THAT EMERGES OUT OF DARK TIMES. ON JULY 10, THE BSO RETURNED TO THE KOUSSEVITZKY STAGE WITH ANDRIS NELSONS CONDUCTING AN ALL-BEETHOVEN PROGRAM. CRB-CLASSICAL DESCRIBED THE BSO'S OPENING NIGHT AS "EUPHORIC." THIS ABBREVIATED TANGLEWOOD SEASON AT 50% CAPACITY CELEBRATED MUSICIANS AND AUDIENCES SHARING ONCE AGAIN IN THE IMMEDIACY OF MUSIC-MAKING. THE TANGLEWOOD SEASON OFFERED 14 SYMPHONY CONCERTS, TWO BOSTON POPS SHOWS INCLUDING THE EVER-POPULAR FILM NIGHT, 18 TMC CHAMBER AND ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCES, AND A FAMILY CONCERT. THE BSO OFFERED 12 LIVE STREAM AND ON-DEMAND TANGLEWOOD CONCERTS THAT RECEIVED NEARLY 20,000 VIEWS. INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE FINEST ORCHESTRAS, THE BSO IS ONE OF THE LARGEST ORCHESTRAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE WORLD AS MEASURED BY SCOPE OF ITS OPERATIONS. WITHIN THE U.S., IT IS THE FOURTH-LARGEST PERFORMING ARTS INSTITUTION.

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS ARE INTEGRAL TO THE BSO'S MISSION. TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER (TMC) WELCOMED 65 TALENTED YOUNG MUSICIANS TO TANGLEWOOD FOR AN INTENSIVE SUMMER OF MUSIC TRAINING AND PERFORMANCE. THESE YOUNG MUSICIANS ALL RECEIVED FREE TUITION, ROOM, AND BOARD. THESE FELLOWS WORKED WITH TMC FACULTY, BSO MUSICIANS, AND GUEST ARTISTS TO REFINE THEIR SKILLS AND PREPARE FOR A PROFESSIONAL CAREER. THEY GAVE 18 CHAMBER AND ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCES TO LARGE AND ENTHUSIASTIC AUDIENCES. THE ORCHESTRA CONCERTS WERE ALSO AVAILABLE ON BSO NOW AND RECEIVED 4,016 VIEWS. THE BERKSHIRE EDGE DESCRIBED THIS SUMMER'S TMC ORCHESTRA AS "SPOT-ON FROM BEGINNING TO END, WITH STAMINA TO SPARE." THE CHAMBER CONCERTS WERE FREE TO ATTEND AND AVERAGED 600 ATTENDEES AND 8,433 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE SIX TMC ORCHESTRA CONCERTS. IN SUMMER 2021, THE TANGLEWOOD LEARNING INSTITUTE (TLI) OFFERED FOUR SIGNATURE PROGRAMS, WHICH WERE A MIX OF IN-PERSON AND DIGITAL OFFERINGS. IN THE KOUSSEVITZKY MUSIC SHED, TLI PROGRAMS WERE FULL TILT: A PRESENTATION BY THE LINCOLN CENTER JAZZ ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS; THE BIG IDEA: CHOREOGRAPHER BILL T. JONES PRESENTED A LIVE TALK EXPLORING LONELINESS: ALONE AS A STATE OF BEING, AND THREE OPENSTUDIO MASTERCLASSES GAVE AN INSIDE LOOK AT HOW MUSICIANS LEARN FROM SUCH MASTER ARTISTS AS ANDRIS NELSONS, YO-YO MA, AND LEONIDAS KAVAKOS. SIX SHOPTALKS WERE PRESENTED FOR LIVE AND ON-DEMAND SCREENING. SIX CONVERSATIONS WITH NOTABLE ARTISTS WERE PRESENTED. TLI PRODUCED FOUR 10-MINUTE VIDEOS THAT EXPLORED TANGLEWOOD'S ARCHITECTURE, THE HISTORY OF THE TANGLEWOOD FESTIVAL CHORUS, NOTABLE PHOTOGRAPHERS AT TANGLEWOOD, AND SOLO SINGERS WHO MADE THEIR MARK AT THE SUMMER FESTIVAL. TANGLEWOOD IN THE CITY IN PITTSFIELD AND THREE COMMUNITY CHAMBER CONCERTS HELD AT EACH OF THE BERKSHIRE COUNTY'S THREE HOSPITALS BROUGHT MUSIC DIRECTLY TO 4,150 BERKSHIRE RESIDENTS. DURING THE TEN MONTHS WHEN LIVE CONCERTS WEREN'T POSSIBLE, THE BSO'S EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS SUPPORTED MUSIC EDUCATION IN MULTIPLE WAYS. THE BSO'S FIRST ONLINE YOUTH CONCERT WAS ENJOYED BY 121 CLASSROOMS IN TEN STATES FROM MAINE TO NORTH CAROLINA. THE 5,177 VIEWS INCLUDED INDIVIDUAL CLASSROOMS, ENTIRE GRADES, WHOLE SCHOOLS, AND EVEN SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS. 384 BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL AND 54 BERKSHIRE COUNTY CLASSROOMS ENJOYED FREE ACCESS TO THIS CONCERT. LEARNING WAS ENHANCED BY LESSON PLANS AND 14 INSTRUMENT DEMONSTRATION VIDEOS THAT RECEIVED NEARLY 720,000 SOCIAL MEDIA IMPRESSIONS. BSO MUSICIANS GAVE 15 SPECIAL CLASSES TO MUSIC STUDENTS ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS HIGH SCHOOLS VIA ZOOM. THE TEACHER MIGHT ASK THE MUSICIAN TO WORK ON A PARTICULAR PIECE, TO DISCUSS BEST PRACTICES FOR PREPARING FOR A PERFORMANCE, OR TO ANSWER STUDENT QUESTIONS ABOUT BEING A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN. THESE ONE-TIME CLASSES WERE OFFERING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTRUMENTAL, CHORAL, AND CONDUCTORS ASSOCIATION. THE BSO'S FAMILY CONCERT, MUSIC TRIUMPHANT: LIGHT IN THE MIDST OF DARKNESS WAS AN ARCHIVAL COMPILATION CURATED AND NARRATED BY THOMAS WILKINS. WORKS INCLUDED HOLST'S JUPITER FROM THE PLANETS AND THE 2ND MOVEMENT OF BEETHOVEN'S SYMPHONY NO. 7, WHICH HE USED TO ILLUSTRATE BEETHOVEN'S CHOICE OF HOPE OVER DESPAIR. THE CONCERT WAS AVAILABLE FOR TWO MONTHS AND WAS VIEWED 6,384 TIMES. THE BSO CREATED TWO PLAYLISTS ESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BOSTON DUCK BOAT AND OLDTOWN TROLLEY TOURS, IN THE FALL AND THE SPRING EIGHT SMALL ENSEMBLES OF MUSICIANS TRAVELED ACROSS BOSTON AND CAMBRIDGE GIVING SHORT OUTDOOR RECITALS. THESE TOOK PLACE OUTSIDE THE VA HOSPITAL, BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, NEW ENGLAND CENTER AND HOME FOR VETERANS, CAMBRIDGE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY COMMITTEE, CAMBRIDGE HOSPITAL, AND AT PARKS AROUND BOSTON.

THE BSO'S TWO MAIN PROPERTIES, SYMPHONY HALL AND TANGLEWOOD, HAVE LONG AND SIGNIFICANT HISTORIES AND ATTRACT VISITORS FROM NEAR AND FAR. SYMPHONY HALL'S ACOUSTIC QUALITIES HAVE EARNED IT A PLACE AMONG THE TOP THREE CONCERT AUDITORIUMS IN THE WORLD, A FACT UNDERSCORED BY THE HALL'S 1999 DESIGNATION AS A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK. SYMPHONY HALL RESONATES WITH MORE THAN A CENTURY OF PERFORMANCES BY KEY ARTISTS. IT IS ALSO A KEY PERFORMANCE VENUE FOR A NUMBER OF ENSEMBLES AND PRESENTERS, INCLUDING THE HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY, THE CELEBRITY SERIES OF BOSTON, AND THE BOSTON YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. ITS CAPACITY IS 2,625 SEATS. LOCATED IN THE BERKSHIRE HILLS OF LENOX, MASSACHUSETTS AND ESTABLISHED IN 1936 BY THEN-MUSIC DIRECTOR SERGE KOUSSEVITZKY, TANGLEWOOD IS THE SUMMER HOME OF THE BSO. ITS PERFORMANCE VENUES-KOUSSEVITZKY MUSIC SHED, SEIJI OZAWA CONCERT HALL, AND LINDE CENTER-AND 80 ANCILLARY BUILDINGS ARE LOCATED ON 526 PASTORAL ACRES. BUILT IN 1938, THE KOUSSEVITZKY MUSIC SHED IS A SEASONAL HALL OPEN ON THREE SIDES WITH 5,121 SEATS AND ADDITIONAL SEATING FOR MORE THAN 10,000 ON THE SURROUNDING LAWN. IN SUMMER OF 2021, ALL BSO PERFORMANCES WERE HELD IN THIS VENUE. OPENED IN 1994, SEIJI OZAWA HALL IS A BRICK AND WOOD STRUCTURE THAT USUALLY PROVIDES A VENUE FOR CHAMBER MUSIC PERFORMANCES AND SERVES AS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER. IT SEATS 750 AUDIENCE MEMBERS ON THE ORCHESTRA LEVEL AND 450 IN THE TWO BALCONIES, AS WELL AS HUNDREDS MORE ON THE LAWN. OZAWA HALL AND THE LINDE CENTER FOR MUSIC AND LEARNING WERE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC THIS YEAR SO THAT THE TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER HAD EXCLUSIVE USE.