Boston Symphony Orchestra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boston Symphony Orchestra |
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| Orchestra | |
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| Short name | BSO |
| Founded | 1881 |
| Location | 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Concert hall | Symphony Hall Tanglewood |
| Music director | Andris Nelsons |
The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is a famous American orchestra based in Boston. It is one of the oldest and most important symphony orchestras in the United States. The BSO was started by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881.
Most of its concerts happen at Symphony Hall in Boston. In the summer, the orchestra performs at Tanglewood, a beautiful outdoor venue. Many famous conductors have led the BSO, including Andris Nelsons, who is the current music director. The orchestra has also made many recordings, including music for movies like Schindler's List.
Contents
History of the BSO
How the Orchestra Started
The Boston Symphony Orchestra began in 1881. It was founded by Henry Lee Higginson, a businessman who loved music. The first conductor was George Henschel, a talented singer and conductor. He was a friend of the famous composer Johannes Brahms.
The BSO's very first concert was on October 22, 1881. They played music by famous composers like Ludwig van Beethoven and Joseph Haydn. Over the years, the orchestra had many conductors from Europe. These conductors helped shape the BSO's unique sound.
One important early conductor was Karl Muck. He led the orchestra from 1906 to 1908 and again from 1912 to 1918. During World War I, he was arrested and deported from the U.S. because of his German background. He never returned to conduct in America.
After Muck, French conductors like Henri Rabaud and Pierre Monteux took over. Monteux helped change the orchestra's sound. Many people felt the BSO then had a special "French" sound.
Koussevitzky and Munch Eras
The orchestra became even more famous under Serge Koussevitzky. He was the music director from 1924 to 1949. Koussevitzky and the BSO were the first to perform a live concert for radio in 1926. Millions of people listened!
During his time, the orchestra started its summer home at Tanglewood. Koussevitzky also created the Tanglewood Music Center. This is a school where young musicians can learn and perform. The BSO still broadcasts its concerts on the radio today.
Koussevitzky also asked many famous composers to write new music for the orchestra. These included Sergei Prokofiev, George Gershwin, and Igor Stravinsky. They even performed the first show of Béla Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra.
After Koussevitzky, Charles Munch became the music director in 1949. He led the orchestra on its first tour outside the U.S. He also made their first stereo recording in 1954. Munch also hired the first woman to hold a main position in a major U.S. orchestra. Her name was Doriot Anthony Dwyer, and she played the flute.
Later Conductors: Ozawa, Levine, and Nelsons
Erich Leinsdorf and William Steinberg were music directors after Munch. Then, Seiji Ozawa became the music director in 1973. He stayed for a very long time, until 2002. This was the longest time any conductor has led the BSO. In 1979, Ozawa led the BSO on a special trip to China. This helped celebrate new friendly relations between the U.S. and China.
During Ozawa's time, there were some disagreements. Some musicians felt that the orchestra's playing was not as good as it could be. However, many people also believed that Ozawa made Tanglewood a more exciting place for music.
After Ozawa, James Levine became the music director in 2004. He was the first American-born conductor to lead the BSO. Levine was praised for bringing new energy to the orchestra. He also helped them perform many new pieces by modern composers. However, Levine had some health problems and had to resign in 2011.
The current music director is Andris Nelsons. He first conducted the BSO in 2011 as a substitute. In 2013, the BSO chose Nelsons as its 15th music director. He officially started in 2014. Nelsons has extended his contract several times and continues to lead the orchestra today. He also works with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra in Germany.
Equal Pay Lawsuit
In 2018, a principal flutist named Elizabeth Rowe filed a lawsuit. She claimed she was paid less than a male colleague because she was a woman. The orchestra and Rowe settled the case outside of court in 2019.
Recent Times
In 2020, the BSO had to cancel its tour to Asia due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many other events were also cancelled, including the 2020 Tanglewood summer festival. The orchestra also had to reduce staff and musician pay for a time.
In 2021, Gail Samuel became the first woman president and CEO of the BSO. She later resigned, and Chad Smith took over the role in 2023.
Other Music Groups
The Boston Pops is a special part of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It was started in 1885. The Pops plays lighter, more popular classical music and songs from musicals. Arthur Fiedler made the Boston Pops very famous from 1930 to 1979. Film composer John Williams also led the Pops. Since 1995, Keith Lockhart has been the conductor.
The Boston Symphony Chamber Players started in 1964. This group is made up of the main players from the BSO. They perform chamber music in Boston and other places.
The Tanglewood Festival Chorus sings with the BSO and Boston Pops for big choral works. This chorus has over 300 volunteer singers. It was started in 1970 by John Oliver. In 2018, the Boston Symphony Children's Choir was also created.
Recordings
The Boston Symphony Orchestra has been making recordings for a very long time. Their first recordings were in 1917. Under Serge Koussevitzky, they made their first electrical recordings in the late 1920s. These included Ravel's Boléro.
In 1954, the orchestra started making stereo recordings with Charles Munch. They also recorded with conductors like Pierre Monteux and Erich Leinsdorf. Later, they recorded with Deutsche Grammophon under William Steinberg and Seiji Ozawa.
The BSO has also recorded music for movies. They played the music for films like Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. Both were composed by John Williams.
More recently, the BSO started its own recording label called BSO Classics. They have released live concert recordings. In 2015, they started a new partnership with Deutsche Grammophon. They are recording all the symphonies by Dmitri Shostakovich with Andris Nelsons. Their first recording in this series won a Grammy Award!
Music Directors
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Composer Chair
- 2024–2027 Carlos Simon
See also
In Spanish: Orquesta Sinfónica de Boston para niños
