Boston Symphony Orchestra | BSO Now, 1.26.21 / Online Performances & Radio Offerings

January 26, 2021

THIS WEEK: THE BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S ONLINE PERFORMANCE (WWW.BSO.ORG/NOW) AND RADIO BROADCAST OFFERINGS (WWW.CLASSICALWCRB.ORG)

BSO NOW NEW ONLINE VIDEO STREAMS CONTINUE THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, AT NOON, WITH THE RELEASE OF A BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCE UNDER THE BANNER NEW BEGINNINGS, AVAILABLE AT WWW.BSO.ORG/NOW

BSO ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR ANNA RAKITINA MAKES HER BSO DEBUT LEADING THE ORCHESTRA IN PROKOFIEV’S CLASSICAL SYMPHONY, ARVO PÄRT’S FRATRES WITH VIOLIN SOLOIST GIL SHAHAM, AND STRAVINSKY’S FIREBIRD SUITE

BSO Assistant Conductor Anna Rakitina leads the BSO at December 17, 2020’s BSO NOW dress rehearsal. Click here for a high-res version of the image (photo credit: Hilary Scott).

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BSO NOW ONLINE PRESENTATIONS FEATURE NEWLY RECORDED HOUR-LONG VIDEO PERFORMANCES BY THE BOSTON SYMPHONY, BOSTON POPS, AND BSO MUSICIANS IN CHAMBER MUSIC, ALONG WITH BEHIND-THE-SCENES STORYTELLING WITH CONDUCTORS, COMPOSERS, AND MUSICIANS, PLUS MUCH MORE

EACH BSO NOW VIDEO LAUNCHES AT WWW.BSO.ORG/NOW ON SELECT THURSDAYS, AT NOON, ET, NOVEMBER 19 THROUGH APRIL 29; ALL BSO NOWONLINE VIDEOS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING FOR 30 DAYS AFTER EACH INITIAL RELEASE DATE

OVERVIEW OF BSO NOW NEWLY RECORDED ONLINE PROGRAMMING FOR RELEASE IN JANUARY

BSO NOW OFFERINGS INCLUDE THREE BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCE STREAMS, WITH THE THEME “NEW BEGINNINGS,” AVAILABLE ON JANUARY 14, 21, AND 28, AT NOON, AT WWW.BSO.ORG/NOW

BSO NOW Upcoming Online Release on January 28

• Thursday, January 28, at noon: Making her BSO debut, Anna Rakitina leads a BSO program featuring Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1, Classical, Arvo Pärt’s Fratres, with violin soloist Gil Shaham, and Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite; chamber music performance of Missy Mazzoli’s Set That on Fire, featuring BSO musicians Elizabeth Klein, flute; Thomas Martin, clarinet; Thomas Siders, trumpet; and Valeria Vilker Kuchment, violin; with guest pianist Vytas Baksys; available for viewing through February 27 at www.bso.org/now

Click here to listen to an excerpt of Arvo Pärt’s Fratres, performed by violinist Gil Shaham and the BSO, led by BSO Assistant Conductor Anna Rakitina

Previously Released BSO NOW Streams in January

• Thursday, January 14, at noon: Stefan Asbury leads a Boston Symphony Orchestra program including Thomas Adès’ Dawn, Debussy’s Printemps, Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending with violin soloist Elena Urioste, and Smetana’s The Moldau; the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, with guest conductor Jorge Soto, perform Elena Langer’s Five Reflections on Water; available for viewing through February 13 at www.bso.org/now

• Thursday, January 21, at noon: Thomas Wilkins leads a BSO program with selections from Kareem Roustom’s Aleppo Songs, Piazzolla’s Aconcagua, Concerto for Bandoneón and Orchestra, with soloist Hector Del Curto, and Hindemith’s Symphony, Mathis der Maler; chamber music performance of Carlos Simon’s Warmth from Other Suns, featuring BSO musicians Victor Romanul and Wendy Putnam, violins; Mary Ferrillo, viola; and Adam Esbensen, cello; available for viewing through February 20 at www.bso.org/now

Please note: Each of the BSO’s Music in Changing Times online video programs will include a magazine-style segment with musicians, composers, and conductors shedding light on the musical selections and themes associated with each program.

UPCOMING ONLINE PERFORMANCES IN FEBRUARY: ANDRIS NELSONS TO LEAD BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA IN THREE NEW CONCERT STREAMS WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON BEETHOVEN—IN CELEBRATION OF THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMPOSER’S BIRTH—FOR INITIAL RELEASE ON FEBRUARY 11, 18, AND 25 AT WWW.BSO.ORG/NOW; RECENT WORKS BY THREE YOUNG COMPOSERS NEW TO THE BSO—IMAN HABIBI, HANNAH KENDALL, AND CARLOS SIMON—WILL BE FEATURED ALONGSIDE THE MUSIC OF BEETHOVEN, INCLUDING SYMPHONIES NOS. 3, 5, 6, AND 7; CLICK HERE FOR A PROGRAM LISTING AND DESCRIPTION

BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons, Iman Habibi, Hannah Kendall, Carlos Simon

ADDITIONAL BSO NOW PROGRAMMING DETAILS, MARCH AND APRIL, TO BE ANNOUNCED AT A LATER DATE IN ORDER FOR THE BSO TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO ANY CHANGES IN RESTRICTIONS THAT MIGHT BE IMPLEMENTED AROUND OFFICIAL COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

INFORMATION ON HOW TO ACCESS BSO NOW NEWLY RECORDED ONLINE VIDEO CONTENT TO BE DISTRIBUTED AT WWW.BSO.ORG/NOW, THURSDAYS AT NOON, THROUGH APRIL 29

• THE COMPLETE SERIES OF BSO NOW PROGRAMMING IS AVAILABLE IN RECOGNITION OF DONATIONS OF $100 OR MORE BY VISITING WWW.BSO.ORG/NOW

• DETAILS ABOUT THE ESSENTIAL WORKERS TICKET PROGRAM AND COMPLIMENTARY ACCESS FOR BSO SUBSCRIBERS, COLLEGE CARD HOLDERS, CORPORATE PARTNERS, AND CURRENT BSO, POPS, AND TANGLEWOOD DONORS OF $100 OR MORE, AS WELL AS INFORMATION ABOUT A COMPLIMENTARY 24-HOUR TRIAL ACCESS PROGRAM FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH WWW.BSO.ORG/NOW

ENCORE BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT BROADCASTS ON CRB CLASSICAL 99.5 FM AND WWW.CLASSICALWCRB.ORG, TO TAKE PLACE SATURDAYS AT 8 P.M.

PROGRAM FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 30: HERBERT BLOMSTEDT LEADS THE BSO IN AN ALL-BEETHOVEN PROGRAM, INCLUDING THE PIANO CONCERTO NO. 1, WITH SOLOIST GARRICK OHLSSON, AND THE SYMPHONY NO. 7

FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT STREAM UNDER THE DIRECTION OF ANNA RAKITINA, LAUNCHING ON JANUARY 28

On Thursday, January 28, at noon, at www.bso.org/now, the BSO NOWconcert streaming platform will feature BSO Assistant Conductor Anna Rakitina and the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a program that examines the role of place and home in an artist’s experience—the final in a series of three new January BSO NOW streams with the theme “New Beginnings.” Leading works representing the distinctive voices of three composers, Ms. Rakitina is joined by violinist Gil Shaham as soloist for Arvo Pärt’s atmospheric, ceremonial Fratres(“Brothers”), one of the Estonian composer’s best-known and most characteristic pieces. With Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony, we find that talented but deliberately provocative young composer broadening his range to embrace music of grace, clarity, and charm. The first of Stravinsky’s three great ballet scores, The Firebird, composed when he was 27, was far more ambitious and imaginative than anything he had written previously. This BSO NOW stream will be available for viewing through February 27 at www.bso.org/now.

Closing this episode is celebrated American composer Missy Mazzoli’s Set That on Fire for chamber ensemble, which takes its title from a phrase used by the painter Jean-Michel Basquiat. The energy and precision of the piece demand virtuosic performances from the BSO musicians, which include Elizabeth Klein, flute; Thomas Martin, clarinet; Thomas Siders, trumpet; and Valeria Vilker Kuchment, violin; with guest pianist Vytas Baksys. Dynamic magazine elements in Episode 3 include a feature on “arrivals” in terms of a composer’s musical style, as well as a conversation between BSO Assistant Conductor Anna Rakitina and BSO bassoonist Suzanne Nelsen. For complete program notes of the January 28 BSO NOW concert stream, click here.

BSO clarinetist Thomas Martin, violinist Valeria Vilker Kuchment, flutist Elizabeth Klein, trumpeter Thomas Siders

Anna Rakitina is the second woman assistant conductor in the Boston Symphony’s history. (From 2007 through 2010, the position was held by South Korean conductor Shiyeon Sung, the current artistic director and chief conductor of the Gyeonggi Philharmonic Orchestra since January 2014.) Click here for further details about the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s BSO NOW streams on January 28, February 11, 18, and 25. The director of the concert portions of the BSO NOW series is Habib Azar.

INFORMATION ON THE NEW STREAMING PLATFORM, BSO NOW

On November 19, the Boston Symphony Orchestra launched BSO NOW, an expanded online presence with newly recorded hour-long video streams by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Andris Nelsons and guest conductors; the Boston Pops, under the direction of Keith Lockhart; and BSO musicians in chamber music, as well as BSO Youth and Family Concerts, under the direction of Thomas Wilkins, and special projects featuring the orchestra’s educational and community partnerships. Most BSO NOW video streams will also feature a magazine-type segment, with behind-the-scenes storytelling with conductors, composers, and musicians, plus much more. All BSO NOW newly recorded programs will be released on select Thursdays at noon through April 29, at www.bso.org/now, with each program remaining available for 30 days after its initial posting. The BSO, Pops, and youth-focused video performances will be recorded from the stage of Symphony Hall—widely considered one of the top three acoustic concert halls in the world—which will also be featured for all its beautiful detail and historic significance.

Over the next few months, BSO NOW will also stream some selected performances from the BSO Archives, including concerts led by Seiji Ozawa, William Steinberg, and Colin Davis, with further details to be announced at a later date.

Additional BSO NOW programming details, March-April, will be announced at a later date in order for the BSO to respond effectively to any changes in restrictions that might be implemented around official COVID-19 protocols. Previously released BSO NOW streams, no longer available, include Ken-David Masur leading the BSO in Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 and Ives’ The Unanswered Question; Thomas Wilkins conducting the BSO in works by Jessie Montgomery, Ellington, and Still; Marcelo Lehninger leading the orchestra in works by Copland, Barber, and Joan Tower; and Keith Lockhart leading a Holiday Pops concert stream.

On January 6, 2021, Andris Nelsons returned for the first time to Symphony Hall in nearly a year. (Photo credit: Aram Boghosian)

INFORMATION ABOUT ONLINE PROGRAMMING CREATED IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19 CONCERT CANCELLATIONS

BSO NOW—the BSO’s expanded digital content series to be recorded at Symphony Hall and made available through bso.org/now beginning on November 19—is part of the BSO’s continuing series of online offerings created in response to the live performance hiatus imposed by regulations around the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing health crisis. In response to this hiatus from live performances, the BSO launched its expanded digital offerings on March 26 with BSO at Home and BSO HomeSchool, followed by Boston Pops at Home (all available at www.bso.org), the Tanglewood 2020 Online Festival (www.tanglewood.org), and Encore BSO Recitals (www.bso.org), available through November 19. The success of these programs, which have generated millions of interactions—both directly with the actual online content and indirectly through posts on the orchestra’s social media channels about that content—has been an inspiration for the orchestra to continue to explore new ways of reaching its music community and beyond with new, innovative, and compelling programming during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of March 13, 2020, and continuing on through April 2021 and possibly beyond, the orchestra has been forced to cancel the remainder of its 2019-20 BSO Youth Concert Series and 2019-20 BSO season and the entire 2020 Boston Pops, 2020 Tanglewood, 2020 Holiday Pops, and 2020-21 BSO seasons. The series of announcements detailing the full slate of cancellations by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, beginning on March 13, can be found here.

INFORMATION ON THE BSO’S REOPENING STRATEGY FOR ITS BSO NOWONLINE RECORDING SCHEDULE AT SYMPHONY HALL

Working with 9 Foundations, Inc., the BSO’s reopening strategy for its BSO NOW online recording schedule at Symphony Hall will include a robust testing schedule, two layers of daily screening, social distancing, universal masking, engineering controls, and enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols. (Click here for additional details.) In addition, BSO musicians will sit on a 35.5 foot stage extension—more than doubling the size of the stage—especially built to accommodate official social distancing requirements between orchestra members.

With the health and safety of everyone involved the highest priority, the BSO will continually monitor updates from the Centers for Disease Control, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the City of Boston, as well as its own team of experts, to determine when it can gradually start inviting audiences bad to Symphony Hall and its other venues. The timing of this process will not be known for at least several months. All official Boston Symphony Orchestra updates will be announced through press releases and postings on www.bso.org.

SPONSORSHIPS

BSO SEASON SPONSORS:
Bank of America is the Lead BSO Season Sponsor for the 2020-21 season, supporting the Music in Changing Times programming and other BSO digital offerings, including the launch of the essential workers ticket program. Arbella Insurance Foundation, a longtime sponsor, is continuing its major sponsorship for the 15th season as the “Music for All” sponsor, supporting our education and outreach programs so that everyone has access to great classical music in our community. Fairmont Copley Plaza, Official Hotel of the BSO, and Commonwealth Worldwide Executive Transportation, the Official Chauffeured Transportation of the BSO, will support our artists and recording crew’s travel needs for the newly recorded online video content.