BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INC

Orchestral Music Programs: 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. Between October 5, 2023, and May 4, 2024, the Boston Symphony Orchestra gave more than 80 concerts in Symphony Hall for 159,787 audience members that included BSO commissions, overlooked works from the past, and central works of the classical canon, speaking to the breadth of human experience. Soloists included Yo-Yo Ma, Aaron Diehl, Yefim Bronfman, Paul Lewis, Yuja Wang, and Hilary Hahn as well as diverse rising stars who included saxophonist Steven Banks, tenor Lawrence Brownlee, Sphinx award winning violinist Randall Goosby, Venezuelan conductor Domingo Hindoyan, and Korean pianists Seong-Jin Cho and 19-year-old Yunchan Lim, the youngest winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano prize. The BSO elevated important living composers including Carlos Simon, Roberto Sierra, Tania León, Elena Langer, Iman Habibi, James Lee III, Hannah Kendall, and Anna Thorvaldsdottir with works that explored climate change and struggles for social justice in the U.S. and abroad. Highlights included Paul Lewis performing all five Beethoven's piano concertos in a three-day marathon; Yo-Yo Ma gave all-out performances of Shostakovich's Cello concerto No. 1 and No 2, and the BSO completed its ten-year investigation of Shostakovich's major works with an acclaimed concert performance of his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk in Boston and at Carnegie Hall, and the BSO gave a memorial tribute to jazz great Wayne Shorter, which the Boston Globe called "one of the most unforgettable, extraordinary, and joyous BSO concerts I have ever experienced." Throughout the year, the BSO celebrated Serge Koussevitzky and his enduring legacy as the former Music Director of the orchestra. Boston Pops concerts offered a wide range of musical expressions from sold out celebrations of John Williams to Gospel, Broadway, music of Queen, its first Pride celebration, and a commemoration in music and archival photos and videos of the final months of World War II in a program that was broadcast in November on many PBS stations. Attendance at the ever-popular Holiday Pops concerts grew 22% from the year before with 92,876 people attending 39 performances. Tanglewood's natural beauty once again created an extraordinary backdrop for experiencing music drawing 328,000 people from around the country and across the globe. Highlights included all-Beethoven and all-Strauss programs, a performance with dancers from Boston Ballet, the return of Yo-Yo Ma, Yuja Wang, Renée Fleming, Paul Lewis, and Emanuel Ax. Gustavo Dudamel led the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela and the baroque ensemble Les Arts Florissants performed. Jon Batiste, Brandi Carlisle, James Taylor, and Kool & the Gang were among the Popular Artist performers.

Education and community programs are integral to the BSO's mission. In Boston: 3,700 high school students attended one of the BSO's High School Open Rehearsals, giving them and their teachers a rare opportunity to watch as a work-in-progress became a work of art, exposing students to a powerful artistic experience. Symphony Hall was bursting with students during an open rehearsal where Yo-Yo Ma performed Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1 and No. 2. The BSO's three Youth Concerts engaged 5,533 third - ninth grade students from Boston and well beyond. The orchestra performed excerpts by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and William Grant Still as Conductor Thomas Wilkins talked about friendship, and the importance of listening and of being heard. The students felt his warmth radiate from the stage as he communicated, "this music is for you. This orchestra is here for you." They responded in kind. Each concert ended with a rousing standing ovation. To honor veterans, the Boston Pops gave a free Holiday Pops Military Preview performance for more than 2,000 veterans, their families, and active service members, filling the Hall with a joy and sending a powerful message of appreciation for these men and women. This realization of one of Keith Lockhart's dreams will become an annual offering. The Pops gave a Holiday Pops performance for people with autism and those who care for them. The BSO made many accommodations to welcome this population so they and their loved one could share a quintessential New England tradition as a family. Musicians of the Boston Pops brought holiday cheer to patients at Boston Children's Hospital. 1,360 people from across Boston gathered as Symphony Hall opened its doors for a free Concert for the City that began with a celebration of local musicians performing before the concert and a performance by Boston Symphony Orchestra led by Andris Nelsons, Keith Lockhart, Thomas Wilkins, and James Burton-highlighting the orchestra's range and skill. The BSO forged connections with Boston Arts Academy, Project STEP, the Greater Roxbury Arts and Cultural Center, and in the Berkshires with Multi-Cultural Bridge, Kid 4 Harmony, and Latina413 and continued to work with Boston Public Schools and the Berkshires Superintendents Roundtable. Throughout the year, approximately 20,000 children, high school and college students, adults under the age of 40, veterans, MA public school teachers, health care workers, and people who are eligible for public benefits were able to attend concerts thanks to free and discounted tickets. At Tanglewood:Founded in 1940, the Tanglewood Music Center (TMC), the BSO's summer music academy welcome 133 Fellows from 31 U.S. states including Puerto Rico and 17 countries. During eight weeks, the TMC Fellows benefitted from coaching by 108 instructors who were BSO players, visiting artists, and TMC faculty as they prepared for more than 30 chamber and orchestra concerts. TMC Orchestra concerts were conducted by Andris Nelsons, Dima Slobodeniouk, Alan Gilbert, and Stefan Asbury. The two Conducting Fellows stepped in when Hannu Lintu canceled his appearance with the TMC Orchestra on August 19 due to an injury. In summer 2024, the Tanglewood Learning Institute (TLI) presented 39 programs last summer and three community concerts during the fall/winter/spring. These programs created opportunities for people to discover and connect with various artforms and to discover a sense of belonging at Tanglewood. Summer programs included a new series that brought families with young children to Tanglewood for an arts-rich experience that was offered in partnership with Norman Rockwell Museum and WBUR's Circle Round. TLI also programmed a new six-part series: The Art of Conducting where audiences gained an inside look at how conductors think about and teach their craft. Conductors Andris Nelsons, Dima Slobodeniouk, and Thomas Wilkins one worked closely with the two TMC conducting Fellows giving immediate and hands-on guidance on how to communicate clearly to a small ensemble of TMC musicians. In TLI's series of open master classes, audiences saw how musicians at the top of their form share their knowledge with a new generation. Talks with guest artists illuminated their creative process and their approach to the repertoire they were preparing to perform. Other offerings included a look at cabaret, and programs that probed in music what it means to be an American performed by Johnny Gandelsman, Jeremy Denk, and Nicholas Phan. The Spotlight Series brought Henry Louis Gates, poet Tracy K. Smith, and technology writer David Pogue to Lenox for compelling conversations. 2,475 people enjoyed Tanglewood's Family Concert conducted by Thomas Wilkins. Nearly 10,000 youth under age 18 attended concerts for free and 2,000 people enjoyed free events such as Berkshire Night.