Messages from the BCO Board
Thoughts from the Music Director on BCO’s 2012-2013 Season
Dear Friends,
As we continue preparations for our 2012-13 season in Faneuil Hall, I am as excited as I’ve ever been about the music, the guest artists, the dedication & enthusiasm of our superb orchestra musicians, and the unique relationship we have with our audience in that intimate and historic space.
The human spirit is often fascinated by the “other” — the exotic — and our season opens in September with German master Brahms exploring the infectious rhythms and melodies of Hungary, and the equally masterful Hungarian composer Bartok capturing the song and dance of Rumania, in two orchestral suites that are perennial favorites. This opening program also features some “stars in our midst:” violinists Sandra Stecher Kott, Roksana Sudol, Colin Davis, & Lena Wong in concertos from Vivaldi’s “L’Estro Armonico” (The Harmonic Inspiration); and oboist Barbara LaFitte, clarinetist Ian Greitzer, bassoonist Ronald Harutounian, and hornist Frederick Aldrich in Mozart’s sublime and lively Sinfonia Concertante.
October brings a very special treat: violinist Lucia Lin and ‘cellist Owen Young, both members of the Boston Symphony and artists well-known for the passion, poetry, and generosity of their playing, will collaborate with BCO in Brahms’ Concerto for Violin, ‘Cello, and Orchestra. This towering work stands alone in the canon as a masterful interweaving of beauty, spirit, virtuosity in service of a deeper meaning, and sheer musical pleasure. We will round out this program with Beethoven’s heroic Egmont Overture, and Bizet’s tour de force Symphony in C major.
In an unprecedented third consecutive return appearance, Violinist Sharon will collaborate with BCO in Beethoven’s iconic concerto. The piece is of course familiar; the performance will be newly-minted. The program also features Schubert’s little-known but well-crafted concert overture in B-flat major, and Weber’s witty Symphony No. 1 in C major.
In February, I’ll pick up my clarinet (I’ve already started practicing!) to join my BCO colleagues in Dvorak’s Serenade for Winds, a piece, like Brahms’ Hungarian Dances and Bartok’s Rumanian Dances, that deserves its popularity. To set the stage for this large-scale serenade, we’ll open this program with Dvorak’s lyrical Trio for Two Violins and Viola, and Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.
March brings two more friends from the Boston Symphony, this time hornist Rachel Childers (the first female brass player in the history of the BSO) and trombonist Toby Oft, each taking a solo turn (Mozart for Rachel, Ferdinand David — Mendelssohn’s friend & concertmaster — for Toby) before joining forces in Michael Haydn’s Duet Concertino for horn and alto trombone. We have paired each concerto with a work by a relative or friend of the composer, so Rachel’s Mozart is balanced by Papa Leopold’s “Toy” Symphony, Toby’s David by an early Mendelssohn Sinfonia, and the Michael Haydn by brother Franz Josef’s Symphony No. 28.
In April, our season concludes with the BCO debut of a genuinely thrilling artist, Baritone Philip Lima. I have watched with pride and admiration as Phil has developed into one of the most communicative, charismatic, sensitive singers of his generation; and it delights me that we have this opportunity to collaborate with him before our Faneuil Hall audiences. In a program addressing dreams, hopes, renewal, and fate, Phil will sing Lee Hoiby’s setting of the Martin Luther King, Jr. historic I Have a Dream speech (whose 50th anniversary arrives in August) and songs from Mahler’s “Des Knaben Wunderhorn.” The orchestra will frame these works with Spring from Haydn’s “The Creation,” and Beethoven’s heaven-storming Symphony No. 5.
We look forward to seeing you again at the historic Faneuil Hall in the fall!
From the President
July, 2012
Message from the President
Dear Music Lover,
You’re reading this because you love classical music. If you’re like most of our patrons, you also want the very best quality for the time and money you spend to attend concerts. That’s what you get from the Boston Classical Orchestra.
If you’re a returning patron, thanks for your continued support. You already know what a gem the Boston Classical Orchestra is and you appreciate what we do to keep the orchestra performing year after year at the highest level.
If you’re new to the BCO, welcome! You’re in for a real treat when you attend your first concert. What I hear most from new concertgoers is, “This is fabulous. Why haven’t I heard about the BCO before?”
Our 2012-2013 season marks our 33rd year performing in Faneuil Hall, giving concertgoers great music in an intimate, historic setting. You sit close to the musicians and are likely to encounter many of them during intermission and after the performance.
Steven Lipsitt, our Music Director, has designed another great season of classical masterpieces with renowned soloists. On this website you’ll find a complete program guide including dates and descriptions of the performances. Take a look and choose the concerts you find most appealing. Many subscribers select them all, but we have several subscription packages with flexibility for Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon performances.
Please also consider a gift to the BCO in any amount that feels right for you. Ticket sales account for only about half of the cost of producing our programs and we rely on the generosity of music lovers like you to sustain us. People give to the BCO because they believe in our mission and see the BCO as an integral part of the cultural landscape in Boston. And they just love coming to Faneuil Hall to hear the orchestra play.
I look forward to welcoming you at an upcoming Boston Classical Orchestra concert. I know you’ll love it as much as I do.
Sincerely,
Herbert A. Fox
President
