The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will play free summer concerts at Oregon Ridge Park this summer.
Beginning July 8 and running through July 29, the orchestra will perform a concert program each Thursday at 7 p.m. at the park, located at 13401 Beaver Dam Road in Cockeysville.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra back to Oregon Ridge, for not just one, but four weeks of free summer concerts,” Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. said in a statement. “The return of the BSO Free Summer Concert Series for these in-person performances is another sign that we are continuing to make progress in our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and we are proud to support the BSO’s efforts to offer these cherished concerts for families of all ages.”
The performances are part of the BSO’s “Summer with the Symphony” free summer series.
Allison Burr-Livingstone, Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, said the BSO is grateful to partner with the county government and once again share live, in-person music at Oregon Ridge.
“We are thrilled to bring the BSO, including wind and brass ensembles, to perform a new program each week, featuring everything from patriotic classical and pop favorites to jazz-inspired works as we move forward with our responsible return to live music,” Burr-Livingstone said in a statement.
The July 8 concert, titled “An American in Paris,” will feature the orchestral piece of the same name by composer George Gershwin. The BSO will also present a mixture of pieces by English, American and French composers, from the U.S. national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner” by English composer John Stafford Smith, who set to music the poem by American poet Francis Scott Key; to the piece “Le boeuf sur le toit,” or “The Ox on the Roof,” by French composer Darius Milhaud, who was inspired by Brazilian music.
On July 15, the BSO will present “Famous Fanfares,” including fanfares and marches, such as American composer Joan Tower’s “Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman,” which will be dedicated to BSO maestra Marin Alsop, who will step down from her leadership role when her current contract expires Aug. 31.
The orchestra will present their “American and Beyond” concert on July 22, including pieces from around the globe, and even from a galaxy far, far away, with a performance of the main theme from the Star Wars series “The Mandalorian,” by Swedish composer Ludwig Göransson.
Rounding out the month of performances will be the “Summer Spectacular” concert on July 29. That program will feature music from a wide range of genres, such as opera, film music, jazz hits and more.
These concert programs will also be performed at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on July 10 (An American in Paris), July 16 (Famous Fanfares), July 23 (American and Beyond), and July 28 and 30 (Summer Spectacular), at 7 p.m. each day.
The Oregon Ridge concerts will be free, but attendees must register for tickets in advance. Registration will open June 22 at www.BSOmusic.org/summer.
On-site parking at Oregon Ridge will be free to ticket holders.
