In lieu of a previously planned gala performance, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will reach fans with a television broadcast of the group’s 2018 performance as part of “The BBC Proms,” an annual summer season of classical concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
The orchestra was scheduled to have the Gala Celebration and Concert, featuring violinist Itzhak Perlman, on May 9 at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. But in response to the coronavirus, the BSO canceled or rescheduled shows on its performance calendar.
In its place, Maryland Public Television will air “The BBC Proms” performance from August 2018 at 6 p.m. Over at its website, the BSO will stream pre- and post-concert content for viewers.
The two-hour concert features Music Director Marin Alsop leading the orchestra through Leonard Bernstein’s “Slava! A Political Overture,” Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 and Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2, “Age of Anxiety.”
Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet joins the BSO on the last piece.
In a statement, BSO president and CEO Peter Kjome thanked Maryland Public Television, the BBC and the American Federation of Musicians for making the broadcast possible.
“While we look forward to the moment when the Orchestra can return to the stage, we are thrilled to share this inspiring performance at a time when the power of music is needed more than ever,” he said.
Maryland Public Televisions president and CEO Larry D. Unger also thanked the BBC, calling the Proms series “one of the most significant annual events in British culture.”
“The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is among the crown jewels of Maryland and MPT is thrilled to partner with the BSO on a special concert broadcast that’s sure to raise the spirits of viewers across the state,” he said.
