July 22, 2024 (Baltimore, MD)

Ben Newman, Executive Director

Baltimore Chamber Orchestra

Ben@TheBCO.org

(410) 685-4050

For Immediate Release:

 

Baltimore Chamber Orchestra 

Announces 2024-25 Season

 – The Orchestra's 2024-25 season, the first of Robert Moody’s tenure as Music Director, features performances of major works by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Sibelius and Stravinsky. 

Additional highlights include the Orchestra’s first performances of pieces by John Adams, Mason Bates, Gustav Mahler, Astor Piazzola, Jessie Montgomery, William Grant Still, Baltimore born Frank Zappa, and many more! 

 

(BALTIMORE, MD) — Today the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra (BCO) announced its 2024-25 season, its first under the leadership of its newly named Music Director, Robert Moody. The Orchestra’s five concert subscription season includes debut and return appearances from some of classical music’s most talented soloists including baritone Troy Cook, clarinetist Rob Patterson, violinist and BCO’s Concertmaster Audrey Wright, pianist and Peabody DMA candidate Christopher Goodpasture, and 2023 Stulberg Competition Gold Medalist, cellist Amelia Zitoun. 

Maestro Moody’s reputation for delighting audiences around the world with his masterful curation of concert programs will see the BCO’s first performances of works by renowned composers such as John Adams, Mason Bates, Gustav Mahler, Jessie Montgomery, Astor Piazzola, Jean Sibelius, and Baltimore’s own Frank Zappa. All concerts take place at 3:00pm on Sunday afternoons at Goucher College’s Kraushaar Auditorium in Towson, MD. 

“I am so excited to share many of these incredible pieces with BCO’s audience for the very first time.” Robert Moody said. “To lead an orchestra’s first performance of a piece is always an honor, but to do so with musicians the caliber of the BCO is an immense personal privilege for me and one of the many reasons I am excited to help grow the Orchestra. I am so grateful to BCO’s Board of Trustees for giving me the chance to share some of my favorite pieces during my first season as Music Director. Their openness to exploration and willingness to take risks is rare to find in classical music and is one of the many reasons we chose ‘A New Era Begins’ as our season theme. I can’t wait to get started!” 

The season’s repertoire and guest artist performers include: 

 

MAESTRO MOODY’S FIRST CONCERT: SAINT-SAËNS & SIBELIUS

Robert Moody, conductor; Christopher Goodpasture, piano

Sunday, October 6, 2024 at 3:00pm; Kraushaar Auditorium at Goucher College

Overture to “The Bartered Bride” - Bedrich Smetana, Czechia (1824-1884)

Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22 - Camille Saint-Saëns, France (1835-1921)

Symphony No. 5 - Jean Sibelius, Finland (1865-1957) 

Robert Moody begins his tenure as Music Director with three well-known works each receiving their first BCO performances. Smetana’s rousing operatic overture opens the program before Peabody DMA candidate Christopher Goodpasture performs Saint-Saëns’ most popular piano concerto. Sibelius’s ethereal and moving Symphony No. 5 offers a sign of musical adventures ahead under Maestro Moody’s leadership.

 

BEETHOVEN’S MIGHTY “EROICA” 

Robert Moody, conductor; Rob Patterson, clarinet

Sunday, November 17, 2024 at 3:00pm; Kraushaar Auditorium at Goucher College 

Banner - Jessie Montgomery, USA (1981-

Gnarly Buttons - John Adams, USA (1947-

Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” - L.V. Beethoven, Germany (1770-1827)

Clarinetist Rob Patterson returns to the BCO with John Adams’ imaginative and tender Gnarly Buttons following Jessie Montgomery’s patriotic tribute to the national anthem. Maestro Moody builds on his “sparkling” performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 last May leading the composer’s earlier landmark Symphony No. 3 “Eroica”.

 

MAHLER, MENDELSSOHN & ZAPPA

Robert Moody, conductor; Troy Cook, baritone

Sunday, February 9, 2025 at 3:00pm; Kraushaar Auditorium at Goucher College 

Chamber Orchestra Song Cycle - Frank Zappa, Baltimore USA (1940-1993)

(Dog Breath Variations & G-Spot Tornado)

Songs of a Wayfarer - Gustav Mahler, Austria (1860-1911)

Symphony No. 5 “Reformation” - Felix Mendelssohn, Germany (1809-1847)

In another program of firsts, the BCO highlights Baltimore born Frank Zappa’s compositional ingenuity before Metropolitan Opera baritone Troy Cook brings his acclaimed interpretation of Mahler’s enigmatic Songs of a Wayfarer to the stage. Mendelssohn’s majestic “Reformation” Symphony brings the concert to a dramatic finish.

 

BAROQUE GHOSTS, SCHUMANN & STRAVINSKY 

Robert Moody, conductor; Amelia Zitoun, cello

Sunday, March 9, 2025 at 3:00pm; Kraushaar Auditorium at Goucher College 

Auditorium - Mason Bates, USA (1977- )

Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129 - Robert Schumann, Germany (1810-1856)

Pulcinella Suite - Igor Stravinsky, Russia (1882-1971)

Grammy Award winning composer Mason Bates simultaneously blends the past and the present with Auditorium. Stulberg Gold Medalist, cellist Amelia Zitoun performs Schumann’s enigmatic and lush Cello Concerto in A minor before the Orchestra shares Stravinsky’s beloved orchestral suite inspired by his Pulcinella ballet, premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1922.

 

MOTHER’S DAY MOZART & FRIENDS

Norman Huynh, conductor; Audrey Wright, violin

Sunday, May 11, 2025 at 3:00pm; Kraushaar Auditorium at Goucher College 

Mother and Child - William Grant Still, USA (1895-1978)

Four Seasons of Buenos Aires - Astor Piazzola, Argentina (1921-1992)

Symphony No. 39 in Eb Major, K. 543 - W.A. Mozart, Austria (1756-1791)

There’s something for everyone at BCO’s Mother’s Day concert led by guest conductor and Peabody alum, Norman Huynh has something for everyone. William Grant Still’s touching tribute to mothers opens the concert before BCO’s Concertmaster, Audrey Wright performs the other “Four Seasons” by Argentinian composer Astor Piazzola, followed by Mozart’s timeless Symphony No. 39.

 

About the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra: 

Founded in 1984 by Maestra Anne Harrigan, the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra (BCO) is a distinguished, vibrant ensemble with a 40 year history of presenting high-quality performances that significantly enhance the cultural vibrancy of Baltimore and its surrounding communities. Characterized by its reputation for artistic excellence, the BCO has grown to occupy an essential niche in greater Baltimore’s thriving arts scene by attracting world-class artists who delight audiences with their performances of wide ranging classical and contemporary works. 

Maestro Markand Thakar succeeded Anne Harrigan as Music Director in June 2004 leading BCO to flourish through appointments of luminaries such as Jonathan Leshnoff, named BCO’s Composer in Residence in 2007; violinist Madeline Adkins, BCO’s former Concertmaster and current Concertmaster of the Utah Symphony; and New York Philharmonic violinist Audrey Wright, BCO’s Concertmaster since the fall of 2019. Following almost two decades of musical leadership, Markand Thakar retired from his position as BCO’s Music Director in 2023 and was succeeded in the summer of 2024 by Maestro Robert Moody. A committed and enthusiastic Board of Trustees composed of community leaders dedicated to artistic innovation, education, and community engagement oversee the organization’s operations and help sustain BCO’s legacy as a cherished and enduring presence in the region’s classical music scene.

Thanks to donations from BCO’s committed community of donors, all students can attend BCO’s concerts for free with a valid Student ID. All performances take place in Goucher College’s Kraushaar Auditorium which offers free, safe, and accessible parking for all attendees. Concert tickets and more information about the BCO can be found at www.TheBCO.org. 

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