July 21, 2025 (Baltimore, MD)

Baltimore Chamber Orchestra 

Ben Newman, Executive Director

(410) 685-4050 | Ben@thebco.org

For Immediate Release:

 

Baltimore Chamber Orchestra

Announces 2025-26 Season

Robert Moody’s second season as Music Director features major works by Beethoven,

Holst, Mozart, Schubert, and a partnership with the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club

to perform Christopher Tin’s musical epic, The Drop That Contained The Sea.

Season highlights also include pieces by Antonin Dvorak, Peter Maxwell-Davies,

Ralph Vaughan-Williams and more!

 

(BALTIMORE, MD) — The Baltimore Chamber Orchestra (BCO) has announced its 2025-26 season, the

second under 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 pianist David Fung,

trumpeter William Gerlach, violinist and BCO’s Concertmaster Audrey Wright, flutist Henrik Heide, and a

special performance with the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club.

 

Building on his very successful first season as Music Director, Maestro Moody leads all five concerts in the

BCO’s 2025-26 season in programs that seamlessly blend timeless classics with new masterpieces. The

renowned conductor’s ability to curate programs that meet audience’s expectations and tastes while also

introducing them to new works, has become one of the maestro’s signature calling cards that has kept him in-

demand as one of the most sought-after guest conductors on the planet. The BCO will split its performances

across two venues during the season with three concerts at Goucher College’s Kraushaar Auditorium in

Towson, MD, and two concerts at Notre Dame Maryland University’s LeClerc Hall in Baltimore’s Roland Park

neighborhood. All five concerts begin at 3:00pm on Sunday afternoons with free pre-concert talks by WBJC

91.5FM radio host Jonathan Palevsky starting at 2:15pm.

 

“The chemistry between me and the orchestra continues to get better and better, and I’m excited to showcase

their incredible talents this season performing some of my favorite pieces for BCO’s audience”, Music Director

Robert Moody said. “From amazing works like Schubert’s “Great C Major” Symphony, that were written

specifically for a world-class chamber orchestra like ours, to James Stephenson’s spectacular chamber

orchestra arrangement of The Planets by Holst, a piece originally written for a symphony orchestra, and finally,

a collaboration with The U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club, one of the nation’s most revered choral groups,

arrives just in time to celebrate America’s 250th Birthday and will be nothing short of stupendous! With

tremendous support from BCO’s Board of Trustees, we are building tremendous momentum in this next

chapter of BCO’s history.”

 

The season’s repertoire and guest artist performers include:

 

GRIEG & SCHUBERT’S “GREAT C MAJOR”

3:00pm, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at Goucher College’s Kraushaar Auditorium

Robert Moody, conductor; David Fung, piano

 

Piano Concerto in A Minor - Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

Symphony No. 9 “The Great C Major” - Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

 

BCO's 42nd season kicks off with an unforgettable program of Romantic grandeur and lyrical beauty. Pianist

David Fung brings his “ravishing and simply gorgeous” (The Washington Post) sound to Edvard Grieg's iconic

Piano Concerto in A Minor, known for its instantly recognizable opening flourish, dazzling showcase of

virtuosity, tender lyricism, and Nordic-inspired rhythms. Maestro Moody then leads the BCO in Franz

Schubert’s monumental and radiant Symphony No. 9 "The Great C Major". With its majestic themes that

celebrate the triumph of the human spirit and expansive structure that pushed the boundaries of the symphonic

form, this profound work stands as one of the most remarkable achievements of the early Romantic period.

 

MENTOR & MUSE: HAYDN & MOZART

3:00pm, Sunday, November 16, 2025, at Notre Dame Maryland University’s LeClerc Hall

Robert Moody, conductor; William Gerlach, trumpet

 

Concerto for Chamber Orchestra - Marcus Maroney, USA (b. 1976)

Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major - Franz Joseph Haydn, Austria (1732-1809)

Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter” - W.A. Mozart, Austria (1756-1791)

 

This colorful and thrilling program opens with American composer Marcus Maroney's Concerto for Chamber

Orchestra; a pulsing and rhythmically vibrant work that showcases the unique character of a chamber

orchestra performing in harmonic dialogue with itself. Guest Artist and National Symphony Orchestra Principal

Trumpet, William Gerlach, makes his BCO debut performing Haydn’s elegant and virtuosic Trumpet Concerto

in E-flat Major. With two sparkling interpretations of Beethoven symphonies to date, Maestro Moody has

demonstrated his mastery of Classical Era symphonic repertoire. He’s selected one of the composer's

crowning achievements, the exultant and celestial Symphony No. 41 "Jupiter" for his first BCO performance of

a Mozart symphony. This is a concert you won't want to miss!

 

ENGLISH MASTERWORKS

3:00pm, Sunday, February 8, 2026, at Goucher College’s Kraushaar Auditorium

Robert Moody, conductor; Audrey Wright, violin

 

An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise - Peter Maxwell-Davies, England (1934-2016)

The Lark Ascending - Ralph Vaughan Williams, England (1872-1958)

The Planets (arr. Stephenson) - Gustav Holst, England (1874-1934)

 

Intimate and immense soundscapes collide in this evocative program of British orchestral treasures. Peter

Maxwell Davies’ An Orkney Wedding, With Sunrise is a raucous, windswept celebration of Scottish tradition,

complete with folk tunes, whisky-fueled revelry, and a breathtaking finale featuring a live bagpiper ushering in

the dawn. A serene morning takes flight with Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending performed by violinist,

and BCO Concertmaster, Audrey Wright. This exquisite pastoral reverie captures the quiet beauty of the

English countryside and the delicate, boundless freedom of a bird in flight. James Stephenson's arrangement

of Holst’s The Planets for chamber orchestra retains the tour-de-force nature of the composer's original

masterpiece that takes audiences on a cosmic journey through the solar system’s grandeur and mystery. From

Mars’ relentless battle cry and Jupiter’s joyful majesty to the ethereal emptiness of Neptune, this is orchestral

storytelling on an epic scale.

 

FRENCH FLUTE & BEETHOVEN 8

 

3:00pm Sunday, March 22, 2026, at Goucher College’s Kraushaar Auditorium

Robert Moody, conductor; Henrik Heide, flute

 

Czech Suite - Antonin Dvorak, Czechia (1841-1904)

Flute Concerto - Jacques Ibert, France (1890-1962)

Symphony No. 8 in F Major - L.V. Beethoven, Germany (1770-1827)

 

BCO's first concert in 2026 opens with Dvorak's Czech Suite, the composer's heartfelt tribute to his homeland,

filled with rich rustic dances, lilting folk melodies, and the warm, pastoral beauty of the Bohemian countryside.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's Associate Principal Flute Henrik Heide debuts with the BCO in Jacques

Ibert’s sparkling Flute Concerto. Light, witty, and effortlessly virtuosic, this French gem is a showcase of

elegance and mischief, where the flute soars and shimmers with irresistible flair. Building on the earlier

success of his sparkling interpretations of Beethoven's 3rd and 4th symphonies, Maestro Moody gives the

orchestra's first performance of Beethoven’s effervescent Symphony No. 8 in F Major in 17 years. Often called

his “Little Symphony in F,” this masterpiece's personality is anything but "little", with its bursts of inventive

energy, rhythmic surprises, good humor, and signature wink found in all of Beethoven's greatest works.

 

THE DROP THAT CONTAINED THE SEA

3:00pm Sunday, April 26, 2026, at Notre Dame Maryland University’s LeClerc Hall

Robert Moody, conductor; U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club, chorus

 

The Drop That Contained The Sea - Christopher Tin, USA (b. 1976)

 

American composer Christopher Tin's breathtaking work The Drop That Contained the Sea, is a sweeping,

globe-spanning choral and orchestral work that celebrates the power, mystery, and universality of water and

the profound role it plays in the human experience. Building on his long-standing relationship with the U.S.

Naval Academy Glee Club, Maestro Robert Moody has invited the nationally recognized vocal ensemble to

join The BCO to perform this modern masterpiece that features poetry sung in twelve different languages.

Each movement draws inspiration from a different culture and body of water—from the snowy Himalayas and

Africa’s mighty rivers to the Mediterranean's ocean tides. Tin's lush and deeply moving cinematic writing style

is perfectly suited to this musical meditation on our planet that flows from one cultural tradition to the next,

connecting humanity with its unifying sonic celebration of life's most essential element.

 

ABOUT ROBERT MOODY:

Internationally acclaimed conductor Robert Moody is currently enjoying his 19th season as Music Director of

Arizona Musicfest, his 10th season as Music Director of The Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and 2nd season

as Music Director of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. Prior positions have included Music Director for both

the Portland Symphony (ME) and the Winston-Salem Symphony (NC) and his early career included conducting

positions with the Phoenix Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic, Santa Fe Opera, Brevard Music Center, NYC’s

Interschool Orchestras, and an apprenticeship at the Landestheater Opera in Linz, Austria. Maestro Moody

has led many of the world’s major operas and orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles

Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, Dallas and Houston Symphonies, the Minnesota Orchestra, Washington

National Opera, Germany’s Aachen and Baden Baden Symphony Orchestras, the Orquesta Filarmonica de

Bogotá in Colombia, and Austria’s Vienna Chamber Orchestra.

 

A frequent collaborator with opera superstar Renée Fleming, he has conducted her on many occasions

performing Kevin Puts’ The Brightness of Light (also with Rod Gilfry) and “Voice of Nature,” the song cycle

created for Ms. Fleming with National Geographic. Robert is also a close friend and collaborator of Grammy

Award winning composer Mason Bates. Their friendship spanning over 30 years has seen Robert commission

several major works from him, including Rusty Air in Carolina, and the much-lauded Desert Transport. Robert

recently led the World Premiere of Bates’ newest work – a triple concerto, for the Grammy Award winning

ensemble Time For Three. A South Carolina native, Moody holds degrees from Furman University and the

Eastman School of Music, where he earned his conducting degree with Donald Neuen. Moody celebrates the

life and dedicates all his musical endeavors to the work of organist Jimmy Jones, his spouse of 18 years who

passed away unexpectedly in early 2024. Moody lives in Memphis with their two dogs; he is an avid runner,

swimmer, history buff, “Jeopardy!” addict, and snow-skier.

 

ABOUT THE BALTIMORE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA:

The Baltimore Chamber Orchestra has offered captivating classical music experiences for music lovers

across the Mid-Atlantic for more than four decades. Through its commitment to nurturing both established and

emerging talent, the BCO is characterized by its reputation for artistic excellence and engaging community

programs as the only professional orchestra with a subscription series in Baltimore County. By attracting world-

class artists to perform in Baltimore, the BCO is proud to be 1 of only 15 American cities to boast having both a

top-tier Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra.

 

The BCO has recorded three CDs released by Naxos Records, toured in China, and presented a New York

debut praised by The New York Times. Building on the legacies of past Music Directors Anne Harrigan and

Markand Thakar, Maestro Robert Moody was named BCO’s Music Director in the summer of 2024. The

orchestra’s roster features 40 of the area’s best professional musicians who perform in Goucher College’s

Kraushaar Auditorium and in Notre Dame Maryland University’s LeClerc Hall. A committed group of 16

community leaders dedicated to artistic innovation, education, and community engagement serve on the

orchestra’s Board of Trustees to oversee the organization’s operations and support BCO’s legacy as an

enduring presence in the region’s classical music scene.

 

Follow the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra on Social Media:

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baltchamberorch

 

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