Hosting its 15th annual Open House this past Sunday at Symphony Hall, the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) celebrated its 125th birthday in style. Featuring fun activities for children, BSO performances, community musicians and student ensembles, the free event brought together Bostonians and music enthusiasts alike to kick off another exciting season for the orchestra.
Exactly 125 years after the BSO gave its very first concert at the old Boston Music Hall on Oct. 22, 1881, the doors of the Symphony Hall opened to the people of Greater Boston. The event began with an organ prelude performance on the main stage by renowned organist John Finney. The New England Brass Band performed next, featuring the BSO's bass trombonist Douglas Yeo; an interview and performance by Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart and the Frequency Band followed.
Leaving the main stage, Tufts' own Ben Roseth (alto sax) and Bridget Kearney (bass) performed at Higginson Hall (along with NEC senior Sean Hutchinson on drums) as part of the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) Performance Outreach Fellowship Ensemble. The trio's repertoire included Henry Mancini's "Moon River," Roseth's "Adios, Buenos Aires," and the Kearney originals, "Lonely Rebel Lullaby" and "Love Hurts, Healing Itches."
Other groups, such as the interactive Berklee World Beat Pop Lab and instrumental rock group The Weisstronauts, also performed at Higginson.
Ben Roseth, a fourth-year Tufts/NEC double degree major, said, "Boston has this image of being a sleepy artistic community; everyone knows that the city is full of good music and musicians, but no one knows where to find them.
"An event such as [the Open House], with the allure and prestige of the BSO, brings people who wouldn't otherwise hear about such events to celebrate the BSO and be exposed to more alternative music."
"At some points in our history, people making music have gotten out of touch with listeners and have lost their audience," Roseth said.
BSO's Open House aims to include the community in the celebration of a long tradition in great music as well as to facilitate social interaction between those performing students that displayed their talents.
Performances included explorations in styles such as opera, jazz and classical. The Hall was bustling with Bostonians of all ages including young children, college students and senior citizens. Kathleen Drohan, Associate Director of Media Relations, said, "Our annual Open House is a way to introduce the community to what we have to offer at Symphony Hall and show the range of programs available."
In addition to the musical performances in the Cabot-Cahners Room, Higginson Hall and on the main stage, members of the BSO Association of Volunteers gave tours of the 106-year-old Symphony Hall from noon to 5 p.m. With a children's room featuring "Make-a-Conductor" craft projects, a scavenger hunt and "Quiz the Wiz," and performances of genres ranging from classical and gospel music to jazz and instrumental rock, the Open House "had something for everyone," according to Drohan.
Hundreds of spectators gathered and lent their ears to James Levine, Conductor and Musical Director of the BSO, as he led the group in its energetic performance of "Schumann's Symphony No. 2 in C., Opus 61." After abounding applause from the audience, the BSO's celebration was completed by the ultimate emblematic birthday tradition: a cake, glowing candles and a sing-a-long.
Drohan concluded, "We are 125 years old today, which is thrilling. We are looking forward to the next 125 years with many of our future audience members being people who visited the Hall today."
