Classical Music in Boston
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Find out when and where to enjoy live classical music performances in Boston.
Introducing Boston’s classical music scene
Boston is home to a vibrant classical music scene, with world-renowned orchestras, chamber music groups, and soloists. The city also has a rich history of classical music, dating back to the early days of the American music scene. In this article, we’ll introduce you to some of the best classical music in Boston.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra has been a leading force in the city’s classical music scene since its founding in 1881. The orchestra is based at Symphony Hall, which is widely considered to be one of the best concert halls in the world. The BSO has a reputation for attracting top talent, and its concerts are highly sought-after by both locals and visitors to Boston.
If you’re looking for a more intimate classical music experience, Boston also has a number of smaller ensembles and venues that offer chamber music and other recitals. These include the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory, and Church of the Covenant.
The Boston Pops
The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. The orchestra plays a wide range of music, including classical, pop, rock, and jazz. They are one of the most popular symphony orchestras in the United States.
The Boston Pops was founded in 1885 as a salon orchestra by Henry Lee Higginson. They gave their first public performance in 1886. The orchestra played at events around Boston until they began giving regular concerts at the Copley Square Hotel in 1896. These concerts were so popular that Higginson decided to make them a regular occurrence.
The Boston Pops gave their first radio concert in 1924 and their first television concert in 1949. In the 1950s, the orchestra started touring nationally and began appearing on records and film soundtracks. Leonard Bernstein led the orchestra from 1959 to 1969 and helped make them even more well-known with his albums and television specials. Arthur Fiedler led the orchestra from 1969 until his death in 1979; he was responsible for making the Boston Pops one of America’s most beloved orchestras.
TheBoston Pops play at Symphony Hall in Boston and Tanglewoodin Lenox, Massachusetts. They give around 50 concerts a year, including their Fourth of July concert which is broadcast live on television every year.
Other classical music venues in Boston
Although Symphony Hall is the go-to spot for classical music in Boston, there are a few other venues around the city that are worth checking out. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, for example, regularly hosts classical music concerts in its beautiful courtyard. If you’re looking for something a little more intimate, the Longy School of Music of Bard College Boston often has free concerts featuring both students and renowned faculty members.
The Boston Conservatory
The Boston Conservatory was founded in 1867 by George Henschel, a German-born singer, conductor, and pianist. The Boston Conservatory is an independent private college specializing in the arts, with an internationally recognized conservatory and a top-tier performing arts high school. The Conservatory offers undergraduate and graduate programs in music, dance, theater, and musical theater.
The Boston Conservatory has a long history of producing some of the world’s most celebrated musicians. alumni include: Walter Piston, Leonard Bernstein, John Cage, Aaron Copland, Roger Sessions, Virgil Thomson
Ella Fitzgerald, Gerald Finzi, Sylvia McNair, Ben Folds Five
The conservatory is located at 8 The Fenway in the heart of Boston’s theater district. It shares a campus with Berklee College of Music and Emerson College.
The New England Conservatory
The New England Conservatory (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 1867 by EbenTourjee, it is the oldest independent institution of higher learning in the United States that is exclusively dedicated to training musicians. Located on Huntington Avenue, the school’s campus consists of several buildings clustered around a central plaza. It also shares a complex with Jordan Hall and the Berklee College of Music. The NEC recently joined with Fenway Park and Boston Symphony Hall to form “One Symphony Road”.
NEC offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in music, as well as programs for youth and adults through its Preparatory School, School of Continuing Education, and Community Collaboration Programs. It claims numerous successful alumni who have achieved distinction in the fields of classical and jazz performance, composition, conducting, music history/theory/ethnomusicology, music education (including pedagogy), music business/arts administration, music therapy, film scoring, new media composition (including interactive composition and video game audio), sound design for film/television/gaming/new media, sound engineering and live sound reinforcement (sound mixing).
Boston’s classical music festivals
Boston boasts several classical music festivals throughout the year. The Boston Early Music Festival is one of the most prominent, having started in 1981. The Festival features hundreds of concerts, events, and workshops.
The Tanglewood Music Festival
The Tanglewood Music Festival is one of Boston’s most popular classical music festivals. Held annually in the Berkshires, the festival features performances by some of the world’s top classical musicians.
The festival was founded in 1937 by conductor Serge Koussevitzky, and it quickly became one of the most important classical music events in the United States. Today, the Tanglewood Music Festival is one of the most prestigious classical music events in the world, and it attracts visitors from all over the globe.
If you’re looking for an unforgettable classical music experience, make sure to add the Tanglewood Music Festival to your Boston itinerary.
The Boston Early Music Festival
The Boston Early Music Festival (BEMF) is a week-long festival and conference dedicated to historically-informed performance of music of the Baroque and Classical eras. It is held every two years in odd-numbered years in various venues in the Greater Boston area, and attracts performers and listeners from all over the world. The festival features a wide range of events including concerts, lectures, masterclasses, and discussions.
Conclusion
Though Boston is not as well known for its classical music scene as some other cities, it nevertheless has a lot to offer fans of the genre. From the Boston Symphony Orchestra to smaller ensembles, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy classical music in Boston. And with a little bit of research, you can find concerts that fit any budget. So if you’re looking for a place to enjoy some classical music, Boston should definitely be on your list.
