Overture Magazine - 2015-2016 Season November-December 2015 | Page 6

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THE BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

NEWS OF NOTE

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ALSOP TAKES
THE PEABODY
PODIUM
Marin Alsop has been appointed to lead
the graduate conducting program at the
Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins
University. Maestra Alsop first joined the
Peabody conducting faculty in 2006 as a
Distinguished Visiting Artist. As director of
graduate conducting, she succeeds one
of her mentors, Gustav Meier, who is retiring
after a venerable and award-winning
career, including nearly 20 years teaching
at Peabody.
Fred Bronstein, dean of the Peabody
Institute says students “will benefit tremendously from the opportunity to work with
a conductor of Marin’s caliber.”
At a time when Peabody “is increasingly
focused on what it means to be a citizenartist in the 21st century,” Bronstein says,
“there is no better practitioner than Marin
Alsop as exemplified through her commitment to education, community engagement,
and an innate talent for making music
meaningful to so many different audiences.”
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Music Box series finds a new stage
The BSO’s Music Box Series, which gives very
young children the chance to explore music through
interactive performances, is coming to Montgomery
County and the Gordon Center in Baltimore County.
The pilot season will premiere on Sunday, October 18 at
the Gordon Center and Saturday, December 12 at the
Silver Spring Civic Building. , The concerts, designed
specifically for children aged six months to three years
and their families, feature a small ensemble of BSO
musicians performing classical children’s pieces, led by a
warm and engaging host. This season the BSO welcomes
two new hosts to the Music Box roster: Khaleshia
Thorpe-Price and Shannan E. Johnson.  While each
concert has a theme (in December, it’s “Sleigh Ride”),

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two cornerstones, “The Good Morning Song” and
“The Celebrate Song” start and end each performance,
giving regular attendees a sense of continuity.
Music Box, says Annemarie Guzy, director of
education for the BSO, “promotes musical, motor and
language development through bouncing, clapping,
listening, singing and other hands-on activities.” But for
those clapping and bouncing children, it’s all about fun.
Music Box will be held at the Silver Spring Civic Bulding
Dec. 12, Feb. 27, April 2 and May 7. At the Gordon Center,
concerts are Sundays, October 18 and March 13. Performances
at the Meyerhoff lobby will be held Dec. 19, Mar. 5, April 9 and
May 14. All dates include back-to-back performances at 10am
and 11:30am. For information go to BSOmusic.org.