The Boston Symphony Orchestra

1
The Boston Symphony Orchestra

• Founded in 1881

2
Henry Lee Higginson

• Bostonian Henry Lee Higginson's long-standing
  dream of a great and permanent orchestra in his
  hometown became a reality in 1881.

3
Henry Lee Higginson

• Henry Lee Higginson (1903)
• One of John Singer Sargent's portraits is of 69
  year old Henry Higginson, Boston broker,
  philanthropist, founder of the Boston Symphony
  Orchestra, Harvard benefactor and Civil War
  veteran.

4
Higginson and the BSO

• Sixty years ago I wished to be a musician, and
  therefore went to Vienna, where I studied two
  years and a half diligently, learned of music,
  something about musicians, and one other
  thingthat I had no talent for music. I heard
  there and in other European cities the best
  orchestras, and much wished that our own country
  should have such fine orchestras. Coming home at
  the end of 1860, I found our country in trouble,
  and presently in a great war. Naturally I took
  part in the war. . .

5
Higginson and the BSO

• After consulting with some European friends, I
  laid out a plan, and at the end of two very good
  years of business began concerts in the fall of
  1881. In my eyes the requisites about the
  Orchestra were these to leave the choice and
  care of the musicians, the choice and care of the
  music, the rehearsals and direction of the
  Orchestra, to the conductor, giving him every
  power possible to leave to an able manager the
  business affairs of the enterprise and on my
  part, to pay the bills, to be satisfied with
  nothing short of perfection, and always to
  remember that we were seeking high art and not
  money art came first, then the good of the
  public, and the money must be an after
  consideration. - April 27, 1914

6
Georg Henschel 1850-1932

• Celebrated singer, composer and conductor.
• October, 1881, Henschel was appointed conductor
  of the newly founded Boston Symphony Orchestra,
  which he conducted for its first three
  seasons.
• Portrait by John Singer Sargent

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After Henschel

• Wilhelm Gericke (1884-89)
• Artur Nikisch (1889-93)
• Emil Paur (1893-98)
• Wilhelm Gericke (1898-1906)
• Karl Muck (1906-08)
• Max Fiedler (1908-12)
• Karl Muck (1912-18)
• Henri Rabaud (1918-19)
• Pierre Monteux (1919-24)
• Serge Koussevitzky (1924-49)
• Charles Munch (1949-62)
• Erich Leinsdorf (1962-69)
• William Steinberg (1969-72)
• Seiji Ozawa (1973-present)
• James Levine (beginning 2002)

8
Serge Koussevitzky

• Born July 28, 1874 - Vyshniy Volochek, Russia
• Died June 4, 1951 Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• In 1924 he became conductor of the Boston
  Symphony Orchestra and remained until 1949.
• Koussevitzky championed new music,commissioning
  works from Copland, Harris, Piston, Barber,
  Hanson, Schuman, Bernstein, Stravinsky and Ravel.
  
• In 1936 he took over the Berkshire Music Center
  at Tanglewood, Mass.
• In 1942 the Koussevitzky Foundation was
  established to commission and provide
  performances of new works.

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Koussevitzky Foundation Grants

• The Koussevitzky Music Foundation, which
  celebrated its 60th anniversary during 2002, has
  throughout its history aided the birth of
  significant works by many of the worlds most
  important composers. Included among its
  commissions are
• John Adams Eros Piano
• Samuel Barbers Prayers of Kirkegaard
• Bela Bartoks Concerto for Orchestra
• Arthur Bergers Septet
• Luciano Berios Traces
• Leonard Bernsteins Serenade
• Harrison Birtwistles Silbury Air
• Ernest Blochs Sinfonia Breve
• Benjamin Brittens Peter Grimes
• John Cages Cheap Imitation
• Carlos Chavez Sinfonia no. 5
• Aaron Coplands Symphony no. 3
• George Crumbs Madrigals Books I and II
• Luigi Dallapiccolas Tartiniana
• Peter Maxwell Davies Revelation and Fall
• Jacob Druckmans Windows

• Alexander Goehrs Colossus or Panic
• Howard Hansons Piano Concerto
• Lou Harrisons Elegiac Symphony
• Jonathan Harveys Timepieces
• Karel Husas Violin Sonata
• Ulysses Kays The Bore
• Oliver Knussens Ophelia Dances
• Gyorgy Ligetis Ramifications
• Olivier Messaiens Turangalila-Symphonie
• Douglas Moores Ballad of Baby Doe
• Krzysztof Pendereckis Cello Concerto
• Goffredo Petrassis Quinto Concerto
• Walter Pistons Symphony no. 3
• Francis Poulencs Gloria
• Steve Reichs Three Movements for Orchestra
• Arnold Schoenbergs Survivor from Warsaw
• Gunther Schullers Double Bass Concerto
• William Schumans Symphony no. 7

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Koussevitzky Foundation Grants

•  
• Koussevitzky Commissions
• Awarded 1994-2003
• Peter Alexander, 1997
• Claude Baker, 2002
• Mason Bates, 2001
• Ross Bauer, 1994
• Anthony Brandt, 2000
• Henry Brant, 1995
• David Chaitken, 1997
• Chen Yi, 1997
• Sebastian Currier, 1994
• Gregory D'Alessio, 2002
• James Dashow, 1997
• Jonathan Dawe, 2001
• David Del Tredici, 2000
• Robert Dick, 2001
• Tamar Diesendruck, 2001

• Hi Kyung Kim, 2000
• Hyo-shin Na, 2002
• David Horne, 1995
• Lee Hyla, 1999
• Scott Johnson, 1999
• Louis Karchin, 1998
• Tristan Keuris, 1995
• Earl Kim, 1995
• William Kraft, 2003
• Jonathan Kramer, 2001
• Arthur Kreiger, 1998
• Kui Dong, 2001
• Tania Leon, 2000
• Philippe Leroux, 2003
• Peter Lieberson, 1994
• Magnus Lindberg, 2002
• Edwin London, 1997
• Steven Mackey, 1999
• Wynton Marsalis, 1998

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Koussevitzky Foundation Grants

• Kurt Rohde, 1998
• Morris Rosenzweig, 1996
• Christopher Rouse, 1996
• Poul Ruders, 1994
• Laura Schwendinger, 2001
• Bright Sheng, 1996
• Roberto Sierra, 1999
• Alvin Singleton, 2002
• Harvey Sollberger, 1997
• Lewis Spratlan, 1997
• Tison Street, 2003
• David Taddie, 2003
• Michael Tenzer, 1995
• Augusta Read Thomas, 1998
• Joan Tower, 2000
• David Vayo, 1997
• Julio Maria Viera, 1998
• Melinda Wagner, 2001
• George Walker, 1998

• In the last decade alone, commissions have been
  awarded to a distinguished and diverse group of
  composers, among them
• Louis Andreissen
• Milton Babbitt
• William Bolcom
• Chen Yi
• Franco Donatoni
• Osvaldo Golijov
• Stephen Hartke
• David Horne
• Peter Lieberson
• Steven Mackey
• Wynton Marsalis
• Donald Martino
• Nicholas Maw
• George Perle
• Shulamit Ran
• Terry Riley
• Christopher Rouse

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A Musical History of theBoston Symphony
Orchestrathe 75th Anniversary1956