Marin Alsop And The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Announce 2012-2013 Season

Baltimore, MD. (Top40 Charts/ Baltimore Symphony Orchestra) Music Director Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) announce the Orchestra's 2012-2013 season, the sixth full season under the direction of Maestra Alsop. The BSO will embark on a season-long celebration of the impact of film, movie scores and musicals across the decades. Featured cinema-inspired programs include Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times, a screening of Leonard Bernstein's movie musical West Side Story and the 1938 historical drama Alexander Nevsky with a film score by Sergei Prokofiev. As an extension of that theme, SuperPops conductor Jack Everly will collaborate with Baltimore-born filmmaker John Waters to mark the 25th anniversary of the original film release of Hairspray with a premiere concert production in which Waters will both write and narrate an original script.

Capitalizing on Maestra Alsop's reputation as one of the world's leading interpreters of works by contemporary American composers, the 2012-2013 season opens with two programs that celebrate American music. Program highlights include Leonard Bernstein's dramatic Third Symphony, "Kaddish," named for the Jewish prayer that is chanted at synagogue services to honor the dead and Ansel Adams: America, which pairs father-son composer duo Dave and Chris Brubeck's jazz-infused themes with the captivating images by the legendary photographer.

In 2013, the world celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of German Romantic composer Richard Wagner. The BSO marks the occasion with a selection of orchestral highlights from Wagner's epic Ring Cycle, as well as a performance of Act I of Die Walküre and the creation of a symphonic play depicting the composer's relationship with King Ludwig II for an Off the Cuff series concert.

The upcoming season also boasts a line-up of the world's best performers, including pianists Garrick Ohlsson, Stephen Hough and Simon Trpčeski, violinists Gil Shaham and Midori, percussionist Colin Currie, guest conductors Yan Pascal Tortelier, Gilbert Varga, Carlos Kalmar, Mario Venzago and Hannu Lintu, and vocal sensation The Canadian Tenors. Debuting artists include organist Felix Hell, pianists Denis Kozhukhin and Benedetto Lupo, violinist Kolja Blacher, cellist Sol Gabetta and conductors Christoph König, Dima Slobodeniouk and Markus Stenz.

BSO Celebrates the Art of the Film Score
Under the dynamic leadership of Music Director Marin Alsop, the BSO has become a leader among American orchestras for its unique programs designed around unified themes of cultural significance and broad appeal.

"Great cinema has the power to inspire, excite, entertain and make us laugh," says BSO Music Director Marin Alsop. "A crucial component of a great film is a captivating and compelling musical score. I'm thrilled to present some of the best movies throughout the ages, enhanced by full orchestral scores with themes that have become embedded in the soundtrack of our culture."

A major project of the 2012-2013 is a screening of the 10-time Oscar Award-winning motion picture West Side Story (June 13-16, 2013) with the BSO's live performance of Leonard Bernstein's romantic musical score, led by Bernstein protégée Marin Alsop. Set in New York City in the 1950s, the film's timeless themes of racial conflict and the power of love to transcend cultural barriers is enhanced by a rollicking full orchestral score and popular Broadway standards, including "Maria," "America," "Somewhere," "Tonight" and "I Feel Pretty."

Following the successes of the BSO's presentations of The Gold Rush and City Lights, the BSO pays tribute to legendary actor, director and composer Charlie Chaplin with a screening of Modern Times (May 10-12, 2013). Led by Maestra Alsop, the BSO accompanies this cinematic masterpiece, performing Chaplin's own original score. Modern Times follows Chaplin's iconic "Little Tramp" character through his struggles to make a living as a factory worker in the industrialized world during the Great Depression. Acutely aware of the economic troubles plaguing most Americans in the 1930s, Chaplin used comedy as the vehicle to confront and satirize the rise of automation, which he believed to be among the culprits responsible for creating the Great Depression.

The 1938 historical drama Alexander Nevsky depicts the title character's improbable defeat of the invading Teutonic Knights in the mid-13th century Battle of the Ice, keeping safe his kingdom of Novgorod. The film is directed by pioneering Russian director Sergei Eisenstein, who employed special effects and cinematic techniques that were considered advanced for the era, with a musical score by Sergei Prokofiev. The creative collaboration between director and composer is heralded as an industry standard for filmmakers. The degraded quality of the original soundtrack's recording, however, does not do justice to Prokofiev's compelling score. Marin Alsop will lead the BSO in a live orchestral performance on January 11-13, 2013 to accompany a screening of this legendary masterpiece.

Marking the 25th anniversary of the original film's release, the BSO under its Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly will premiere a concert production (January 24-27, 2013) of Hairspray, based on John Waters' movie inspired by the city of Baltimore. This concert version will be narrated by Waters, the Baltimore-born filmmaker who wrote and directed the 1988 film. Set in 1960s Baltimore, Hairspray chronicles the misadventures of "pleasantly plump" Tracy Turnblad, whose aspirations of fame lead her to find celebrity on a locally-produced dance program. Her dreams for stardom are quickly traded for more important dreams: integrating the show in the racially divided city of Baltimore.

Also part of the BSO SuperPops series, the BSO celebrates the golden anniversary of the James Bond film franchise with Bond and Beyond: 50 Years of 007 on April 11-14, 2013, conducted by Michael Krajewski and featuring vocalist Debbie Gravitte. This symphonic tribute includes themes from the most memorable Bond films, including Casino Royale, Goldfinger, From Russia with Love and more.

America!
Marin Alsop has made a name for herself as one of the leading interpreters of works by American composers. The 2012-2013 season opens with a festival of music celebrating America, led by Maestra Alsop.

"Music is a direct reflection of a country's culture," says Maestra Alsop. "This season, we explore American culture through the voices of some of our nation's treasured composers. From Chris and Dave Brubeck's jazzy Ansel Adams: America to Copland's triumphant Third Symphony to Bernstein's mournful 'Kaddish' Symphony to the East Coast premiere of Baltimore's own Christopher Rouse in his brand new Third Symphony, we will experience the amazing mosaic that is America."

Marin Alsop and the BSO present several works by Baltimore-based composer Christopher Rouse in the 2012-2013 season, including the East Coast premiere of Christopher Rouse's Symphony No. 3 on November 8 and 11. Co-commissioned with the St. Louis Symphony, Singapore Symphony and Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Rouse found inspiration for this new work from Prokofiev's Symphony No. 2, calling it "the old bottle into which I have tried to pour new wine." The work's two-movement form and aggressive tone were modeled after Prokofiev's seminal work; however, Rouse has restyled these elements into his own unique compositional voice. On June 6-9, 2013, Marin Alsop leads two more works by Christopher Rouse. The first is Ku-Ka-Ilimoku—a work for four-part percussion ensemble evocative of war and inspired by Hawaiian mythology. The BSO will also perform Rouse's Ogoun Badagris, which derives its inspiration from Haitian drumming patterns intended to appease the violent Voodoo deity for whom the work is named. On April 18 and 21, the BSO performs Rouse's Der gerettete Alberich, featuring percussionist Colin Currie, which tells the after story of the villainous dwarf, Alberich, from Wagner's The Ring.

In the subscription season-opening concerts on September 20-22, the BSO presents American Classics and Gil Shaham. The program features Barber's Violin Concerto to be performed by violinist Gil Shaham, described by The Los Angeles Times as "resplendent." Also on the program is Copland's Third and final Symphony. The piece melds the New World "Americana" style of his ballets with Old World symphonic form, while weaving in his popular Fanfare for the Common Man. The BSO also performs Leonard Bernstein's On the Waterfront: Symphonic Suite. Composed in 1954 to accompany the film of the same title, starring cinema superstars Marlon Brando and Eva Marie Saint, the film score went on to earn an Academy Award nomination. Bernstein, however, was troubled by the way the movie producers altered and edited his composition and created this symphonic version to preserve the piece as he originally intended.

The celebration continues the following weekend (September 28-30) with the revival of a 2010 BSO commission - a photographic tour of America through the lens of legendary photographer Ansel Adams, set to the music of composers Dave and Chris Brubeck. Says Chris Brubeck of Ansel Adams: America, "Because the architecture of some of Adams' photographs was so like the complex structure of a fugue, I suggested to my father that he write one to be the heart of this new composition. Dave's enthusiasm and creativity inspired him far beyond the fugue. He devised many wonderful themes and ideas which we expanded and polished together."

In the program's capstone, The Washington Chorus will join the BSO to perform Bernstein's Symphony No. 3, "Kaddish," narrated by acclaimed film and stage actress Claire Bloom, who recently performed the role of Queen Mary in the 2011 film, The King's Speech. Said Jamie Bernstein of her father's connection to this work, "My parents adored the Kennedys… I had never seen my parents cry before November 22, 1963… So on that Friday after school, when my father's face distorted with anguish and my mother crumpled on her bed and sobbed, I felt my world lurch sickeningly on its foundations. At the time of that assassination, my father was finishing the orchestrations for his Symphony No. 3, 'Kaddish.' He immediately decided to dedicate the piece to the slain president, his beloved friend. How grimly appropriate it was that the Hebrew text in that symphony is the Kaddish prayer, the Jewish prayer of mourning for the dead."

BSO Celebrates the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Richard Wagner
In 2013, the world celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of German Romantic composer Richard Wagner. His legacy of lush, dramatic operas and penchant for speaking his mind about topics ranging from music to politics and society has left a lasting impact on classical music and culture. Among his greatest contributions to the Western music canon is his four-cycle opera Der Ring des Nibelungen ("The Ring of the Nibelung"). Unique among composers, Wagner also penned the libretto for this monumental work that depicts the epic struggles of gods and heroes in the supernatural realm to seize power to rule the world by obtaining the magical Ring. Contemporary Dutch composer and arranger Henk de Vlieger has extracted the most memorable melodies from this more than 15-hour opera to create an intense musical spectacle that can be enjoyed in one evening: The Ring: An Orchestral Adventure (April 18 and 21, 2013), led by Maestra Alsop.

Building on the successes of BSO-produced symphonic plays presented in prior seasons, including CSI: Beethoven and Analyze This: Mahler and Freud, the BSO will present a unique Off the Cuff series program, A Composer Fit for a King on April 19 and 20. Once again employing the writing/directing talents of Didi Balle, this semi-staged play tells the story of the complicated relationship between Wagner and his benefactor, King Ludwig II, enhanced by orchestral excerpts from The Ring.

On February 15-17, 2013, the BSO will perform Act I of Die Walküre. The second of the four operas that comprise Wagner's Ring Cycle, this self-contained tale follows the protagonist Siegmund who finds his true love, Sieglinde, and breaks the curse that bound her to a man she did not love. The performances showcase a stellar cast of Wagnerian singers, including Eric Owens, the acclaimed Alberich in the current Ring production at the Metropolitan Opera.

Music of Our Time
Characteristic of her programming since becoming Music Director, Marin Alsop's sixth season showcases the work of living composers. In addition to the season-long focus on the works of Baltimore native, Christopher Rouse, Maestra Alsop conducts two works by John Adams - A Short Ride in a Fast Machine (September 28-30) and Shaker Loops (May 2 and 4, 2013) - and Jennifer Higdon's Concerto 4-3, for the innovative ensemble Time for Three (May 2 and 4, 2013). Alsop and the BSO take Shaker Loops and Concerto 4-3 to Carnegie Hall for the opening concert of the Spring for Music Festival (May 6, 2013). As part of the two-week season opening celebration of American music, the BSO revives their successful 2010 commission, Ansel Adams: America by Dave and Chris Brubeck (September 28-30).

Guest conductor Ignat Solzhenitsyn leads the music of Estonian composer, Arvo Pärt, Tabula Rasa, with soloists BSO Associate Concertmaster, Madeline Adkins, and BSO Principal Second Violin, Qing Li (February 28-March 3, 2013); and Carlos Kalmar introduces Phenomenon by the award-winning young Thai composer Narong Prangcharoen (May-23, 2013).

Special Events and Recordings
Soprano Renée Fleming Performs at Gala, September 15
Internationally renowned soprano Renée Fleming whom Billboard magazine hails as "…the world's greatest living soprano," returns to the Meyerhoff to perform with the BSO and Marin Alsop for its Gala Concert on Saturday, September 15 at 8:30 p.m., the Orchestra's largest fundraising event of the season. Conducted by Maestra Alsop, the special gala performance raises funds to support the BSO's extensive educational and community outreach programs. In addition to event tickets available to BSO donors, gala concert tickets are first available to 2012-2013 subscribers for $75 and $100 and will be on sale to the general public beginning in early August. Editor's Note: The concert program will be announced at a later date.

Marin Alsop Leads BSO and Time for Three in Performance at Carnegie Hall, May 6, 2013
For the fifth time during Maestra Alsop's tenure as music director of the BSO, the Orchestra returns to perform at Carnegie Hall on May 6, 2013. The concert opens the third annual Spring for Music Festival at Carnegie Hall, which features North American orchestras, performing innovative programs at affordable prices. The festival is designed to allow participating orchestras to showcase their artistic philosophies through distinctive and adventurous programming in one of the world's most competitive musical environments. The BSO will collaborate with Time for Three to perform Jennifer Higdon's Concerto 4-3, composed especially for them and featuring violinist Zachary DePue and Nicolas Kendall and double bassist Ranaan Meyer. Also on the program are John Adams' Shaker Loops and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 4 (1947 version).

Two New Recordings on the Naxos Label: Bartók 's Concerto for Orchestra and Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta and Mahler's Symphony No. 1, "Titan"

Following the success of the BSO's cycle of Dvořák recordings under the direction of Music Director Marin Alsop, the BSO announces two new recordings to be released in the coming months. The first features Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra and Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, and the second, Mahler's Symphony No. 1, "Titan." BSO subscribers have the benefit of adding these recordings to their subscription order for the special price of $15 before they are released to the general public in May 2012 and September 2012 respectively.

Other Special Events: Handel's Messiah, Vienna Boys' Choir, Holiday Pops, Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times and West Side Story

BSO subscribers enjoy priority for purchases of the BSO's array of special events, including holiday programming for the entire family. On December 7, Edward Polochick leads the BSO and the Concert Artists of Baltimore Symphonic Chorale in Handel's beloved oratorio, Messiah, led from behind the harpsichord as Handel would have performed the work. This performance marks Maestro Polochick's 30th anniversary conducting the Messiah with the BSO. On December 12-16, the BSO presents a festive show that offers something for everyone: Holiday Pops. Led by audience-favorite Robert Bernhardt, the Baltimore Choral Arts Society joins the BSO and other special guests for a celebration that includes carols, classical favorites, a holiday sing-along and more. On December 8, the BSO and dancers from the Baltimore School for the Arts will perform excerpts from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker in a holiday Family Series concert.

The Vienna Boys' Choir's angelic charm and pure voices have entranced audiences for more than 500 years. On December 8, they bring a concert featuring Austrian folk songs, waltzes, classical masterpieces, pop tunes and holiday favorites to the Meyerhoff. Note: The BSO does not perform on this program.

Additional non-subscription special events include presentations featured as part of the BSO's celebration of film: Chaplin's Masterpiece: Modern Times (May 10-12, 2013) and West Side Story—Music & the Movie (June 13-16, 2013), both conducted by Marin Alsop.

Subscription Season Highlights
Throughout the season, a lineup of distinguished guest conductors will lead the BSO, including the conducting debuts of Markus Stenz, Dima Slobodeniouk and Christoph König. Special BSO guest artist debuts include pianists Benedetto Lupo and Denis Kozhukhin, organist Felix Hell, cellist Sol Gabetta, violinist Kolja Blacher and singers Sam Handley, Robin Johannsen, Heidi Melton, Brian Mulligan, Kelley Nassief and Norman Reinhardt.

As part of the BSO's celebration of American composers, the subscription season opens on September 20-22 with American Classics and Gil Shaham. The program features Barber's Violin Concerto, performed by violinist Gil Shaham, whom The Los Angeles Times describes as "resplendent." Also on the program is Copland's Third Symphony, which melds the New World "Americana" style of his ballets with Old World symphonic form, and Leonard Bernstein's On the Waterfront: Symphonic Suite.

The BSO continues its tribute to American music and culture on September 28-30 with a photographic tour of America through the lens of legendary photographer Ansel Adams, set to the music of composers Dave and Chris Brubeck, in Ansel Adams: America. The Washington Chorus will join the BSO to perform Bernstein's Symphony No. 3, "Kaddish," a work the composer dedicated to the memory of his friend, President John F. Kennedy. Also on the program is John Adams' Short Ride in Fast Machine.

German conductor Markus Stenz makes his BSO debut leading Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, "Eroica." Stenz is joined by his compatriot, violinist Kolja Blacher, performing Schumann's lyrical and rarely-heard Violin Concerto on October 4 and 6. The program opens with "Chaos," the introductory music for French Baroque composer Jean-Féry Rebel's Les élémens ("The Elements"), intended to chronicle the creation of the world.

Audience-favorite conductor Juanjo Mena leads Tchaikovsky's passionate Fourth Symphony, October 19-21. Italian pianist Benedetto Lupo makes his BSO debut performing Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 3, composed in the final months of Bartók's life. Also on the program are selections from Dvořák's energetic and nationalistic Slavonic Dances, op.72

Led by conductor Cornelius Meister, making a welcome return after his successful April 2011 debut, Brahms' Double Concerto for Violin and Cello features BSO Concertmaster Jonathan Carney and Principal Cellist Dariusz Skoraczewski making his first solo appearance in a subscription concert since winning the position in 2011. Coolly received at its 1887 premiere, it has long become an audience favorite. Also on the program are Mozart's Symphony No. 35, "Haffner," and Richard Strauss' Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks (October 26-28).

As part of the BSO's season-long tribute to American composers, Marin Alsop and the BSO will perform the East Coast premiere of Christopher Rouse's Symphony No. 3 (November 8 and 11). Co-commissioned with the St. Louis Symphony, Singapore Symphony and Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Rouse found inspiration for this new work from Prokofiev's Symphony No. 2, calling it "the old bottle into which I have tried to pour new wine." The work's two-movement form and aggressive tone were modeled after Prokofiev's seminal work; however, Rouse has restyled these elements into his own unique compositional voice. Also on the program are two works by Beethoven: his towering Fifth Symphony, with perhaps the best-known opening four notes in all of classical music, paired with his Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus.

For the 2012-2013 season's first Off the Cuff series concert on November 9-10, Maestra Alsop will explain why Beethoven's Fifth Symphony still captures the imagination after more than two centuries. Now in its fifth season in Baltimore and third at The Music Center at Strathmore, the popular Off the Cuff series capitalizes on Marin Alsop's unique ability to explore the backstory of the creation of some of classical music's greatest works.

Acclaimed for performances and recordings of works by Czech master Antonin Dvořák, Marin Alsop and the BSO perform Dvořák's Eighth Symphony on November 15-17. Also on the program is Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2, featuring debuting Russian pianist Denis Kozhukhin, winner of the First Prize in the 2010 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels.

Composed in the shadow of the First World War, Elgar's impassioned Cello Concerto will be performed by debuting cellist Sol Gabetta on November 29-December 1. Born in 1981 in Argentina to French and Russian parents, Gabetta has already amassed numerous awards, including first prizes in the Moscow Tchaikovsky Competition and the ARD Competition in Munich, as well as earning the Natalia Gutman Prize. In 2004, she created an international sensation when, as winner of the Crédit Suisse Young Artist Award, she gave her début with the Vienna Philharmonic under Valery Gergiev at the Lucerne Festival. England's Daily Express raves, "She brings a fiery sensitivity to Elgar's great concerto…playing reminiscent of the late Jacqueline du Pré…" Also on the program are Liszt's Mephisto Waltz No. 1 and Franck's Symphony in D Minor.

As part of the BSO's celebration of the art of the film score, Marin Alsop leads the BSO, Baltimore Choral Arts Society and mezzo-soprano Irina Tchistjakova in Sergei Prokofiev's musical film score to accompany Sergei Eisenstein's motion picture Alexander Nevsky on January 11-13, 2013.

Pianist Garrick Ohlsson joins Marin Alsop to perform Rachmaninoff's tour de force, the Third Piano Concerto for an all-Rachmaninoff program performed January 17-20. Additional Rachmaninoff works include Isle of the Dead and Cinq Études-tableaux, arranged by Respighi.

The first Off the Cuff program, since the inception of the series, to focus on a concerto, Marin Alsop explores Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto, featuring charismatic pianist Garrick Ohlsson on January 18-19, 2013.

Yan Pascal Tortelier, a regular at the BSO's conducting podium, returns to lead the BSO in Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, arranged by Ravel on January 31-February 2. Young American pianist Orion Weiss joins the BSO to perform Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27, nearly 14 years after he stepped in as a last-minute replacement for André Watts. Mr. Weiss and Maestro Tortelier last teamed up with the BSO in 2011 for a performance of Grieg's Piano Concerto, which earned high praise from The Baltimore Sun: "There's something quite distinctively poetic in [Weiss'] tone and his phrasing; the evergreen music seemed to reveal lots of fresh growth as he played. The pianist enjoyed smooth rapport with conductor Yan Pascal Tortelier, who drew warm, dynamic playing from the BSO." Also on the program is Hindemith's Concert Music for Strings and Brass.

On February 7-9, Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu makes his highly anticipated return to lead the BSO in Sibelius' Symphony No. 2. Raved The Baltimore Sun of Maestro Lintu's 2010 BSO debut, "He drew from the BSO a startling current of energy and expressive involvement from the get-go, a communicative bond that remained sturdy all evening…his efforts drew some of the most cohesive, colorful and electrifying playing I've heard from the BSO in my 10 years here." Pianist Stephen Hough, whom Classical CD describes as "exhilarating," returns to perform Franz Liszt's virtuosic Piano Concerto No. 2. Also on the program is Tchaikovsky's tone poem Francesca da Rimini.

Marin Alsop joins the world-wide celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of composer Richard Wagner, leading the BSO in Wagner's Act I of Die Walküre, a tale of vengeance waged, and love triumphantly won. In this performance, some of opera's most in-demand singers will fill the lead roles: soprano Heidi Melton plays Sieglinde, tenor Brandon Jovanovich plays Siegmund and bass-baritone Eric Owens plays Hunding (February 15-17).

Conductor Ignat Solzhenitsyn will lead the combined forces of the BSO and the Baltimore Choral Arts Society with soprano Susanna Phillips, mezzo-soprano Marietta Simpson, tenor Norman Reinhardt and bass-baritone Sam Handley in Mozart's Requiem on February 28-March 3. Also on the program is the first BSO performance of contemporary Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's Tabula Rasa, which will feature BSO Associate Concertmaster Madeline Adkins and Principal Second Violinist Qing Li.

The BSO will perform Mahler's exuberant First Symphony, "Titan," led by debuting conductor Christoph König, on March 7-9. The BSO's principal oboist Katherine Needleman will perform Strauss' poignant Oboe Concerto, one of Richard Strauss' final works.

German organist Felix Hell, winner of the Johns Hopkins 2009 prestigious Outstanding Graduate Award, makes his BSO debut with Poulenc's Organ Concerto on March 14 and 17, under the baton of Marin Alsop. She will also lead the BSO in Saint-Saëns' Symphony No. 3, known as the "Organ Symphony," for its use of the organ in two of its four sections. Also on the program is Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice, inspired by Goethe's poem of the same name, and given popular notoriety for its inclusion in the 1940 Walt Disney animated film, Fantasia.

Of the Saint-Saëns' "Organ Symphony" the composer remarked, "I gave everything to it I was able to give. What I have here accomplished, I will never achieve again." Marin Alsop takes audiences on a journey through the creation of its music in this Off the Cuff series presentation, March 15-16. .

Playing Rachmaninoff's Fourth Piano Concerto, Simon Trpčeski "looks set to dominate the piano world for a long time to come," reported The Times of London. The immensely gifted Macedonian pianist returns to the BSO performing this passionate work on March 22-24. Russian conductor Dima Slobodeniouk makes his BSO debut conducting a Shostakovich showpiece: the epic Symphony No. 11. Also included in the program's all-Russian repertoire is Rachmaninoff's The Rock—a fantasia for orchestra based on a poem by Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov.

The BSO and Marin Alsop present an Off the Cuff series season highlight on April 19-20: Wagner: A Composer Fit for a King. Building on the successes of BSO-produced symphonic plays presented in prior seasons, including CSI: Beethoven and Analyze This: Mahler and Freud, the BSO is engaging the talents of writer director Didi Balle to tell the story of the complicated relationship between a composer and his benefactor, Wagner and King Ludwig II. Lies, obsession and heartache riddle this story against the backdrop of the creation of Wagner's thrilling Ring Cycle.

The Wagner celebration continues on April 18 and 21 as Marin Alsop leads favorite symphonic selections from The Ring of the Nibelungen in The Ring: An Orchestral Adventure, arranged by Henk de Vlieger. The work is paired with Christopher Rouse's Der gerettete Alberich, featuring percussionist Colin Currie, which tells the after story of The Ring's villainous dwarf, Alberich. Explains the composer, "As Alberich's whereabouts are unknown at the end of The Ring, it occurred to me that it might be engaging to return him to the stage …so that he might wreak further havoc in what is quite literally the godless world in which Wagner has left us in the final pages of Götterdämmerung. The result was Der gerettete Alberich, whose title might best be translated as 'Alberich Saved.'"

Violin prodigy Midori began her career as a child and has continued to earn critical acclaim ever since, with The New York Times declaring her "… an artist of inspiring gifts." She will perform Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 2 on April 25-27. Distinguished guest conductor Gilbert Varga will also lead Brahms Symphony No. 1.

From bluegrass to jazz, from folk to classical, Time for Three has an energy you can feel. The Washington Post praised their 2009 BSO debut for its "sheer dexterity, wit and rhythmic verve." They join Marin Alsop and the BSO on May 2 and 4 to perform Jennifer Higdon's Concerto 4-3, composed especially for them and featuring violinists Zachary DePue and Nicolas Kendall and double bassist Ranaan Meyer. Also on the program are John Adams' Shaker Loops and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 4 (1947 version) This program will also be a part of the 2013 Spring for Music Festival on May 6 at Carnegie Hall.

Following the successes of the BSO's presentations of The Gold Rush and City Lights, Marin Alsop and the BSO return to pay tribute to Charlie Chaplin on May 10-12. Chaplin's 1936 film Modern Times is a brilliant, biting satire on the mechanical age. The BSO accompanies this cinematic masterpiece, performing Chaplin's own original score.

Carlos Kalmar conducts selections from Prokofiev's impassioned Romeo and Juliet ballet on May 23-25. Renowned for his interpretations of works by French Romantic composers, French pianist Jean-Phillippe Collard will perform Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 3. Also on the program is Phenomenon, by young Thai composer Narong Prangcharoen. Although still in his early thirties, Prangcharoen has established an international reputation and earned several prizes, including the Alexander Zemlinsky International Composition Competition Prize and the Pacific Symphony's American Composers Competition Prize. In 2007, the Thai government named Prangcharoen a Contemporary National Artist and awarded him the Silapathorn Award, one of Thailand's most prestigious honors.

The BSO and Marin Alsop will collaborate with Morgan State University Choir and Peabody Children's Chorus on June 6-9 to present Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. Featured artists include soprano Robin Johannsen, tenor John Tessier and baritone Brian Mulligan. The ritual celebrations of the Orff are reinforced by two short works from Baltimore native Christopher Rouse: Ku-Ka-Ilimoku for four-part percussion ensemble, a work evocative of war and inspired by Hawaiian mythology, and Ogoun Badagris, which derives its inspiration from Haitian drumming patterns intended to appease the violent Voodoo deity for whom the work is named; and by Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas' Sensemayá, which sets music to a poem by Nicolas Guillen that evokes a ritual Afro-Caribbean chant.

For the 2012-2013 season finale, Marin Alsop and the BSO present West Side Story: The Movie and the Music, on June 13-16. The BSO will perform Leonard Bernstein's 10-time Oscar-winning musical score to accompany one of the most beloved motion pictures of all time. Jack Everly and the BSO SuperPops Season

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly kicks off his 10th SuperPops season leading the BSO in favorite television themes of the '50's plus famous "Hit Parade" tunes. The program offers a wave of nostalgia in The Golden Age of Black & White (October 11-14) when radio hits and even a game show unfolds, including a nod to the dawning of rock and roll and the rise of Elvis.

Patti Austin showcases her favorite works from George Gershwin, Duke Ellington and jazz icon Ella Fitzgerald on November 8 for one night only at The Music Center at Strathmore. Featured are songs from Austin's Grammy-nominated album, For Ella, including "Hearing Ella Sing," "Our Love is Here to Stay" and "How High the Moon."

Having shared the concert stage with legends that include Sting, Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan, Neil Young and Sir Paul McCartney, The Canadian Tenors now bring their broad repertoire of everything from classical operatic favorites to contemporary hits to the Meyerhoff for a special Thanksgiving weekend performance, November 23-25.

On December 12-16, the BSO presents a festive holiday show that offers something for everyone: Holiday Pops. Led by audience-favorite Robert Bernhardt, the Baltimore Choral Arts Society joins the BSO and other special guests for a celebration that includes carols, classical favorites, a holiday sing-along and more.

The pinnacle of the 2012-2013 SuperPops season is the world premiere of a special concert production of Hairspray on January 24-27. This unique production featuring full orchestra, vocalists and Baltimore's own John Waters as narrator pays tribute to the 25th anniversary of the release of the original motion picture. Patrons can relive this quirky classic and its favorite songs such as "Good Morning Baltimore" and "You Can't Stop the Beat" that follow a young girl's dream to star in a dance show as she ends up changing the world.

The Best of Broadway with Ashley Brown on February 21-24 features originals such as Mary Poppins and selections from the Great White Way. Ashley Brown commands the stage with Broadway hits including "Make Someone Happy," "A Spoon Full of Sugar," "Someday My Prince Will Come," "A Whole New World," "Le Jazz Hot" and more.

Michael Krajewski leads the BSO in Bond and Beyond: 50 Years of 007 on April 11-14. The performance features vocalist Debbie Gravitte and music from Bond films, including Casino Royale, Goldfinger, From Russia with Love and more. The BSO celebrates the golden anniversary of this film franchise and the world's favorite spy: "Bond, James Bond!"

The Magic of Motown, featuring vocal quartets Spectrum and Radiance, relives the magic of the timeless, soulful sounds of the Temptations, the Supremes, The Four Tops, Aretha Franklin and more, with theatrical panache and inspired arrangements, May 30-June 2.

Education and Outreach Initiatives
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is committed to engaging, inspiring, educating and serving its community through symphonic music and to enhancing the State of Maryland as cultural center of vitality and importance. For nearly 100 years, the BSO has provided educational programming for youth as a part of this overall vision; programs that aim to instill an appreciation for music and to foster creative and independent thinking. By providing opportunities for arts-enrichment from an early age, the BSO is able to positively transform the lives of youth through the power of music.

Among the programs aimed at adult music education is the BSO's Rusty Musicians. Now in its third year, the BSO invites amateur musicians onstage to perform alongside members of the BSO on September 12, 2012 at the Music Center at Strathmore and on November 13, 2012 at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore. Editor's Note: Registration procedures and application dates to be announced at a later date.

Family Concert Series
Throughout the 2012-2013 season, the BSO will present four Family Concerts in Baltimore, each on select Saturdays at 11 a.m. Featuring the BSO and guest artists, these programs are recommended for children ages 5 and up and their families and use classical music, illustration, puppetry and visuals to weave enchanting stories. Back by popular demand, the BSO Family Fun Zone enhances all Saturday morning Family Concerts with several age-appropriate, pre-concert activities. Children are invited to the Meyerhoff lobby to experience Music and Arts' instrument petting zoo, the Maryland Zoo's ZOOmobile and even have their faces painted.

The music from Harry Potter by legendary film composer John Williams and Paul Dukas' spellbinding Sorcerer's Apprentice will accompany the mischief-making magic and creativity of the Enchantment Theatre, in Wizards & Wands: Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Apprentice, November 3.

The BSO and dancers from the Baltimore School for the Arts will perform excerpts from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker on December 8 in a holiday event appropriate for the entire family.

The BSO and friends will explore the roots of jazz, blues and beyond on March 2, 2013. Musical Roots: from Africa to America uncovers the indelible influence of African drumbeats, moving spirituals and ragtime on today's most popular genres, featuring the music of the great Duke Ellington and Baltimore's own Eubie Blake.

The BSO performs the world's most famous musical fairytale, Peter and the Wolf with the Bob Brown Puppets and narrator extraordinaire Rheda Becker on April 6, 2013. Children are introduced to the instruments of the orchestra in Prokofiev's triumphant tale of a heroic boy and a mischievous wolf.

Naxos Music Library Offered Free to Subscribers
Continuing the Orchestra's ongoing relationship with the classical record label Naxos, the BSO is pleased to offer the return of the exclusive online access to the Naxos Music Library for all BSO subscribers. By subscribing to the BSO, patrons gain exclusive online access to the world's largest collection of streaming classical music. Naxos Music Library is a streaming audio music resource that features more than 400,000 tracks, powerful tools to stimulate music education and research, the daily addition of new releases and remote access. This subscriber benefit has an estimated value of $300 per person and is completely free to all patrons with a BSO subscription and a valid email address. More information is available at BSOmusic.org/naxos.

"Coming to a concert hall near you…"
For an interactive preview of the season featuring Marin Alsop, go to BSOmusic.org to access a video highlighting the just-announced 2012-2013 concert season.