BSO Presents A Free Concert on October 3 in Celebration of the Re-Opening Of Symphony Hall

As the culmination of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's 2021-22 season-opening weekend, the orchestra presents a special BSO/Boston Pops community concert under the direction of Andris Nelsons, Thomas Wilkins, John Williams, and Keith Lockhart (in order of appearance) on Sunday, October 3, at 3 p.m., at Symphony Hall in Boston.

Entitled Concert for Our City: Reunited at Symphony Hall, this free performance celebrates the reopening of Symphony Hall to audiences after an 18-month hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The concert will begin with welcoming remarks from BSO President and CEO Gail Samuel.

"It is our hope that this special free performance will provide some much-needed joy and inspiration as we celebrate the reopening of Symphony Hall and share that beautiful space again with our Boston community," said BSO President and CEO Gail Samuel. "For all of us at the BSO, we can't imagine a better counter to the pandemic than welcoming concertgoers back to live performances at Symphony Hall."

Complimentary general admission tickets can be reserved starting on Monday, September 27, at noon, at www.bso.org/concertforourcity or by calling SymphonyCharge at 617-266-1200. Tickets to the October 3 concert also have been distributed to dozens of the BSO's community partners including organizations such as Boston Public Schools, Asperger/Autism Network, and Boston Center for Youth and Families.

BSO and Boston Pops musicians greatly anticipate reconnecting with the Boston community in a festive program that encompasses various genres and spotlights the many musical gifts of the Boston Symphony and the Boston Pops. To open the program, BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons will conduct the BSO in Beethoven's Consecration of the House Overture-the first piece ever performed by the BSO in 1881-a work that imparts a sense of renewal and revitalization as orchestra and audience come together again in a shared space. Mr. Nelsons will also lead the BSO in a BSO signature work, the final movement of Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra (music that the BSO premiered in 1944 under then Music Director Serge Koussevitzky).

BSO Youth and Family Concerts Conductor Thomas Wilkins leads movements from William Grant Still's evocative 1948 orchestral suite Wood Notes, music inspired by poems about America's natural beauty. Boston Pops Conductor Laureate John Williams takes the baton for three of his recent film score arrangements for violin and orchestra with German violin virtuoso Anne-Sophie Mutter as soloist. Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart leads the Pops in the humorous Ringtone Cycle arranged by Mark Cumberland, Rachel Bruerville's propulsive Dancing on Tiptoes (but never falling), and an arrangement of St. Louis Blues by "Father of the Blues" W.C. Handy.

Please note that Concert for Our City: Reunited at Symphony Hall will not have an intermission.

As a gift to Boston's larger music community, most segments from the October 3 performance (excluding the Anne-Sophie Mutter and John Williams performances) will be available as a free online concert stream on BSO NOW (bso.org/now) October 14 through November 13. Introduced to enthusiastic reception in November 2020 in response to the live performance hiatus due to the pandemic, BSO NOW online concert streams will continue to be offered in the 2021-22 BSO season, with details about the streaming schedule to be announced at a later date.

The orchestra's commitment to returning to performances with audiences is matched by an equally strong commitment to the health and safety of everyone associated with the 2021-22 BSO season, including patrons, staff, and musicians. Please note that in adherence to COVID protocols announced by the BSO on August 31, proof of vaccination or proof of a negative test result-either a PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance or an antigen test taken within 24 hours-will be required for entry into Symphony Hall. The BSO's fall protocols will also require mask-wearing except when patrons are actively eating and drinking. For more information, click here; details about protocols are also available at bso.org/safety.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Andris Nelsons are thrilled to welcome audiences back for the 2021-22 season opener on September 30, performing the first BSO concert for live audiences at Symphony Hall since March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the closure of the Hall. The opening night program will include Beethoven's Consecration of the House Overture and Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra, under the direction of BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons, and John Wiliams' recently premiered (July 24, 2021, at Tanglewood) Violin Concerto No. 2, with Anne-Sophie Mutter as soloist and Mr. Williams conducting. The BSO's season continues through April 30. Additional information about the 2021-22 BSO season is available at bso.org.

Formal BSO titles for conductors referenced in this release: Andris Nelsons is the Ray and Maria Stata BSO Music Director; Thomas Wilkins is the BSO's Artistic Advisor, Education and Community Engagement, and the Germeshausen Youth and Family Concerts Conductor; John Williams is the George and Roberta Berry Boston Pops Conductor Laureate; and Keith Lockhart is the Julian and Eunice Cohen Boston Pops Conductor.

To post a comment, you must register and login.