Boston Symphony Orchestra to Present CONCERT FOR OUR CITY: NOW STREAMING FOR ALL

The Boston Symphony Orchestra will present a special video stream of Concert for Our City: Now Streaming For All, a 70-minute performance available to a worldwide audience via YouTube at www.bso.org/athome, for 45 days, beginning at 3 p.m., ET, on Sunday, April 5.

The Thomas Wilkins-led YouTube stream, Concert for Our City, features a wide-ranging program including works by Tchaikovsky, Ginastera, and Brahms. Conceived by Mr. Wilkins with a theme of "Beautiful Sounds of Friendship," the program also includes Chinese-American composer Huang Ruo's Folksongs for Orchestra, George Walker's Lyric for String Orchestra, and the finale of Dvořák's Cello Concerto with cellist Sterling Elliott, the 2014 winner of the Sphinx Competition. Click here for a complete program listing.

Quote from Thomas Wilkins, BSO Artistic Advisor for Education and Community Engagement

"One of my most fundamental beliefs is that music provides a lifeline to inspiration, reflection, power, and beauty that deeply touches us and opens us up to new realms of possibilities that can give us a pause from the distractions of the difficulties of the world at large. During these challenging times of social distancing and sickness due to COVID-19, I hope that the Boston Symphony Orchestra's Concert for Our City YouTube stream and the many wonderful offerings at www.bso.org/athome will bring some comfort and inspiration to music lovers in Boston, throughout the country, and around the world.

"Every time I step in front of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, I am reminded that there is nothing like 100 of the world's most accomplished musicians together on one stage with a kaleidoscopic offering of harmonies, rhythms, melodies, and storytelling meant to move us deep within our souls. During this time of concert cancellations, we want to share the BSO's many musical gifts, as well as the extraordinary gifts of Huang Ruo and Sterling Elliott, with anyone and everyone open to the seemingly limitless possibilities of the world of music to comfort and inspire during both good and difficult times.

"Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to all those most directly affected by the coronavirus and their dedicated caretakers."

Quote from Mark Volpe, Eunice and Julian Cohen President and Chief Executive Officer

"With the gift of getting to the heart of whatever music he is conducting, Thomas Wilkins brings his singular charisma and brilliant way of connecting with audiences to the Concert for Our City special streaming presentation," said BSO President and CEO Mark Volpe.

"We are thrilled to be offering our music community a chance to enjoy this special concert stream as part of our newly released BSO at Home series, launched in response to our recent concert cancellations. With thousands of people accessing BSO at Home archival recordings, a variety of wonderful home-made musician videos, and near-daily broadcasts on WCRB, we're thrilled that the BSO continues to be an inspirational force and resource for the music community near and far, as our entire nation and the world contends with the effects of coronavirus."

The BSO's YouTube stream of Concert for Our City is part of a previously announced online initiative-BSO at Home-a wide variety of audio and video options made available to the BSO's music community at www.bso.org/athome, during the orchestra's performance/event hiatus through May 2 (click here to view March concert cancellation announcement; click here to view more details about BSO at Home initiative).

Concert for Our City was video recorded during a full-capacity live performance at Symphony Hall on February 16. The concert was part of a series of free BSO musical offerings in February-Including pop-up concerts with BSO musicians throughout Greater Boston-that took place during the time the orchestra would have been on an East Asia tour, February 6-16. The planned tour to Seoul, Taipei, Shanghai, and Hong Kong was canceled on Thursday, January 30, due to increasing concerns over widely documented official news and government agency reports assessing the spread of COVID-19 (click here for tour cancellation release).

BSO at Home content is being made available with support from Bank of America, BSO Season Lead Sponsor, and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company LTD, BSO Season Supporting Sponsor.

Program Details for Concert for Our City, available via YouTube at
www.bso.org/athome, starting at 3 p.m., on Sunday, April 5

Thomas Wilkins, conductor
Sterling Elliott, cello
Huang Ruo, composer and singer
TCHAIKOVSKY Polonaise from the opera Eugene Onegin
GINASTERA "Malambo" from Estancia Dances
Huang Ruo Folksongs for Orchestra
Love Song from Kang Ding
The Girl from the Da Ban City
WALKER Lyric for String Orchestra
DVOŘÁK Cello Concerto: Finale (Allegro moderato)
BRAHMS Symphony No. 1: Finale (Adagio-Allegro non troppo ma con brio)

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