Mr. Rose, Ms. Budd and the players made a passionate, high-energy case for [Child Alice]. They also used it to put a double bar on their 20th-anniversary season, and to underscore their stature as one of this country's finest new-music ensembles."
- Allan Kozinn, The Wall Street Journal
Dear friend of BMOP,We did it: we've wrapped up our 20th anniversary season with celebration, cymbal crashes, and cheers. Our last Jordan Hall concert of the season, on March 25, presented David Del Tredici's epic Child Alice in only the work's second-ever complete performance. We were thrilled to offer the concert free of charge to a wide and enthusiastic audience - it was truly one of the city's must-see events of the spring. Hot on the heels of the performance, we brought to successful conclusion a Kickstarter campaign funding the release of this 20th-century masterpiece on BMOP/sound. To all of you who helped: thank you!
The rest of the season continued the traditions and commitments that make BMOP a great organization. Our Armenian-themed concert, commemorating the centennial of the Armenian genocide, was the latest in a series surveying recent and contemporary musical currents that have found their way to Boston from around the world (stay tuned for more next season). Our December program of the music of Gunther Schuller both paid tribute to our relationship with a sorely missed Boston icon and offered another opportunity to introduce young music lovers to the concert hall, with the offbeat musical fable Journey Into Jazz. January's New Brandenburgs demonstrated our pledge to help great new music establish a foothold in the orchestral world, featuring a set of six chamber concertos by six of today's leading composers, commissioned in 2006 and still insightful in 2016.
Of course, with BMOP the buck never stops at the concert stage. We're closing in on BMOP/sound's 50th release, and the past season has seen the arrival of music by Chinary Ung, Mason Bates, Kati Agócs, and the late, beloved Pittsburgh composer David Stock. This past February and April we were invited to Brown University for a unique residency, including open rehearsals; a performance of works by Brown faculty members Wang Lu, Eric Nathan, and Joseph Butch Rovan, and recording sessions of undergraduate and graduate work. This all feeds into our belief that orchestral music is a living, breathing, evolving art.This season, we've been applauded from many corners - The New York Times and Musical America are among the organizations who have singled us out for our vision, tenacity, and unique organizational model. While publicity is always welcome, what I really want to know is: what do you think? Do you believe that BMOP should continue onward to the next milestone? If the answer is yes, won't you help us with a donation in whatever amount you're able? We're here for you, our friends and fans, and you make it happen.
With gratitude,
Gil Rose