Baltimore Symphony's 'Rusty Musicians' outreach comes to Meyerhoff Hall in September
One of the biggest hits the Baltimore Symphony had last season wasn't part of the regular subscription series, classical or pops. It was a new outreach project dubbed "Rusty Musicians with the BSO," offered over two nights in February. It drew more than 600 amateur instrumentalists to Strathmore, where they sat alongside BSO members and dug into some hearty repertoire with conductor Marin Alsop.
The response was so great in numbers and enthusiasm that the orchestra soon began planning a similar offering at at Meyerhoff Hall. The Baltimore area "Rusty Musicians" adventure has just been announced. It will be held
on Sept. 21. Anticipating the same sort of turnout experienced at Strathmore, the BSO has divided the evening into four sessions, each beginning on the hour (6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m.), in order to accommodate everyone. During each session, Alsop will guide the combined pro and amateur forces through Brahms’ "Academic Festival" Overture and the finale of Stravinsky’s "Firebird" Suite.
Participation is open to anyone from the age of 25 on who can play a string, woodwind, brass or percussion instrument. There's a $10 registration fee. If you're interested in breaking out that old fiddle or clarinet and playing a fun gig with the BSO, registration is open online. Acceptance notices will be sent out by Aug. 2. The public is invited to attend the sessions; tickets will be $10.
To give you a taste of what's in store, here's a video plug the BSO put together during the Strathmore event last winter:
