Boston Symphony Orchestra Inc.

Filing Period

Sep 1, 2012 to Aug 31, 2013

Signed

Jul 3, 2014

Return Version

2012v2.0

Gross Receipts

$283,908,392

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

Education: Education is integral to the BSO's mission and comprises two main components: 1.) training of young professional musicians at the Tanglewood Music Center, the BSO's world-renowned summer academy for advanced musical study; and 2.) Education and Community Engagement programs that offer individuals of all backgrounds, at all stages of life, an opportunity to develop their relationship with the BSO and build their ownership of and engagement with orchestral music through high quality, relevant, multileveled, and interactive education and community engagement experiences. Over the past seven decades, the Tanglewood Music Center (TMC) has established itself as the preeminent professional music-training center of its kind, and its alumni have shaped and changed the musical landscape in all parts of the world. The TMC program is truly unique, having a fully-integrated relationship with a world-class symphony orchestra, continuously drawing on the musicians, ideas, and resources of the BSO, and enlisting the participation of its artists to create and contribute to the educational experience of young musicians in the most profound manner. The mission of the TMC is to serve as a bridge from the conservatory to the professional world, allowing young musicians of the highest promise to gain access to the guidance of the music world's most esteemed senior professionals. The relationships cultivated at the TMC offer direct entrée to upper levels of the profession. Upon completing their time at TMC, TMC "fellows" are deemed to have all of the requisite skill and training for highly successful careers as performing musicians. Since its inception the TMC has also functioned as a think tank in which faculty are encouraged to pursue directions that will open new avenues in the field. The principal areas of study and performance at the TMC are orchestral and chamber music, with a heavy emphasis on contemporary music, vocal repertoire including art song and staged opera (also involving instrumentalists), composition, and conducting. In the summer of 2013, 155 accomplished fellows studied and performed for eight weeks under the direction of 60 resident and guest faculty members and members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Participating fellows represented 30 states and 17 foreign countries. Performance and study of new music, always central to the TMC methodology, were programmed throughout the summer, and the TMC fellows played a prominent role in Tanglewood's annual Festival of Contemporary Music, which was directed in 2013 by pianist and passionate new music advocate Pierre-Laurent Aimard. The festival concluded with the U. S. premiere of George Benjamin's new opera Written on Skin, which received widespread acclaim from press and audience for the impact of the work and strength of the performance. Some 28,000 people participate each year in an array of BSO Education and Community Engagement programs intended to serve as a resource for educators, families, and students. BSO education programs welcome and include individuals of all backgrounds and learning styles, at all points in their relationship with orchestral music, and connect with residents in a wide range of communities across their lifespans. During FY2013 the BSO offered, among other programs, a total of fifteen Youth and Family Concerts attended by more than 12,000. Through the Metropolitan Youth Concerts series, the BSO fully underwrites admission to the Youth Concerts for students in the Boston Public Schools and other metro-Boston school systems. This program serves more than 4,000 urban children in third through twelfth grades from approximately 50 schools. The BSO's High School Open Rehearsals, a relatively new initiative launched in FY08 that brings interested teenagers to Symphony Hall to observe how the orchestra prepares its repertoire, were attended by 3,010 students. The BSO has offered a Concerto Competition for advanced high-school instrumentalists (piano, str

Activity 3

Historic Preservation and Conservation and Facility Rental:Symphony Hall has long been considered the finest concert hall in the United States, and its spectacular acoustic qualities have earned it a place among the top three concert auditoriums in the world, a fact underscored by the hall's designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1999. Symphony Hall resonates with a century of great performances by leading artists, the musical vibrancy of the 20th century, and the important voices of history. It is a familiar location for millions of viewers nationwide who have watched "Evening at Pops" on PBS. Since 1900, virtually all of the world's great concert artists have appeared (and continue to appear) on the Symphony Hall stage, either with the BSO or in solo recitals. Touring ensembles have also taken advantage of the hall's acoustics, from renowned symphony orchestras to the U.S. Marine Band. The hall is also the main performance venue for a number of ensembles and presenters, including the Handel & Haydn Society, one of the nation's first permanent performing groups, established in 1815. Symphony Hall is also the primary venue for the Celebrity Series of Boston and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras. Frequently used as a civic auditorium, Symphony Hall has hosted many non-musical events that bear upon U.S. history and reflect the development of the United States as a world leader. In the early years of the 20th century, the hall served as a place to honor and present the luminaries of that era. World figures in politics and literature have lectured in Symphony Hall regularly, and controversial social issues were also given their due in debates. Tanglewood is the summer performance home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and is located in Lenox, Massachusetts, amid the scenic splendor of the Berkshire hills. Established in 1936 by then-BSO Music Director Serge Koussevitzky, Tanglewood is now one of the world's preeminent summer music festivals. Tanglewood is also a festival renowned for its vital role in the development of America's contributions to music. Tanglewood attracts more than 350,000 visitors from around the world annually, and presents ten weeks of diverse programming each summer, the central feature of which is approximately two dozen BSO concerts featuring the finest classical music and the most esteemed conductors and soloists. The festival also includes a weekly chamber music series, solo recitals by acclaimed artists, some fifty concerts and recitals by fellows of the Tanglewood Music Center, the weeklong Festival of Contemporary Music, and a Popular Artists Series. Comprising the former Tanglewood and Highwood estates, Tanglewood covers more than 500 scenic acres and remains open to the public year-round, much like a state park. There are 23 buildings on the grounds, including three principal performance venues: the Koussevitzky Music Shed, Seiji Ozawa Concert Hall, and the Tanglewood Theatre. Built in 1938 from plans by Eliel Saarinen, the Koussevitzky Music Shed is a seasonal hall that is open on three sides and has 5,121 seats with additional seating for more than 10,000 on the adjacent lawn. All BSO and visiting orchestra concerts are performed in the shed. Opened in 1994, Seiji Ozawa Hall provides a venue for the Tanglewood festival's solo and chamber music performances, including Friday-evening prelude concerts. The brick and wood structure also provides space for rehearsals by Tanglewood's guest artists, serves as the headquarters of the Tanglewood Music Center, and acts as a recording facility. It seats up to 750 audience members on the orchestra level and an additional 450 in the two balconies, as well as hundreds more on the adjacent lawn. The Theatre is the second Tanglewood structure designed by Eero Saarinen. It is used primarily by the TMC for opera and other staged productions not suited for presentation in Ozawa Hall. This wooden structure has a full orchestra pit and fully rigged stage. The

Filer

EIN

04-2103550