Boston Symphony Orchestra Prepares For Its 138th Season

Photo Credit: Boston Symphony Orchestra

Even though summer is officially over (boo hiss), one of the most anticipated fall events in Boston is finally here. Next week, the Boston Symphony Orchestra will celebrate the start of its 138th season with a haute gala celebration. This year’s swanky celebration will feature performances by members of the Symphony along with the Boston Symphony Children’s Choir.

The stylish BSO evening will kick off on Wednesday, October 3, at 6 p.m. in Symphony Hall and feature a menu for guests designed by James Beard award winning chef Tony Maws, chef/owner of Craigie on Main (you know how much we love his secret burger) and Kirkland Tap and Trotter. The gala dinner menu will feature a first course salad of house-cured salmon gravlax with leeks, fennel pollen, pickled hon shimeji mushrooms, labneh, and green tomato chutney; a main course of plum-braised beef short ribs with braised red cabbage, shallots, and pink peppercorns (a vegetarian alternative will be available on request); and for dessert, dark chocolate parfait with pears, almonds, and cajeta. Wines served throughout the evening include Wheeler Farms Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley, Kunde Chardonnay Sonoma Estate from Sonoma Valley and Girard Artistry from Napa Valley.

Photo Credit: Boston Symphony Orchestra

The inspiration for this year’s Symphony Gala is the beauty found within Symphony Hall itself. Built in 1900 and designated as a U.S. Historic Landmark in 1999, the historic concert hall has a wealth of ornate architectural details to highlight: the gold scroll of the balcony will be enhanced by a cream and gold scroll damask linen, the organ and statues throughout the hall will be awash in warm lighting, and the long dinner tables will reflect the Hall’s crystal chandeliers. With a nod to the late summer harvest, the coral, orange, and peach flowers—mixed with a fall bounty of pomegranates and artichokes—will adorn tables decorated to mimic entertaining in the 1900’s with candelabras, cut crystal, gold flatware, porcelain china, and hemstitch napkins.

This year’s lineup will begin with a short work for percussion. BSO Principal Cellist Blaise Déjardin will then perform a movement from one of the Bach cello suites, Debussy’s Reverie, and Chopin’s Polonaise brillante. BSO Choral Director and Conductor of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus James Burton and the Boston Symphony Children’s Choir will perform a variety of pieces including Jonathan Dove’s Fast Car, Bob Chilcott’s Can you hear me?, and “The Letter from Pluto” from Richard Rodney Bennett’s Letters to Lindberg. The Boston Symphony Children’s Choir will then be joined by soprano and Tanglewood Music Center alumna Sondra Radvanovsky for a final selection. Following the dinner, there will be an after-party in Higginson Hall with a dessert buffet and live music by musicians from New England Conservatory’s Jazz Program.

Photo Credit: Marco Borggreve