Soaring and Singing With the BSO

It all came together in Baltimore one evening: the soaring curves of the architecture, the classic tunes of Cole Porter, and the appreciation of women in music.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, a world-class music organization, calls the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall home. Opened in 1982, The Meyerhoff was specifically designed as a music venue. There are no flat walls or 90-degree angles in the concert hall, and every surface was designed and tuned to present performances from the stage with warmth and exceptional clarity.

The building combines a massive presence with a feeling of openness thanks to soaring walls of glass that let light into the lobby. These days there's a musical crab enjoying that light, too; he's one of the many Maryland crab statues painted during a competition a couple of years ago to help promote Baltimore. The Meyerhoff is near the Maryland Institute College of Art, and so the neighborhood has many outdoor sculptures that concertgoers can enjoy as well.

Just as The Meyerhoff made history when it opened, the Orchestra made history in 2005 when it appointed Marin Alsop as the next Music Director, making her the first female conductor of a major American orchestra. Her term as Music Director starts with the 2008 season, but she has already been active and conducted many concerts. The current issue of the BSO Magazine, Overture, spotlights increasing presence of women in classical music.

For the Superpops concert we enjoyed, Jack Every conducted the orchestra and the Baltimore Choral Arts Society in a wonderful repertoire of Cole Porter tunes like "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "It's Too Darn Hot." All in all, it was a delightful evening of good music in a magnificent building.