The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), founded by the businessman, philanthropist, and Civil War veteran Henry Lee Higginson, gave its inaugural concert in 1881. It now reaches millions of listeners through concerts, recordings, the internet, radio, television, and educational programs. It develops future audiences through BSO Youth Concerts and future performers through its summer training program, the Tanglewood Music Center. Founded in 1885, the Boston Pops (essentially the BSO without its principal players) sets an international standard for performances of lighter music.

The BSO’s first conductor was German-born Georg Henschel, whose successors included Arthur Nikisch, Karl Muck, Pierre Monteux, Serge Koussevitzky, Charles Munch, Erich Leinsdorf, Seiji Ozawa, and James Levine. Latvian-born Andris Nelsons became music director in the 2014–15 season. During Koussevitzky’s tenure (1924–49), the BSO established its permanent summer home at Tanglewood and founded the Berkshire (now Tanglewood) Music Center. The BSO’s commissioning legacy began with its 50th anniversary season in 1931. Munch led the BSO on its first international tours in the 1950s, including a visit to the Soviet Union. Seiji Ozawa’s 29-year tenure (1973–2002) encompassed the centennial of the BSO itself and that of its revered home, Symphony Hall. Under Andris Nelsons’ leadership, the BSO has initiated a historic partnership with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, earned several GRAMMY Awards, and launched its newest major venture, the Tanglewood Learning Institute.

For more information, visit www.bso.org.

Photo: Marco Borggreve