Brief History of the Boston Symphony Orchestra By Douglas Reeves

Introduction• For nearly 135 years, the Boston Symphony

Orchestra (BSO) has served as one of the country's foremost musical institutions, with critics often placing it in the top echelon of orchestras both in the United States and around the world. Its first conductor, who led the orchestra as it got its start in the 1880s, was George Henschel, who famously scheduled a prodigious number of concerts before turning the baton over to his predecessors. At the turn of the century, the BSO moved to Symphony Hall, and by 1915, under the leadership of Karl Muck, the orchestra began to share its gifts with the world.

Boston Symphony Orchestra• Muck, who is considered a legend among music

historians, led the BSO in its first transcontinental tour, including a concert series at San Francisco's Panama-Pacific International Exposition, and its first forays into music recording. Later, Charles Munch headed the orchestra in the 1950s, when the BSO became the first American orchestra to play in the Soviet Union. In the 1970s, conductor Seiji Ozawa brought the BSO to mainland China for a similarly historic concert series. The BSO, which is now in its 134th season, draws millions of listeners annually through every medium and its summer Tanglewood season, as well as other associated projects..