Boston Symphony Orchestra

Founded in 1881, the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) was the brainchild of Civil War veteran, businessman, and philanthropist Henry Lee Higginson, who envisioned a first-rate permanent orchestra in his hometown of Boston. The BSO realized Higginson's dream indeed by becoming one of the world's finest orchestras, entertaining audiences with acclaimed concert performances at Symphony Hall in Boston and at the Tanglewood Music Center in the Berkshires. Over the years, the orchestra has also expanded its reach through radio, television, educational programs, recordings, tours, and the internet. 

The Boston Symphony Orchestra commissions works from top contemporary composers, and its summer season at Tanglewood is admired around the globe. In addition to helping to develop future audiences through BSO Youth Concerts and educational outreach programs involving the greater Boston community, the orchestra operates the Tanglewood Music Center, a premier training ground for young professional-caliber musicians. The BSO also promotes its love of orchestral music through the Boston Pops Orchestra, which entertains audiences in Boston and far beyond by performing jazz, pop, and big band hits, and, of course, staging the nationally televised Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular every year on July 4.