Boston Symphony Orchestra At Crossroads Ahead Of 131st Season

19:00

September 29, 2011

The Boston Symphony Orchestra playing at Carnegie Hall. (AP)

The Boston Symphony Orchestra kicks off its 131st season Friday without a music director. Maestro James Levine finally stepped aside at the end of last season following multiple extended absences due to illness and injury.

Nonetheless, subscribers are abuzz about the upcoming season, since the BSO has lined up a glittering array of guest conductors.

Still, the 130-year-old institution finds itself in a state of flux. Whoever is ultimately picked to be the next music director will lead the BSO into uncharted territory, where popular tastes and long-term funding are as up-in-the-air for classical music as they are for the rest of the music industry, if not more so.

We discuss the future of the BSO with the orchestra's leadership team.

Guests:

Mark Volpe, managing director, Boston Symphony Orchestra
Edmund "Ted" Kelly, chair of the board of trustees, Boston Symphony Orchestra
Richard Dyer, retired long-time chief music critic, Boston Globe

More:

This segment aired on September 29, 2011.