Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to Play in Soviet Union in May
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra announced plans today to perform in the Soviet Union in May, which would make it the first American orchestra to play there in more than a decade.
The BSO’s Soviet performances, which will come at the end of a three-week European tour, will consist of two concerts in Moscow and two in Leningrad between May 26 and May 30.
The last U.S. orchestra to perform in the Soviet Union was the New York Philharmonic in 1976.
Music Director David Zinman, whose grandfather immigrated to the United States from Russia, said he is “absolutely thrilled” by the prospect.
“It’s a great responsibility,” Zinman said. “The Soviet Union is renowned for its good orchestras, wonderful halls--especially in Moscow and Leningrad--and warmth and knowledge of its audience.”
Charles Z. Wick, director of the U.S. Information Agency, helped arrange the upcoming tour. “The Baltimore Symphony is a dynamic and highly respected American orchestra, and we are confident the Soviet audiences will be impressed,” Wick said.
The invitation the Soviets extended to the BSO was an outgrowth of a cultural exchange agreement signed by the United States and the Soviet Union in November, 1985, Wick said.
The estimated $200,000 cost to the BSO of the Soviet tour will be paid for by Baltimore philanthropists.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
