MSO | The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra

The MSO – Your Symphony Orchestra
Let us keep up the Momentum!
All it takes is effort and support!

An Impressive Record
After modest beginnings more than a decade ago, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra has carved itself a respected place in the world of music across the mid-Atlantic region. It is now an integral part of the cultural life of the communities where it performs a vast repertoire of classical and modern compositions to growing audiences, in an increased number of local venues.

The high quality and exciting diversity of the MSO performances have literally changed the cultural life of the populations of the region. They now have the opportunity to attend a greater number of concerts, bringing to them high caliber musicians and vocalists, and often performed in collaboration with other art organizations for a more total experience.

The past Season Series has sustained and even stepped up the momentum spearheaded by Maestro Julien Benichou as soon as he accepted the baton as Music Director and Conductor of the MSO. His talent, dynamic conducting, artistic programming and charismatic personality have left a very distinctive imprint on every aspect of the MSO history over his tenure. As he is about to embark on his third Season Series, it is with great admiration and respect that we reminisce upon his accomplishments and the progress he instilled in the Society with the support of his exceptional orchestra.

An Exciting Season Series 2007-2008
This has been a very exciting year, with performances covering the great masters from Faure, Sibelius, Brahms, Bach, Vivaldi, and Mozart, to Britten, Saint-Saens, Chopin and Schumann, with virtuoso soloists such as Jonathan Carney, Concertmaster of the Baltimore Symphony, Joseph Gascho, Harpsichord, Nicholas Currie, MSO Concertmaster, and Ernest Barretta, piano , Music Director of Saint-Joseph Church in Perry Hall. MD, and others. The MSO February Concert “Mostly Baroque” was followed by a Reception and Dinner fundraiser, where violinist Amos Fayette thrilled the diners with his magic bow and exceptional entertainment.

The Holiday Joy concert was indeed a very festive celebration, with selections from the Nutcracker and other favorite holiday music. December also marked the emphasis placed by the MSO on collaboration with other art organizations, adding to our Series a performance of Handel’s Messiah, offered jointly with the Southern Delaware Choral Society in the 1,000-seat Eagle’s Nest Church in Milton, Delaware, a new venue in Sussex County. It was a resounding success, with a nearly sold-out performance featuring four professional vocalists and an 80-member chorus with the MSO Orchestra, Julien Benichou conducting.

One of the highlights of the Season Series was certainly the March Concert showcasing the World Premiere of “Hexapodia”, a composition by Thomas Reeves, age 12, featuring the Peabody Children’s Chorus and the Peabody Violin Choir. If any concertgoers had misgivings about what to expect, they were stunned and enthusiastic about the whole event! Composer and performers displayed such talent and professional caliber that it was almost unbelievable!

The Finale offered works by Great Romantics Mozart, Chopin and Schumann, ending with Ernest Barretta’s brilliant rendition of Chopin Piano Concerto No.2 in F Minor. In all three venues, the audience was in dreamland for a while after the last note was heard, then rewarded pianist and orchestra with a long standing ovation, taken in and savored by the Maestro as a validation of their dedication and hard work to bring to the region the finest live orchestral music.

New Partnership
And then, when the Season Series was over, other opportunities developed: The Carl M. Freeman and the Joshua M. Freeman Foundations inaugurated a Summer Stage Series in June 2008, and asked the MSO to perform their Opening Concert in Bayside, Selbyville, DE. Julien Benichou crafted “A Summer Celebration,” a two-hour program covering many composers and a wide variety of musical styles sure to please a diversified audience of all ages. It offered patriotic music, marches, Leroy Anderson brass, Rossini’s Barber of Seville selections , Samuel Ward, John Williams Star Wars Suite, Stars and Stripes Forever, ending with a resounding Tchaikowsky’s 1812 Overture. This concert also featured several soloists and a violinist from Julien Benichou’s Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra. The crowd response was unbelievable; children seemed mesmerized, the whole evening vibrating with enthusiasm and sheer delight!

In July, Michelle Freeman, widow of Joshua Freeman and president of the Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, offered a private reception in memory of her husband and as a tribute to his dedication to the Arts. The evening was devoted to Beethoven, Josh’s favorite composer. The reception was followed by a public Concert on the Summer Stage, preceding a screening of “Immortal Beloved”. She asked the Mid-Atlantic Symphony to provide a quartet and a pianist to perform at both events. The MSO is appreciative and honored to have been chosen for these performances and looking forward to a sustained and fruitful partnership with the Freeman Foundations.

Valued Sponsorships
The MSO is acknowledging with gratitude the many contributions of all its valued supporters, which allow the organization to strenghten the orchestra and to bring the most talented virtuoso soloists, while expanding the repertoire performed. Our major sponsors include BB&T, a MD Bank, ING DIRECT, a direct banking institution headquartered in Wilmington, DE, the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, and most recently, Delmarva Power and the Easton-based Wilford Group at Smith Barney, a Division of Citigroup, creating a new partnership with the MSO to sponsor guest artists. This increased support illustrates the respect and the confidence our sponsors have in the vision of our Maestro and the future of the MSO.

New Endowment Fund
Last, but not least, we are pleased to announce that the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra Society has established a permanent endowment fund at the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, to build a stronger financial base for the orchestra, and help increase its musical programs in the communities of Maryland and Delaware. The Community Foundation will receive gifts in the name of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra to support the orchestra’s new endowment fund.

This was a year of experimentation with diverse genres of music and programming designed to cope with the first effects of the economic downturn. Budgetary constraints limit the number of musicians in the orchestra and, therefore, the type of repertoire the MSO can perform. Maestro Julien Benichou accomplished wonders with limited means, sustaining the magical MSO Sound with an average of only about 35 musicians. The powerful performance Julien and his team can produce is unbelievable! He energizes and motivates them to give so much of themselves that the audience, overwhelmed by their masterful interpretation of great musical works, reflects its feelings of appreciation in tremendous ovations.

The October concerts, titled “Momentum”, offered Beethoven Violin Concerto in a sensitive and virtuoso rendition by Judith Ingolfsson, warmly applauded by our concertgoers. The second part was Sibelius much loved Symphony No. 2, very well received by the audience in every venue.

The Holiday Concert in December presented a selection from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, and a medley of Christmas favorites, including lively tunes by Leroy Anderson and selections from Puccini’s La Boheme. We showcased two guests artists: Soprano Meghan McCall and Tenor Franco Spoto.

February brought the MSO on a Sentimental Journey Through the Ages, from the Middle Ages to the 21st Century. The performance included a number of composers, from Josquin Des Pres to Vivaldi, Schumann and Mozart. This was a program offering the audience something new, giving much food for thought. It elicited a varied response from the audience, reacting to a very different musical experience.

With March came “Music in Motion”, which included Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin, and Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, well chosen selections from loved great masters.

The enthusiasm of the audience for such an eclectic program and its performance expressed itself in three long standing ovations in all three venues –one before intermission, one at the end of the program, and another after an encore demanded by the crowd!

In April, the MSO Season Finale presented an exciting program of favorite great masters. In Mozart’s Symphony Concertante, we showcased Nicholas Currie, MSO Concertmaster, Violin, and Jonathan Carney, Baltimore Symphony Concertmaster, Viola. This was an exquisite performance, received with all the enthusiasm it deserved, and a standing ovation. Caroline Coccoli delighted the audience with her professional rendition of Bruch Concerto No.1 in G Minor. Caroline, age 15, is the 2008 winner of the Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Concerto Competition, one of her rewards being this performance with the MSO. Julien Benichou is Conductor of this Youth Orchestra.

As a perfect conclusion to the 2008-2009 Season Series, Beethoven’s Symphony No.7 in A Major brought the audience to its feet for another long standing ovation. The Maestro and his orchestra had presented a superb performance of a powerful symphony, with all the energy, the talent, the masterful interpretation expected of a major symphony orchestra. This experience left many a concertgoer with the deep feeling that this conductor and his musicians have a great future in the music world. We hope this translates into sustained support from our sponsors, so that we can increase the size of the orchestra and our repertoire, and continue to strengthen the musical experience we offer our audience.

Let us keep up the Momentum!
Come experience the vibrant MSO Sound
In a Dynamic Season Series 2009-2010