BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INC

Programs

1. Orchestral Music Programs: Internationally recognized as one of the finest orchestras, its scope of activities makes it one of the world's busiest orchestral organizations. Within the U.S., it is the fourth-largest performing arts institution. Between September 5, 2024, and May 3, 2025, the Boston Symphony Orchestra reached over 140,000 attendees accross more than 80 concerts in Symphony Hall, which included BSO commissions, overlooked works from the past, and core works of the classical canon. The orchestra was joined by remarkable soloists who included Yo-Yo Ma, Yefim Bronfman, Yuja Wang, Lang Lang, Dashon Burton, Renese King, Seong-Jin Cho, and Ravi Coltrane. Works by Carlos Simon, Gabriela Ortiz, Aleksandra Vrebalov, Adolphus Hailstork, Hannah Kendall, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and Chen Yi brought vital, new voices to Boston. Of note, over three weeks in January, the BSO performed all of the Beethoven symphonies. Other highlights included towering performances of Mahler's Symphony No. 8 Symphony of a Thousand, a rare performance of Korngold's opera Die Tote Stadt, Mozart's Requiem, a revisiting of Shostakovich's major concertos and symphonies, and a tribute to John Coltrane with…

   $84,109,344 spent$50,556,863 earned by the program
   80% of program spending

2. Education and community programs are integral to the BSO's mission. In Boston:Over 3,700 high school students attended one of the BSO's High School Open Rehearsals, where students from grades 9 - 12 got a singular look at professional music-making as they observed the orchestra, conductor, and guest artists prepare for the evening's performance. Conductor-cams allow students to study the subtle communications that occur between the conductor and musicians, providing additional insight into the art-making process. Classes traveled to Symphony Hall from across Boston, the metropolitan area, western MA, CT, and NH. For three days in March, Symphony Hall was filled with approximately 7,000 2nd - 8th grade students from 59 schools. Many were studying music and 20% were either English Language or Special Education classes. Classes that came early or could stay after, met a musician and learned about their instrument and their life as a professional. The Youth Concerts offered a musical illustration of the various tools that composers use to create a symphony. Conductor Thomas Wilkins used musical selections by Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Margaret Bonds, Carlos Simon, and Grieg to explore…

   $4,438,443 spent$488,120 earned by the program
   4% of program spending

3. The BSO's two main properties, Symphony Hall and Tanglewood, have long and significant histories and attract visitors from near and far. Symphony Hall's acoustic qualities have earned it a place among the top concert auditoriums in the world, a fact underscored by the Hall's 1999 designation as a National Historic Landmark. Symphony Hall resonates with more than a century of performances by key artists. It is also a key performance venue for a number of other ensembles and presenters, including the Handel and Haydn Society, the Celebrity Series of Boston, Boston Speakers Series, and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra. The Hall seats approximately 2,600. Located in the Berkshire hills of Lenox, Massachusetts and established in 1936 by the BSO's Music Director Serge Koussevitzky, Tanglewood is a world-renowned summer music festival. Its performance venues-Koussevitzky Music Shed, Seiji Ozawa Concert Hall, and Linde Center-and 80+ ancillary buildings are located on 425 pastoral acres. Built in 1938, the Koussevitzky Music Shed is an opened-sided hall with over 5,000 seats; just under 13,000 can be accommodated on the surrounding lawn. Opened in 1994, Seiji Ozawa Hall is a brick and…

   $16,111,055 spent$3,191,541 earned by the program
   15% of program spending

4. The BSO's music is shared with several hundred thousand through recordings, television, radio and online broadcasts. Every Saturday evening, Classical Radio Boston (a subsidiary of GBH public broadcasting) broadcasts a BSO concert. These concerts are available to stream via the GBH website for a month after they are aired. During Tanglewood, CRB-Classical and WAMC Northeast Public Radio broadcast BSO Friday and Saturday evening performances, and Sunday afternoon concerts reaching audiences across seven mid-Atlantic and New England states. Additionally, the BSO released numerous CDs this year including a 19-CD box set of its award-winning Shostakovich cycle under Music Director Andris Nelsons, as well as Ravel: The Piano Concertos with pianist Seong-Jin Cho, Shostakovich: The Cello Concertos with Yo-Yo Ma, Shostakovich: The Piano Concertos with Yuja Wang, and Messiaen's Turangalila Symphony with Yuja Wang.

   $0 spent$204,833 earned by the program
   0% of program spending

5. The BSO operated its Symphony Hall retail operations during concert days and its Tanglewood retail shops in summer 2025.

   $12,037 spent$15,583 earned by the program
   0% of program spending

The 5 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $104,670,879.