Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Heading Across The Pond For Landmark International Tour
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is about to embark on its first international tour in 13 years. The trip will take the musicians to Ireland and the United Kingdom.
"We're really excited about going to the United Kingdom. It's such a thrill for us. This tour came about by an invitation, first by the Edinburgh Festival. The director of the festival came to Baltimore and happened to be coming through and came to hear the orchestra and said, 'Wow, this is an amazing orchestra, we have to have the Baltimore Symphony in Edinburgh,'" said Marin Alsop, music director of the BSO. "Then the BBC Proms in London said we want them too and then Dublin said, 'You have to come here, too' and that's how it happened."
It will not be an easy trip. Tons of equipment will have to be packed up and loaded onto a plane.
"I play the double bass and we have to get flight trunks which are about 10 feet tall and weigh over 100 pounds. We have to pack it with foam and make sure our instruments are safe," said Timothy Dilenschneider, a double bass player with the BSO. "Whereas when you're traveling inside the U.S., you can send a truck to New York City or down to Florida. Flying by plane and renting out a cargo jet in order to ship all the instruments and all the music is much more of a task."
This is the BSO's first international tour in more than a dozen years and the orchestra will be away for nine days.
"The most obvious reason is that it's very expensive and labor heavy. The cost just never really worked out, but with this incredible invitation and the community's and corporate support that we've gotten and also tremendous support from the state, with everybody chipping in we were able to make this happen," Alsop said.
"This is an extraordinary moment in the history of our great orchestra," said BSO President and CEO Peter Kjome.
The BSO is scheduled to leave on its nine-day tour next Tuesday.
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