The Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall: What You Need to Know

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has a grand and beautiful home at The Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (often referred to simply as the Meyerhoff). Opened in 1982, at 1212 Cathedral Street in the Mount Vernon neighborhood, it’s named for Joseph Meyerhoff, a Ukrainian-born Baltimore businessman, philanthropist, and arts patron who served as president of the Baltimore Symphony from 1965 to 1983.

Structural Integrity

The Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall was built with modern style. The oval auditorium shapes the entire building and is one of the building’s most marked qualities.

The Meyerhoff’s next-door neighbor is the Cultural Center Station on the Baltimore Light Rail, and it’s also within walking distance of the State Center Station on the Baltimore Metro Subway, so it’s easily accessible for visitors and people staying nearby—like our very own Ellicott City.

The Orchestra

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is currently celebrating its Centennial Season. The international caliber music programming has amped up ever more this year, bringing incredible performers to The Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in astonishing arrangements.

Among the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s distinctions is its place in musical history: in September 2007, Maestra Marin Alsop led her inaugural concerts as the Orchestra’s 12th music director, making her the first woman to head a major American orchestra.

The Centennial Season

The orchestra’s Centennial Celebration Week took place in February, but other Centennial Season highlighted performers gracing the Meyerhoff stage are Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, André Watts, Leon Fleisher, Hilary Hahn, Joshua Bell, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and Music Director Emeritus Yuri Temirkanov

Plus, a new concert series, Pulse, mixes BSO classical ensembles and indie rock artists, produced in collaboration with 89.7 WTMD, continuing the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s visionary collaborative efforts.

Programs at The Meyerhoff

OrchKids is a celebrated community effort coming out of the Symphony and the Meyerhoff. BSO collaborates with several community partners and six Baltimore public schools to provide music education, instruments, academic instruction, meals, as well as performance and mentorship opportunities at no cost to students and families.

The Music Box Series is another perennial favorite, a program to introduce the wonder of music to infants and toddlers. Each Saturday morning half-hour concert features the musical talents of a small ensemble of BSO musicians performing classical and children’s songs to develop musicality, creativity, coordination and literacy.

Children and parents sit on the floor and close to the low stage in the Meyerhoff lobby, creating an inclusive, nonthreatening, highly interactive environment. Before the concerts begin, the lobby is filled with a musical and creative activities,

 

No matter which type of performance brings you to The Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, you can count on being wowed not just by the performance but also by the excellent venue. For more ideas on how to enjoy Baltimore and the surrounding areas, check out the Wayside Inn Blog. Our free area vacation guide is also a useful tool for planning your next Maryland getaway.