1. Brief History of the Boston
Symphony Orchestra
By Douglas Reeves

2. Introduction
• For nearly 135 years, the Boston Symphony
Orchestra (BSO) has served as one of the country's
foremost musical institutions, with critics often
placing it in the top echelon of orchestras both in the
United States and around the world. Its first
conductor, who led the orchestra as it got its start in
the 1880s, was George Henschel, who famously
scheduled a prodigious number of concerts before
turning the baton over to his predecessors. At the
turn of the century, the BSO moved to Symphony
Hall, and by 1915, under the leadership of Karl
Muck, the orchestra began to share its gifts with the
world.

3. Boston Symphony Orchestra
• Muck, who is considered a legend among music
historians, led the BSO in its first transcontinental tour,
including a concert series at San Francisco's Panama-
Pacific International Exposition, and its first forays into
music recording. Later, Charles Munch headed the
orchestra in the 1950s, when the BSO became the first
American orchestra to play in the Soviet Union. In the
1970s, conductor Seiji Ozawa brought the BSO to
mainland China for a similarly historic concert series.
The BSO, which is now in its 134th season, draws
millions of listeners annually through every medium and
its summer Tanglewood season, as well as other
associated projects..