Boston Conservatory Orchestra to Present Center Stage Concert at Symphony Hall

On April 16, the Boston Conservatory Orchestra will perform a Center Stage concert at Boston’s world-renowned Symphony Hall at 2:00 p.m. The program will include works by Adolphus Hailstork, Quinn Mason, and Bill Banfield, Berklee professor emeritus of Africana Studies. The concert will also feature two world premieres, including one by Boston Conservatory at Berklee alum Stefan Thompson (M.M. '21, composition). The event will feature a chorus of Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Berklee College of Music performers, with Berklee College of Music Assistant Chair of Voice Philip Lima as soloist. The orchestra will be conducted by Bruce Hangen, professor of Orchestral Studies for Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

The performance will celebrate Hailstork’s upcoming 81st birthday by offering a major sampling of his music, including the New England premiere of the choral work Crispus Attucks, based on Boston events amid the Boston Massacre that led to the American Revolution, and the world premiere of Answering the Call.

“It is an exciting achievement to bring these important and powerful works to Symphony Hall with the Boston Conservatory Orchestra,” said Matthew Marsit, chair of Instrumental Studies for Boston Conservatory at Berklee. “This concert will be a testament to the tremendous work of Black composers and their impact on the classical music world, both today and into the future.” 

This Center Stage performance by the Boston Conservatory Orchestra will be presented at Symphony Hall, located at 301 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, on Saturday, April 16 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets for the general public begin at $17; current Berklee students, faculty, or staff members may receive two free tickets with a Berklee ID. Berklee alumni, senior citizens (55+), students, and WGBH members are eligible for $5 off their ticket. Learn more and purchase tickets here.