Founded by harpsichordist and conductor Martin Pearlman, Boston Baroque is North America’s oldest orchestra and chorus dedicated to performing Baroque music. The group uses period instruments and is one of the leaders in the authentic performance movement, serving as the resident professional ensemble for the Historical Performance Program at Boston University. ...more...

The Boston Civic Symphony (BCS) began in 1924, making it among the oldest orchestral ensembles in the city, second only to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The Civic Symphony complements its output of works by masters like Beethoven, Mahler and Sibelius with contemporary American compositions. With very affordable prices, BCS concerts are an excellent alternative to the decidedly more expensive prices of Boston’s oldest orchestra. ...more...

As its name suggests, this chamber ensemble of more than 30 years dedicates itself primarily to compositions from the Classical period, the 18th and 19th century subset of “classical music” dominated by the likes of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. The Boston Classical Orchestra’s (BCO) programs also feature Romantic composers such as Brahms, Mendelssohn, and Tchaikovsky, and sometimes include contemporary composers as well. ...more...

Led by founder-conductor Charles Ansbacher since 2001, the Boston Landmarks Orchestra has put on free classical music concerts each summer at myriad venues throughout Boston and its surrounding communities, as well as in the cities of Cambridge and Quincy. While the orchestra’s programs routinely feature the works of populist powerhouses like Beethoven and Gershwin, perhaps the ensemble’s most distinctive contribution to the classical music repertory is its annual commission of …more…

If experiencing newly commissioned orchestral works from contemporary composers is your bag, look no further than the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Now in its 14th year of existence, the Gil Rose-directed outfit has carved an impressive niche, having performed over 70 world premieres (thirty of them commissioned) and started its own record label BMOP/sound.

While providing audiences with opportunities to become acquainted with the works of rising contemporary composers like Thomas Adès, …more…

The Boston Pops is a holiday staple, known not only in Boston but all over the world for its programming of light classical and popular favorites. It’s particularly well-known for holiday concerts, performing numerous shows during the Christmas season and a large concert on the Esplanade for the 4th of July celebration. ...more...

The first BSO performance took place in the Old Boston Music Hall, under the baton of Georg Henschel, more than 100 years ago. In 1900 the orchestra moved to Symphony Hall, where it still performs today and is the largest (based on budget) professional orchestra in the United States.

Since 2001, Maestro James Levine has led the BSO as its music director. His programs include a wide range of classical, opera, …more…