Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Review: Sheherazade and Sibelius at the Strathmore

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) performed “Sheherazade and Sibelius” at the Strathmore on Friday, November 6, 2026, according to a report from mariannemeyers.substack.com.

Before the concert began, BSO members participated in a “Meet the Orchestra” program featuring Acting Assistant Concertmaster Boram Kang. Kang, who has been with the orchestra for over 10 years, shared her journey from studying violin in Korea to training at Peabody Prep in Maryland.

Kang’s career path included studying with the concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony and holding her first professional position with the Colorado Symphony. After joining the BSO in the second violin section under conductor Marin Alsop, she eventually moved to the first violins and later to her current role as Assistant Concertmaster.

During the session, Kang noted that working with rotating concertmasters presents specific logistical challenges, such as how music is placed on stands or the timing of page turns. She observed that performing with various conductors serves to “up the game” of the orchestra.

Kang’s responsibilities also include the ability to step in for other instrumental parts in the event of an emergency, such as a broken instrument.

David robertson conducts the st louis symphony orchestra in ravels sheherazade with the mezzo

The concert opened with Grace-Evangeline Mason’s “Ablaze the Moon,” a work that premiered with the BBC orchestra in July 2023. Mason drew inspiration from the poetry of Sara Teasdale, using musical phrasing to mirror the movement of the verse.

This performance marked the BSO’s continued relationship with Mason, following their March 2026 performance of her commissioned work, “An Everywhere of Silver,” which was inspired by Emily Dickinson. Maestro Heyward noted that the BSO has performed three of Mason’s works during his tenure, establishing her as a regular presence on their programs.

The program then transitioned to Maurice Ravel’s “Sheherazade,” a work inspired by the poetry of Tristan Klingsor. Ravel was known for his exacting nature; he reportedly had Klingsor read his poems aloud repeatedly during the composition process to ensure the musical phrasing matched the spoken word.

The piece consists of three movements:

Asie: An eight-minute movement in the rare key of E-flat minor, serving as a musical travelogue.
La flute enchantee: A movement utilizing a smaller orchestral footprint, centered on a duet between the flute and mezzo-soprano.
L’indifferent: A final movement featuring the woodwinds and ending with an unresolved harmony.

Mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron performed the vocal requirements of the Ravel piece. The report noted that Fleur Barron has a lush voice that serves Ravel’s music and themes beautifully.

The second half of the program featured Jean Sibelius’s “Symphony No. "2 in D Major." The performance showed that the BSO's various sections have grown over the last two years.”

The evening concluded with an “Afterwards with Heyward” session, where the conductor engaged in open discussion with the audience. Maestro Heyward is personable and open, inquisitive and interested in what people have to say.

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