Baltimore Symphony Orchestra — Attraction in Baltimore

I love having such a wonderful orchestra so close to home. I have been here for numerous performances over the years and have been impressed and truly entertained every single time.

I was most impressed the night they did Beethoven's 5th Symphony. I didn't know the treat we were in for, but they had a world renowned violinist come in for the first half to play for us. Augustin Hadelich was extraordinary! For a man of that caliber of talent to perform at my local symphony hall was beyond anything I ever thought I would witness in person.

I have been there for a number of the movies they show with the orchestra performing the score and it's been so entertaining every time. My personal favorite was Jurassic Park! If they did that same movie every single year, I would pay to see it every time because that score is so epic, only a full orchestra can truly do it justice.

I recently saw a Beatles Symphonic Experience there and that was such a blast! I will also get to see a fusion of Coldplay with Beethoven in March. I love how they're creating ways to reach out to a younger generation through more modern music, but finding the balance of introducing them to classical sounds as well.

Highly recommend parking in one of the two garages they utilize, as well. The cost is less expensive if you buy your parking pass at the same time as your tickets as opposed to when you arrive there that night. I also recommend intending to arrive 30 minutes before showtime. Between traffic in the city, accidents, parking and finding your seats, you'll want to have plenty of time to ensure you don't miss one second of the show.

Prices are always beyond reasonable, in my opinion. I usually spend $35-45 each ticket depending on the seat and the show. Parking passes are $12 when purchased with your tickets and $15 at the gate. And I also found out recently that they have offers available for getting children in for free with adult purchases, but they recommend calling the box office for that. So a great place for a family outing. You won't be...

The BSO plays with such elegance and precision, one leaves it's concerts wondering how those people did what they did.

And the Meyerhoff, albeit a venue that feels stuck in an earlier, less sophisticated and worldly era, is a hall that compliments the silvery sheen and exactness of the band.

I like to sit up in the rafters, on the Terrace Level, near the back. To my ear, the hall pulls the sound up there in a perfectly balanced form, furthering the transparency of sound the band plays with naturally.

And there is no "star" section of the orchestra. All five string sections play with brilliance, producing a sound that breathes and comes at the listener as if being produced by a large quintet of single players. And every other member of the orchestra is equal to meeting that same standard.

The BSO is an orchestra every conductor should be working to lead; because the instrument it is is one of the finest available to the public today. If in B'more, one should make it a point to hear the band in the Meyerhoff. And if one has the means and time for "arts" travel, I highly recommend one's considering Charm City for a visit. The BSO, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Walters, the American Visionary Art Museum, and the amazing food scene in the city, and, of course, the blue crab in season all recommend B'more to connoisseurs for a visit.

And B'more is still relatively...

This is not about the quality of the orchestra. It is world-class and it showed when I saw them this past Saturday. The problem is with the customer experience.

The first problem is with what appears to be one single parking garage assigned when you pre-buy tickets. We got into the area 25 minutes before the performance, and it took us 20 minutes to get into the garage and park, and we had to run to our seats to make the start time. Leaving, we waited in the garage for another 25 minutes.

The second problem is, during the performance, ushers are positioned outside the doors, but not inside (like on Broadway, for instance), so they can't watch for cellphone use or other bad behavior (which seems to be increasing at live experiences like these). I, unfortunately, was near a middle aged man and his companion who were gleefully unwrapping candies throughout the performance (he smiled every time someone looked and made a face), and there was no one to help unless we got up and went outside. It took me out of the performance several times, making it difficult to enjoy.

We come from Montgomery County to support Baltimore restaurants and the BSO--one hour each way. We will come less frequently if parking takes an additional hour and we aren't assured staff is keeping an eye on the attendees who might be ruining a performance for those...