2025 Summer Stage
Alyssa Wang, conductor
Affordable. Accessible. Music designed for you!
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What does accessible mean to BFO? It means our concerts are interactive, educational, and designed for modern audiences. It means we have pay-what-you-can ticket prices that cater to your financial needs. It means you can show up just as you are! Our concerts welcome everyone, so be a part of our growing community and experience live orchestra like you never have before!
The Boston Festival Orchestra celebrates its fifth anniversary! Join the phenomnal musicians of the BFO for two sensational summer concerts in Jordan Hall that illuminate the significance of the fifth symphony in classical music. Beethoven and Tchaikovsky were among several monumental composers whose fifth symphonies shook the orchestra world and changed the landscape of music forever. Beethoven Symphony No. 5 and Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 are paired with visionary contemporary composers whose new works are directly inspired by these iconic symphonies.
BEETHOVEN 5
July 13, 2025 @ 3:00pm
New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall
SUNDAY
13
JULY
$50 - Premium (Reserve Your Own Seat)
$30 - General Admission (First Come, First Serve)
$10 - Student (Optional Reserve Your Own Seat)
With the most memorable opening figure of any composition in classical music, Beethoven’s pivotal Symphony No. 5 is a fitting start to the Boston Festival Orchestra’s fifth anniversary Summer Stage celebration! For centuries, composers have taken inspiration from Beethoven’s most unforgettable symphony, including Dorothy Chang, who wrote Skizzen in 2020 using the opening four notes of Beethoven’s fifth as the building blocks of her own innovative new work. The concerto in this program, Swept Away, was written by none other than BFO’s conductor Alyssa Wang, and will be performed by BFO’s Concertmaster Jae Cosmos Lee, marking a unique collaboration that showcases the artistic versatility of the Boston Festival Orchestra.
PROGRAM
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Dorothy Chang, Skizzen
Alyssa Wang, Concerto for Violin and Chamber Orchestra, "Swept Away" -
Jae Cosmos Lee, violin
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Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 5
TCHAIKOVSKY 5
August 3, 2025 @ 3:00pm
New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall
SUNDAY
3
AUGUST
$50 - Premium (Reserve Your Own Seat)
$30 - General Admission (First Come, First Serve)
$10 - Student (Optional Reserve Your Own Seat)
The grand finale of the Boston Festival Orchestra’s fifth anniversary season reveals the BFO’s most romantic side with Tchaikovsky’s lovestruck Symphony No. 5. This cherished symphony takes you on an emotional journey, from brooding introspection to triumphant resolution, all wrapped in lush, unforgettable melodies. Opening the program are two special contemporary works by Jessie Montgomery and Emma Lou Diemer that pay homage to Tchaikovsky and even quote several of his compositions. Join the BFO for this epic and unforgettable summer finale!
PROGRAM
Emma Lou Diemer, Homage to Tchaikovsky
Jessie Montgomery, Shift, Change, Turn
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 5
BFO MusicReach
The 2025 Summer Stage season joyously expands to include BFO MusicReach, our flagship initiative for education and community engagement, dedicated to enriching the lives of underserved children, teens, and families through a wide range of accessible programs such as music education workshops, free community events, and outreach initiatives. This summer, we're partnering with local nonprofits to bring the transformative power of music to those who need it most. Read more about BFO MusicReach HERE! Check back in to this page for updates on free public concert dates and locations and on-going partnerships!
Venue Information
Card to Culture
We are proud to participate in Mass Cultural Council's Card to Culture program in collaboration with the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Department of Public Health's WIC Nutrition Program, the Massachusetts Health Connector, and hundreds of organizations by making cultural programming accessible to those for whom cost is a participation barrier.
Community members participating in the EBT, WIC, or ConnectorCare programs can enjoy BFO events free of charge. Through the BFO's pay-what-you-can ticket model, patrons have the option to choose the price that's right for them, including the option to attend for free!
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See the complete list of participating organizations offering EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare discounts.