On November 2, the BPYO took over Symphony Hall for a free sold-out concert. So sold out, in fact, that we had to turn away hundreds of people! Following this tremendous success, members of the audience wrote white sheets to reflect on the evening. We'd like to share a few of them with you now. Enjoy!

Michael Zildjian:

I was privileged to finally see a BPYO concert in person on November 2nd. Those kids are truly amazing. Every piece was just exquisite but I especially liked the way you jumped right into the Glinka Overture. What a rush! It was also great to see that beautiful Zildjian gong on the stage and know that I had a small part in helping getting cymbals donated to such a worthy cause. :)

As amazing as the performance was, it paled in comparison to what I read in the program about your Future Leaders initiative.  I am just blown away by these kids as well as your deep commitment to them. It’s such a beautiful gift. Bravo!!!  

Emily Teller:

It was fantastic to hear the BPYO perform!!! I don't like Symphony Hall, but we "snatched" seats in the first balcony up front, so we could see everything - including Ben's face. :) I loved seeing a female percussionist (!!) and those french horn players and reed players especially were fantastic. The idea to move the intermission to after La Mer was perfect, too - the second half would have been too long to listen intently to. I brought a friend who has a hearing aid, and it was mostly fine for her, surprisingly. The fact that this was FREE was also mind-blowing - and hooray for the group that sponsored it! LOTS of young people in the audience was a great sign that classical music is appealing, and Ben's comments and programming are always extraordinaire!! Passionate music making engenders passionate listening and appreciation!! Keep up the glorious and eternal work. Thank you for being so persistent to encourage and obtain this "white sheet" feedback from audience members!!! 

Liesl Trimnell:

Thank you for putting on this free concert! It was a wonderful first experience with live classical music for my two sons, aged 8 and 11. Thrilling to be in a packed hall with such wonderful talent to show some truly legendary works. And it goes without saying that Benjamin Zander is a gift to the music world.

Jeannie Lee:

I had been listening to bits and pieces of the rehearsals at pick-up (our son is in the orchestra) and I knew ahead of time how good this orchestra was going to be on Monday night. Still, your performance exceeded expectations. James and I brought 30 colleagues from work and what a wonderful evening we had! We were impressed by Maestro Zander's beautiful interpretation, the energy of the young players, and the connection that your orchestra made with the audience. BPYO is as good as any professional orchestra. The winds are superb, the strings are outstanding. We will be back for the next performance!

Nikolaos Psychogios:

The overall experience was wonderful! Zander directed superbly a powerful and tireless orchestra. I think that the youth infused their passion to Zander and the final outcome was a fabulous performance. I particularly enjoyed Tchaikovsky's 5th symphony. It was my first for Debussy's "La Mer"; such a colorful acoustic ensemble that truly gives you the impression of all moods of the ocean.

Karen Rosen: 

The crowd was overwhelming, the anticipation was so high. I noticed so many new faces and was so happy that they would experience what many of us already knew, and that is that this would be an experience that we would never forget! Maestro Zander's brilliant decision to jump right into the Overture ignited the room. The Stravinsky piece soared, as did the soloist. La Mer was ethereal, a gem. It was played so beautifully that emotions ran away with me. Ending with Tchaikowsky was perfect, and the performances by each and every one of the musicians left us all in awe. I watched with excitement, the looks on the parents' faces seated next to me, because their son is a new member of the orchestra. Mine has grown with the orchestra since its inception. Sharing their pride and happiness was like looking in a mirror. Thank you, BPYO, for always upping the ante, and never disappointing.

Jeffrey Powers: 

I invited a friend who I hadn't seen for awhile and we both enjoyed the concert very much. When leaving, my friend remarked: "that was the best classical music performance I've ever experienced." I agree totally with him.

Robert Cuddy: 

The excitement started long before the show as the line was around the corner and up Huntington Avenue. We were lucky enough to get three seats in the third row. We thought that the up front perspective would be a good way to introduce our ten year old to her first concert by a symphony orchestra. She got to see the broken string on the cellists bow and pick out her favourite player who was obviously loving her performance. Faye, our daughter, connected and got to see that cellist as an individual which could easily be her if she happened to choose that route. Personally I loved the start of the first piece, the overture. The conductor had no sooner reached his position but the music was on! Flat out! The hounds were loose! No mucking about. Thanks for the show. It was great to be in symphony hall again.

Patricia Hal: 

Though I'm quite fond of classical music, it was my first time attending a classical concert, and at Symphony Hall to say the least! It was such an unbelievably moving, wonderful and unforgettable experience! I felt so overwhelmingly happy and proud of these young students for their ability to convey such emotion through music! And the Tchaikivsky!!! So incredibly beautiful! I was in awe. These students and their conductor are extraordinary. Please keep up the good work, and continue to change our lives through music!