Boston Symphony Orchestra

The BSO was founded in 1881 by Henry Lee Higginson. Its first conductor was George Henschel, a close friend of Johannes Brahms. For the orchestra, Henschel devised innovative orchestral seating charts and sent them to Brahms, who replied approvingly.

The orchestra's four subsequent music directors were all trained in Austria, including the seminal and highly influential conductor Arthur Nikisch.

During World War I, conductor Karl Muck (born in Germany but a Swiss citizen since childhood), was arrested, shortly before a performance in 1918, and interned in a prison camp without trial or charge until the end of the war, when he was deported. He vowed never to return, and conducted thereafter only in Europe.

The orchestra's reputation increased during the music directorship of Serge Koussevitzky. One million radio listeners tuned in when Koussevitzky and the orchestra were the first to perform a live concert for radio broadcast, which they did on NBC in 1926. Under Koussevitzky, the orchestra gave regular radio broadcasts and established its summer home at Tanglewood, where Koussevitzky founded the Berkshire Music Center. Koussevitzky also commissioned many new pieces from prominent composers, including the Symphony No. 4 of Sergei Prokofiev, George Gershwin's Second Rhapsody and the Symphony of Psalms by Igor Stravinsky.

In 1952, Charles Munch appointed the first woman to hold a principal chair in a major U. S. orchestra, flutist Doriot Anthony Dwyer, who remained as BSO principal for 38 years.

Seiji Ozawa became Music Director in 1973 and held the post until 2002, the longest tenure of any Boston Symphony conductor. Ozawa's tenure involved significant dissension and controversy with several resignations of musicians. A more basic concern involved perceived shortcomings in Ozawa's musical leadership. Various current music critics describe a decline in the orchestra's playing during Ozawa's tenure. On June 22, 1999, the symphony announced Ozawa's departure as music director, as of 2002.

In 2004, James Levine became the first American-born music director of the BSO. Levine received critical praise for revitalizing the quality and repertoire since the beginning of his tenure, including championing contemporary composers.

In the wake of Levine's resignation, Andris Nelsons made his first guest-conducting appearance with the BSO in March 2011, as an emergency substitute for Levine at Carnegie Hall. In May 2013, the BSO named Nelsons as its 15th music director. Wikipedia