The Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) is a full professional orchestra in Boston, Massachusetts, and is widely recognized as the premiere orchestra in the United States dedicated exclusively to commissioning, performing, and recording new music of the 20th and 21st centuries. Founded in 1996 by Artistic Director Gil Rose, BMOP's mission is to illuminate the connections that exist naturally between contemporary music and contemporary society by reuniting composers and audiences in a shared concert experience. In its first twelve seasons alone, BMOP programmed over 80 concerts of contemporary orchestral music; commissioned more than 20 works and presented over 70 world premieres; released 20 CDs; produced the inaugural Ditson Festival of Contemporary Music with the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston; and collaborated with Opera Boston to produce staged performances of contemporary operas including the Opera Unlimited festival of contemporary chamber opera.
In addition to its regular season at Boston's Jordan Hall, the orchestra has performed in major venues on both the East and West Coasts and collaborated with internationally based artists and organizations. A perennial winner of the ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming of Orchestral Music and recipient of the prestigious John S. Edwards Award for Strongest Commitment to New American Music, BMOP has appeared at Tanglewood, the Festival of New American Music (Sacramento, CA), and Music on the Edge (Pittsburgh, PA).
In 2008, BMOP launched its signature record label, BMOP/sound, with John Harbison’s ballet "Ulysses". Its composer-centric releases focus on orchestral works that are otherwise unavailable in recorded form. The response to the label was immediate and celebratory; its five inaugural releases appeared on the "Best of 2008" lists of The New York Times, The Boston Globe, National Public Radio, Time Out New York, Down Beat magazine, and American Record Guide, among others. BMOP/sound has received two Grammy award nominations: in 2009 for its recording of Charles Fussell’s "Wilde" symphony for baritone and orchestra (Sanford Sylvan Best Classical Vocal Performance), and in 2010 for its recording of Derek Bermel's "Voices" for solo clarinet and orchestra (Best Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra). The New York Times proclaimed, “BMOP/sound is an example of everything done right." Additional BMOP recordings are available from Albany, Arsis, Cantaloupe, Centaur, Chandos, ECM, Innova, Naxos, New World, and Oxingale.
Composers are at the core of BMOP's mission, and BMOP has hosted a Composer in Residence each season since 2000. In recognition of the importance of this position, Meet the Composer and the League of American Orchestras awarded BMOP one of six three-year Music Alive grants for a collaboration with composer Lisa Bielawa.
Dedicated to discovering and advocating for the next generation of composers and audiences, BMOP is committed to encouraging and extending the new music community. Beyond the concert hall, BMOP hosts Club Concerts to bring "the music formerly known as classical" to downtown venues, and its in-depth outreach programs provide mentors and workshops for teenage composers in underserved communities.
BMOP's greatest strength is the artistic distinction of its musicians and performances. Each season, Gil Rose gathers an orchestra of dynamic and talented young performers, and presents some of the world's top vocal and instrumental soloists. The New York Times says: "Mr. Rose and his team filled the music with rich, decisive ensemble colors and magnificent solos. These musicians were rapturous - superb instrumentalists at work and play."
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