History
The idea of a new home for the Orchestra was first raised in 1969 by then conductor Sergiu Comissiona and executive director Joseph Leavitt. The orchestra's home at the time was the Lyric Opera House and frequent scheduling conflicts forced the musicians to rehearse in school gymnasiums and prepare for concerts in in dark and cramped backstage areas of the Opera House. Major funding for construction came from a donation by Meyerhoff and grants from the State of Maryland and City of Baltimore.
At the opening concert, Comissiona led the Orchestra in a world premiere performance of Housewarming by Morton Gould which was commissioned for the occasion. Other works on the program included Symphonic Variations by César Franck featuring pianist Leon Fleisher and Ein Heldenleben by Richard Strauss
Read more about this topic: Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
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