Oregon Symphony Competitors

The Boston Symphony Orchestra gave its inaugural concert in 1881, realizing the dream of its founder, the Civil War veteran/businessman/philanthropist Henry Lee Higginson, who envisioned a great and permanent orchestra in his hometown of Boston. Today the BSO and Boston Pops reach millions of listeners through not only their concert performances in Boston and at Tanglewood, but also via digital programs on BSO NOW, radio, television, educational programs, recordings, and tours.

For over 100 years, the LA Phil has embodied the spirit of Los Angeles. Guided by our commitment to innovation, excellence, and access, the LA Phil operates four major venues: Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, The Ford, and the Beckmen YOLA Center in Inglewood. At our core is our orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, whose brilliant performances and dedication to the future of music led The New Yorker’s Alex Ross to declare it “so far ahead of other American orchestras that it is in competition mainly with its own past achievements.” We bring the same principles to YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles), our music learning program which has provided instruments, education, and opportunities to thousands of students and families in LA. On stage, off stage, and in the community, the LA Phil’s work reflects the incredible array of music and cultures that have shaped Los Angeles, and the power of music to inspire and connect people.

The Seattle Symphony is one of America's leading symphony orchestras and is internationally acclaimed for its innovative programming and extensive recording history. The Symphony is heard from September through July by more than 500,000 people through live performances and radio broadcasts. It performs in one of the finest modern concert halls in the world — the acoustically superb Benaroya Hall — in downtown Seattle. Its extensive education and community engagement programs reach over 65,000 children and adults each year. The Seattle Symphony has a deep commitment to new music, commissioning many works by living composers each season. The orchestra has made nearly 150 recordings and has received three Grammy Awards, 23 Grammy nominations, two Emmy Awards and numerous other accolades. In 2014 the Symphony launched its in-house recording label, Seattle Symphony Media.