Baltimore Symphony Performs Musical Score to Hitchcock's Psycho

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Full-length film noir classic shown above orchestra with original voice track

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will perform the musical score to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho on Thursday, July 9 at 8:00 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore and Friday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Guest conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos will lead the BSO in the musical score, while the full-length film is projected above the orchestra on a movie screen with the original voice track. Famous for its screeching, piercing violins, Bernard Herrmann’s score is an essential part of this film noir classic.

One of the most iconic films produced in the 1960s, Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), revolutionized the horror genre by giving equal weight to the score, cinematography and plot. The plot focuses on Marion, who just stole money from her employer to embark on a new life with her lover. After driving for hours, she gets caught in a storm and checks into The Bates Motel. Norman, the motel manager, is a quiet young man, dominated by his mother and curious about this beautiful young guest. The combination of the frightening music, twisted plotline and realistic film quality, caused several people to leave the theatre when the film first premiered.

Constantine Kitsopoulos, conductor
Constantine Kitsopoulos is in his third season as music director of the Queens Symphony Orchestra and continues as general director of Chatham Opera, which he founded in 2005. This season, he debuted with the New York Pops, Colorado Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, Elgin Symphony and Westchester Philharmonic.

Orchestral highlights of previous seasons include conducting appearances with the Annapolis Symphony, Blossom Festival Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, Lubbock Symphony, Madison Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, New York Virtuosi Chamber Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Brooklyn Philharmonic and a complete performance of Stravinsky’s L’histoire du Soldat with members of The Philadelphia Orchestra.

This past season, Mr. Kitsopoulos was conductor and musical director of the Tony-nominated musical A Catered Affair. In 2007, he conducted the Tony-nominated musical Coram Boy and the American Conservatory Theatre's production of Kurt Weill's Happy End, for which he recorded the cast album. Other musical theater highlights include serving as music director and principal conductor of Baz Luhrmann’s highly acclaimed production of Puccini’s La Bohème, conducting the new musical Mambo Kings in San Francisco in 2005, serving as music director of Frank Wildhorn’s Dracula and Les Misérables in 2001-2002 and conducting Matthew Bourne’s Broadway production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.

COMPLETE PROGRAM INFORMATION:
Summer Nights: Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho
Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.— Music Center at Strathmore
Friday, July 10, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. – Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

PLEASE NOTE EARLIER START TIME FOR FRIDAY PERFORMANCE IN BALTIMORE.

Constantine Kitsopoulos, conductor
Bernard Herrmann: Psycho

Tickets at the Meyerhoff range from $25 to $55 and at Strathmore from $35 to $55. Tickets are available through the BSO Ticket Office, 877.BSO.1444, 410.783.8000 or BSOmusic.org.

BSO’s Psycho Scream Competition at American Visionary Art Museum’s “Flicks on the Hill”: Patrons will have the chance to win tickets to this concert by attending the American Visionary Arts Museum’s first “Flicks on the Hill” film of the summer, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Thursday, July 2nd at 9:00 p.m. Prior to the movie, three lucky audience members will be selected to recreate the famous Pscyho shower scene by giving their best blood-curdling scream. The winner will receive tickets to see the BSO’s Pyscho performance. (“Flicks on the Hill” is the free, outdoor movie series offered by AVAM. For details, visit: www.AVAM.org.)

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