The Brooklyn Philharmonic is one of the most innovative and respected symphony orchestras of modern times. It is well known for its community outreach and children's concerts, innovative "Meet the Moderns," and its famous and unparalleled "Marathon" programs. While it can trace its roots back to the 19th century, the modern Brooklyn Philharmonic had its start in 1954. In How Music Grew in Brooklyn, author Maurice Edwards provides a fascinating, personal, and comprehensive history of this great institution. While this "biography" centers on the Brooklyn Philharmonic, it also encompasses the greater subject of the vibrant world of music and culture in New York during the second half of the 20th century and the opening decade of the 21st. Edwards begins with a look at the orchestra's 19th-century forerunner and traces the current orchestra's beginnings under its founder and first music director Siegfried Landau. The eras of succeeding music directors Lukas Foss, Dennis Russell Davies, and Robert Spano are examined in detail, as is the evolution of the Brooklyn Philharmonic into the official house orchestra of the equally innovative and influential Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). More than two dozen historical photographs and illustrations are included and an 80-page appendix provides a detailed listing of the orchestra's extraordinary programs, including the famous Marathons.
