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Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Appoints The Honorable James T. Smith and Liddy Manson to its Board of Directors
Baltimore, Md. (February 15, 2011) – The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) announces two new
appointments to its board of directors: The Honorable James T. Smith, Jr., former County Executive of
Baltimore County, and Ms. Liddy Manson, President of Virginia‐based technology company BeClose.
Mr. Smith and Ms. Manson bring to the board diverse areas of experience and fresh business strategies that will contribute to the BSO’s cultural and financial successes as one of Maryland’s leading arts organizations.
About The Honorable James T. Smith, Jr. James T. Smith, Jr. brings to the board more than 30 years of experience in the political arena and has held numerous seats on the boards of Baltimore’s committees for the betterment of the city. Mr. Smith recently ended his tenure as the County Executive of Baltimore County, a position he held from 2002‐ 2010. Up until his appointment to the County Executive, he was an Associate Judge in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County since 1985. He spent two four‐year terms on the Baltimore City Council (1978‐ 1982 and 1982‐1985), during which he supported programs for the Gifted and Talented in Baltimore City Schools as well as the enhancement of Special Education programs. Since 2002, Mr. Smith has been a member of the Board of Directors for the Maryland Historical Society, the Walters Art Museum and the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore.
About Liddy Manson Liddy Manson is President of BeClose, an innovative technology company that provides home monitoring systems for people who are aging in place. Ms. Manson is a seasoned technology and interactive media executive with 20 years of experience working with premier technology and information brands. Before joining BeClose, she served as CEO of DigitalSports, a web service providing detailed information and coverage of high school sports throughout the country. Prior to DigitalSports, she served as the Chief Operating Officer of Freewebs Inc., a venture backed Internet company focused on user‐generated content and social publishing. Previously, Ms. Manson spent nine years at Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, the online subsidiary of The Washington Post Company and three years at The Discovery Channel. Ms. Mason has also earned a bachelor of music and remains an avid amateur musician.
About the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra The Grammy Award‐winning Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is internationally recognized as having achieved a preeminent place among the worldʹs most important orchestras. Acclaimed for its enduring pursuit of artistic excellence, the BSO has attracted a devoted national and international following while maintaining deep bonds throughout Maryland with innovative education and community outreach initiatives.
The BSO made musical history in September 2007, when Maestra Marin Alsop led her inaugural concerts as the Orchestra’s 12th music director, making her the first woman to head a major American orchestra. With her highly praised artistic vision, her dynamic musicianship and her commitment to accessibility in classical music, Maestra Alsop’s leadership has ushered in a new era for the BSO and its audiences.
Under Music Director Marin Alsop’s leadership, the BSO has rapidly added several critically acclaimed albums to its already impressive discography. The BSO recently released Dvořák’s Symphonies Nos. 6, 7 and 8, the final two discs in its three‐disc Dvořák cycle. In August 2009, the BSO and Marin Alsop released Bernstein’s Mass featuring baritone Jubilant Sykes, the Morgan State University Choir and the Peabody Children’s Chorus. The album rose to number six on the Classical Billboard Charts and received a 2009 Grammy nomination for Best Classical Album. The Orchestra made its foray into online distribution in April 2007 with the release of a live‐concert recording of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring on iTunes, which quickly become the site’s number one classical music download.
In addition to the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, where the orchestra has performed for 28 years, the BSO is a founding partner and the resident orchestra at the new state‐of‐the‐art Music Center at Strathmore, just outside Washington, D.C. With the opening of Strathmore in February 2005, the BSO became the nation’s only major orchestra with year‐round venues in two metropolitan areas.
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