Classical music
In keeping with its reputation as the intellectual capital of the country, Boston (and all of New England) maintains its reputation as the classicist centre of the United States. An image built between the late 19th and early 20th centuries during the heyday of the "Boston School" (also known as the "Second New England School"). This group of American composers from New England (grouped around the city of Boston) helped lay a new foundation for classical music in the United States and made the city an important center of the genre in the country. Among them were John Knowles Paine (1839-1906), the first native American to become famous for symphonic compositions, and Henry Franklin Belknap Gilbert (1868-1928), a violinist and composer who believed that the renewal of the nation's scholarly music should draw on indigenous sources such as Black American music, Creole music, and American Indian music. A dynasty of classical music later perpetuated by great names such as Leonard Bernstein, the famous author of West Side Story
(and a native of Lawrence, Massachusetts) or Charles Ives, a Connecticut native famous for his work that was both avant-garde and borrowed from popular music. . An eminent member of the "Big Five" - a term that designates the five great symphony orchestras of the United States recognized worldwide for their excellence: Chicago, New York, Cleveland, Philadelphia (and thus Boston) - the institution has multiplied the number of prestigious directors since its creation (in 1900), including Seiji Ozawa (between 1973 and 2002) or the fabulous Latvian Andris Nelsons since 2014. Note that two Frenchmen conducted the orchestra at the beginning of the 20th century: Henri Rabaud between 1918 and 1919 and Pierre Monteux from 1919 to 1924. One of the most popular summer events for music lovers is the Tanglewood Festival. An appointment where one can attend performances of the BSO on the lawns of the town of Lenox (Massachusetts) for several weeks. 5,000 seats and acres of greenery, to listen to jazz and classical music concerts in complete tranquility.Folk
Because of its long maritime tradition, Massachusetts maintains a legacy of songs from the sea shanties
, the sailors' songs imported from England. An ancestral love for song that has undoubtedly led the region to participate in the revival of folk music via artists such as Joan Baez (who began her career in Cambridge), James Taylor (a Boston native) who sold 100 million albums, Paul Clayton (from New Bedford) who became during his career a figure of Greenwich Village in New York and a mentor to Bob Dylan or Bonnie Raitt, a disciple of John Lee Hooker. With such a full and dynamic scene, cities like Newport, RI became epicentres of folk in the country by the end of the 1950s. Mythical festivals such as the Newport Folk Festival are still held there and continue to host legends (Johnny Cash or Bob Dylan have played there in the past). Not far from here, in Lowell, Massachusetts, there is also the Lowell Folk Festival, probably the largest (free) folk festival in the country.Rock music
Another great local specialty, rock is a cherished New England discipline. It includes the band Boston, as well as the famous The Breeders who set the Boston underground scene ablaze in the late 1980s, Aerosmith, which is no longer presented and was ranked among the hundred greatest artists of all time by Rolling Stone
magazine. Also worthy of mention is the alternative rock group the Pixies, formed in 1986 in Boston, which produced worldwide hits, or Dick Dale, originally from Quincy, Massachusetts, who helped to popularize surf rock. If the region is particularly known for its punk rock scene, one group has become emblematic of Boston: The Dropkick Murphys. Combining the Celtic origins of their city with a frank punk necklace, the band has acquired a notoriety that goes beyond the borders of punk and multiplies prestigious fans like Martin Scorsese. Anyone who loves rock should check out the Paradise Rock Club's programming. Resolutely rock, the place can boast of having hosted a few big names in the genre since its creation in 1977, and continues to see the cream of the local scene. A bit more eclectic, The Sinclair in Cambridge also offers a great place for rock.Jazz
Boston has never had a jazz scene comparable to that of New Orleans or Chicago, but the city and its region love the genre and some of its great artists come from here. For example, pianist Chick Corea, a native of Chelsea, Massachusetts. Less famous, the region also saw the birth of Irene Higginbotham (1918-1988), pianist close to Billie Holiday, the multi-instrumentalist Jaki Byard (1922-1999) renowned for the breadth of his stylistic spectrum, Bill Dixon (1925-2010), seminal trumpeter in free jazz, Harry Carney, saxophone prodigy who was one of the first to use the "continuous breath", Paul Gonsalves and Johnny Hodges (1907-1970) saxophonists companions of Duke Ellington (1920-1974), singer Nnenna Freelon, pianist Ran Blake, famous for the darkness of his jazz, or drummer Terri Lyne, Herbie Hancock's faithful follower.
Every summer, all the region's jazz lovers gather at the renowned Newport Jazz Festival, never stingy at the top of the bill. Less prestigious, but just as enjoyable (if not more), the Discover Jazz Festival in Burlington offers ten days of jazz concerts on the shores of Lake Champlain in Vermont. As for clubs, Boston is not without its clubs, with addresses like Wally's, a mythical jazz bar founded in 1947 with an intimate (and often crowded) room, or the Regattabar Jazz Club, one of the best places to listen to jazz in Boston, and, according to some, throughout New England!The dance
It'simpossible to talk about dance in New England without talking about the Boston Ballet. Founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams and Sydney Leonard, the Boston Ballet's national and international reputation exploded under the direction of Frenchwoman Violette Verdy between 1980 and 1984 (a great lady of dance, famous for helping to spread the Balanchine Method throughout the world), Bruce Marks (1985-1997) and then Anna-Marie Holmes (1997-2000). Its current artistic director, the Finn Mikko Nissinen, maintains the company at its level of excellence and perpetuates the institution's artistic line combining classical repertoire (such as Sleeping Beauty by Marius Petipa) and contemporary creations (including those of the great William Forsythe). A very good balance and a state of mind regularly acclaimed by critics. One of the most beautiful institutions in the country and an inratable for dance lovers.
