Our Mission
Born from the passionate minds of young Boston musicians, Phoenix was founded with the explicit mission of revitalizing the presentation of orchestral music for modern audiences. Beneath all of our efforts is an inherent belief that the modern audience can and will love events taking place in exciting and inviting atmospheres. Our goals are simple: take a critical look at every facet of a performance and make every effort to create a more engaging concert-going experience. These changes are meant not only to expand the reach of classical music to a broader audience, but to reinvigorate the orchestral concert scene as a whole.
To find out more about our concert format click on any topic below!
+ Presentation
At Phoenix we believe that the number one thing standing between new audiences and loving classical music is the context it’s usually presented in.
- Gone are the formal uniforms of the traditional concert hall - we perform in less formal attire that reflects the casual and exciting atmosphere of a Phoenix concert.
- We’ve also completely changed the way we communicate to you about our music. The format of our program notes doesn’t rely on music theory and history, instead we will simply let you know why the music we perform is special to us. Our program notes are always written by members of Phoenix to provide a personal point of view.
- The music we play has a vivid color palette and we try to reflect that range in our visual presentation. We use lighting effects and choreography to highlight different aspects of the music. Our aim is to do everything we can to help you listen closer to the music.
+ Atmosphere
We want our audience to be relaxed when they attend Phoenix events and believe that a casual atmosphere only enhances what we have to offer.
- Drinks are available at all of our concerts, as well as food whenever possible. Refreshments were an important part of the concert experience for years and we think it’s time to bring them back.
- Phoenix actively encourages audiences to express their excitement during our performances. Feel free to holler, whistle, clap, or cheer if it strikes you in the middle a piece.
- At Phoenix events we’ll ask you to keep your phones on silent as to not interfere with the listening experience of other patrons, but we’ll never ask you to turn them off. If you do reach for your phone during a performance we think it’ll be to text or tweet about the awesome experience you’re having.
+ Interaction
The musicians of Phoenix are excited to get to know you, just as we want you to get to know us.
- In addition to being active on social media, we love talking to our audience at concerts. A musician will greet you at the door every time you come to a Phoenix event. Some will even have their instruments with them. If you have any questions about the ensemble, the program, or just music in general, please don’t hesitate to ask!
- We’re all passionate about the music we’re playing and we want you to know why. In addition to our program notes, we’ll talk to you a little bit before each piece about what makes each piece special to us.
+ Repertoire and Programming
We play amazing music written for orchestra, it's really as simple as that. Beethoven, Gershwin, and Queen all wrote great music. Don’t be surprised to find a Radiohead transcription next to a Brahms symphony. There’s a lot of great music out there and we play it all.
+ Venues
Phoenix events require a more adaptable setup than most traditional concert halls. You’ll find us in black box theaters, museum wings, and nightclubs.