8. Strings attached
Could the Boston Symphony Orchestra be the hardest-working, longest-lasting local band of all time?
Since 1881, the BSO has been playing gigs downtown, out at Tanglewood, and touring overseas. Everyone from Igor Stravinsky to John Cage has composed works especially for the orchestra, which plays some 250 concerts annually.
Symphony Hall, the group’s home base for more than a century, is a 2,600-seat architectural gem still considered among the acoustically finest concert halls in the world. The dead of winter is a fine time to have your ears warmed by this local treasure. The Symphony Café offers live music and buffet meals before most concerts. The Bolero and Repartee subscription programs include receptions especially for students and young professionals. So get your tickets (hint: rehearsals are cheaper), break out your best duds, and be prepared to be snowed under with classic rock — classic Rachmaninoff, that is.
Boston Symphony Orchestra, 301 Massachusetts Ave., 888-266-1200, bso.org