The orchestra – a collective of instrumentalists often led by a conductor – has been a steadfast participant in the Western musical scene for Centuries. Nowadays many of our orchestras are civic jewels that proudly bear the names of their host cities. But even before the Vienna Philharmonic or the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, there were orchestras in courts, churches, theaters, opera houses, and just about anywhere with enough space. Orchestras big and small: their history, their conductors, their repertory, their recordings. We’ll hear lots of music, encounter numerous orchestras, and explore some strikingly different approaches to the repertory from those baton-wielding folks up there on the podium.