BmoreArt

I ask Heyward about his favorite composers and pieces to conduct and he shares his deep admiration for early 20th century Russian composer, Dmitri Shostakovich. “He is one of the best narrators in the classical profession,” he says. “There’s something about what he has to say that is so real and poignant every time.” In addition to his rich musical narratives, Shostakovich is also known for his complex relationship with power structures, experiencing Soviet-era government censure as an artist throughout his career. 

“Shostakovich persevered through so much hardship and had this sort of grit and mentality that I feel that Baltimore also has,” explains Heyward. “I think the orchestra plays Shostakovich really well. It suits the identity of their sound.” In fact, Shostakovich’s final symphony was the first piece Heyward conducted with the BSO—and remarkably, it was the first time he and the orchestra had ever performed it. Taking that risk together established a relationship of mutual trust and set the tone for exploration. 

Baltimore is a city that supports artistic innovation, Heyward says. “I feel very fortunate to be working in a place of such cultural openness. I feel like I can push boundaries and explore, and as an artist, that’s what you want. You want to be able to have a more or less blank canvas without restrictions to explore the tapestry of what you can develop.”

Welcoming new members into the BSO audience involves being present and listening. “My wife and I have settled down here,” Heyward says of his highrise community in Baltimore City. “We certainly consider it one of many home bases as artists… If I don’t understand the community I serve by being embedded in it, then I’m not really doing my job, so I take this really seriously.”

Heyward expanded the BSO’s traditional boundaries at his inaugural symphony gala by programming the Dance Theatre of Harlem. “The reaction was incredible, very moving,” he shares. “People told me it was the best gala experience they’ve ever had, and it was about making the statement that this is a space that encompasses everyone, that we can have this top-of-the-line dance company performing right alongside our orchestra. It was a really proud moment where I thought, people understand the journey they’re about to take as I begin this role.”

Heyward describes a sense of curiosity and openness he sees in Baltimore audiences, compared to other US cities. “It comes from history,” he says. “It surprised me, and then didn’t, because once you peel back the layers to examine what has happened in this city—the cultural movements, the people, and the artists that came through Baltimore—it’s incredible. And you start to realize this is what the city’s always been about, and being able to tap into that is crucial.” 

In addition to conducting, Heyward’s programming creates opportunities to do just that. His Afterwards with Heyward series offers a platform for direct dialogue, where audience questions often spark Heyward’s curiosity and influence future programming. The Symphony in the City series is another opportunity to build connections, taking the orchestra beyond the traditional concert hall into neighborhoods across Baltimore, breaking down the sense of formality and exclusivity often associated with classical music.

For classic symphony lovers, Heyward builds pathways of connection to new voices and emerging trends. “I love discovering new composers, definitely composers of various cultural minorities,” he says. “For me it’s always been a great pleasure to be able to put those right next to some of the warhorse pieces that we know and love so we can share that sense of fusion and commonality between them.”

In a genre with a 500-year-old canon, deeply rooted in tradition and shaped by a complex history of Eurocentrism and white superiority, any departure from convention can spark anxiety and mistrust, giving in to the fear that accessibility will degrade the integrity of classical music. What Heyward challenges is not the music’s integrity, he says, but the culture of gatekeeping that prioritizes tradition over progress. “We need to elevate the art without this idea of separation or the idea that it’s only for a certain type of audience,” he says.

Long term, Heyward is working to create a blueprint with the BSO that other orchestras and cities can follow, where the orchestra is meaningfully integrated into the fabric of its community. “I want us to be a beacon for what it means to be a symphony for the city. I want us to have a playbook for how to do this.” 

It’s a bold vision, and one that Heyward is uniquely positioned to fulfill. As the first Black music director of a major orchestra and also the youngest, breaking barriers and leaning into a bold vision is at the core of his personal playbook.

“There’s a pressure that comes along with having so many eyes on me and sometimes that pressure can be really intense,” Heyward shares. “But my escape from all of it is a tremendous amount of focus on the why. My mission as an artistic leader is that I’ve got barriers to break. I’ve got some convincing to do for communities. I’ve got convincing to do for the world. And I cherish that responsibility.”