The first Women of the World-Baltimore Festival drew about 1,700 people to the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall during the three-day run that ended Sunday. An additional 1,000 patrons attended a concert Saturday night featuring singer Mary Chapin Carpenter and comedienne Rain Pryor.
Modeled after the Women of the World-London festival held in 2011, WOW Baltimore was organized by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and its music director, Marin Alsop, to celebrate achievements by women in a wide range of fields. It marked the first time the event has been held outside Britain, and it filled much of the 2,400-seat concert hall, including lobbies and backstage areas, with workshops, performances and panel discussions.
Allison Burr-Livingstone, the BSO's director of institutional giving and a co-organizer of the festival, said it is too soon to say whether there will be a second festival, but the first one met the symphony's objectives. "It was definitely a success," she said. "I had nothing but positive comments. ... We achieved what we set out to do."
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