The Brooklyn Philharmonic is one of the most innovative and respected symphony orchestras of modern times. It is well known for its community outreach and children's concerts, innovative "Meet the Moderns," and its famous and unparalleled "Marathon" programs. While it can trace its roots back to the 19th century, the modern Brooklyn Philharmonic had its start in 1954. In How Music Grew in Brooklyn, author Maurice Edwards provides a fascinating, personal, and comprehensive history of this great institution. While this "biography" centers on the Brooklyn Philharmonic, it also encompasses the greater subject of the vibrant world of music and culture in New York during the second half of the 20th century and the opening decade of the 21st. Edwards begins with a look at the orchestra's 19th-century forerunner and traces the current orchestra's beginnings under its founder and first music director Siegfried Landau. The eras of succeeding music directors Lukas Foss, Dennis Russell Davies, and Robert Spano are examined in detail, as is the evolution of the Brooklyn Philharmonic into the official house orchestra of the equally innovative and influential Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). More than two dozen historical photographs and illustrations are included and an 80-page appendix provides a detailed listing of the orchestra's extraordinary programs, including the famous Marathons.

"The rapturous sweep of musical history has come to life inside the hallowed concert halls of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, as captured by Maurice Edwards in his engrossing new, meticulously documented, memoir, history, reminiscence and archival treasure, How Music Grew in Brooklyn: A Biography of the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra. The book is at once an intimate inside view and a reference work for musical and cultural scholars, students and lovers of music." - Eve's Magazine

"...an important addition to the cultural archives of Brooklyn, and, in particular, of the "Brooklyn Philharmonia" (later, the "Brooklyn Philharmonic")....This is a book that will be enjoyed not only by music lovers, Brooklynites, and fans of the Brooklyn Philharmonic: it is a book for all seasons and for all readers." - Book Digest

"Maurice Edwards, who spent 40-plus years with the BPO in various roles, has now produced How Music Grew in Brooklyn: A Biography of the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra. A hallmark of the modern BPO has been non-standard repertoire, and students of progressive programming would do well to study his 80-page appendix, a listing of the complete programs offered between 1955 and 2004." - SymphonyNOW

"...the handsome hardback details the ups and downs of the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra's first 50 years...Brooklyn history buffs in particular will swoon..." - Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Vol. 53, No. 70 (July 18, 2007)

"...superb, monumental!" - Eric Bentley