None of us alive now — or for the past two hundred years, actually — remembers when the trumpet was not able to play a melody. As loud, commanding and often shrill as it was; prior to 1800, the sleek and shiny instrument was basically a one trick pony. Then, at a concert in Venice in the spring of 1800, along came the trumpet soloist of the Royal Imperial Theatre, Anton Weidinger, proudly waving his newly invented keyed trumpet for all to see. What Weidinger did next is exactly what BSO principal trumpet Andrew Balio will do Thursday at the Music Center at Strathmore. Although 212 years separates the two performances, Balio will once again demonstrate the trumpet’s versatility through Haydn’s “Trumpet Concerto,” a piece that was commissioned for the big event back in Venice. He and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra perform under the baton of conductor, Nicholas McGegan.

“During the time of Haydn and Mozart, the trumpets weren’t doing much at all,” said the Wisconsin native, Balio. “The big revival for trumpet was when keys were invented and the trumpet could play all the notes of the scale.”