New Haven Symphony Orchestra Inc

THE NHSO ENRICHES CONNECTICUT'S CULTURAL LANDSCAPE THROUGH EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCES AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE TO RESIDENTS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE. INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING OFFERED STATEWIDE INSPIRES DEEPER AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT AND MEANINGFUL ARTISTIC AND EDUCATIONAL COLLABORATIONS WHICH INCREASE THE REACH AND IMPACT OF THE SYMPHONY. AUTHENTIC COMMITMENTS TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND ACCESS MOVE THE NHSO TO PROVIDE REPRESENTATION THAT REFLECTS THE RICHLY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE IN ALL AREAS OF SYMPHONY LEADERSHIP.

CLASSICS SERIES: THE CLASSICS SERIES THIS SEASON WAS NOTABLE FOR PERFORMANCES IN VENUES OUTSIDE OF THE ORCHESTRA'S LONGTIME HOME OF WOOLSEY HALL. LED BY MUSIC DIRECTOR ALASDAIR NEALE, THE ORCHESTRA PERFORMED THE CLASSICS SERIES AT THE SHUBERT THEATRE IN DOWNTOWN NEW HAVEN AND AT THE JOHN C. LYMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS AT SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED PERFORMANCES OF MUSIC BY BARBER, BEETHOVEN, BOULANGER, BRAHMS, COLEMAN, DEBUSSY, DVORAK, HANDEL, HIGDON, MENDELSSOHN, MONTGOMERY, MOZART, PRICE, STRAVINSKY, TCHAIKOVSKY, AND TOWER. THE NHSO PLAYED THE WORLD PREMIERE OF A COMMISSION BY MICHAEL BROWN CALLED AMERICAN DIARIES, AS WELL AS THE EAST COAST PREMIERE OF EXCERPTS FROM COMPOSER-IN-RESIDENCE JOEL THOMPSON'S OPERA, THE SNOWY DAY.GUEST ARTISTS INCLUDED DAVID FUNG, VADIM GLUZMAN, FLORA HAWK, ALEXI KENNEY, TAI MURRAY, KORIN THOMAS-SMITH, AND LIANNA WIMBERLY WILLIAMS.

POPS SERIES: THE NHSO'S VENERABLE POPS SERIES CONCERTS BEGAN IN 1945 AT THE NEW HAVEN ARENA AND HAVE FEATURED SUCH ESTEEMED ARTISTS AS DAVE BRUBECK, JUDY COLLINS, DIZZY GILLESPIE, BENNY GOODMAN, MARVIN HAMLISCH, SKITCH HENDERSON, WYNTON MARSALIS, DUDLEY MOORE, BUDDY RICH, DOC SEVERINSON, ARTIE SHAW, JAMES TAYLOR, AND SARAH VAUGHAN.CURATED BY NHSO PRINCIPAL POPS CONDUCTOR CHELSEA TIPTON, THE 2021-2022 POPS SERIES INCLUDED FOUR PROGRAMS AND NINE PERFORMANCES AT THE LYMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS IN NEW HAVEN, SHELTON HIGH SCHOOL, AND HAMDEN HIGH SCHOOL: A JUDY GARLAND TRIBUTE FEATURING JOAN ELLISON; A HOLIDAY POPS EXTRAVAGANZA; THE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS FEATURING SAXOPHONIST WAYNE ESCOFFERY AND NHSO ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER ARTEMIS SIMERSON; AND A RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN CELEBRATION WITH GUEST SINGERS LISA WILLIAMSON, CHARLIE WIDMER, CARLY CALLAHAN, AND GARY HARGER.THE NHSO PERFORMED THE OPENING NIGHT CONCERT OF THE 2022 INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ARTS & IDEAS, IN JUNE WITH A FREE CONCERT ON THE NEW HAVEN GREEN FEATURED GUEST SINGERS BRIAN STOKES MITCHELL, HAROLYN BLACKWELL, ALBERT LEE, AND CELLIST JONATHAN MOORE. THE PROGRAM FEATURED THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE NHSO-COMMISSIONED LET'S TRY THIS, WRITTEN BY ANTON KOT AND PERFORMED BY THE NHSO WITH KOT AT THE PIANO.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS: THE NEW HAVEN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA'S COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS ANNUALLY BRING ORCHESTRAL MUSIC TO MORE THAN 20,000 CHILDREN THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT. INNOVATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS INCLUDE:FAMILY CONCERT SERIES - DESIGNED EXCLUSIVELY FOR SMALL ENSEMBLES THAT ALLOW AN INTIMATE AND INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE, THIS SEASON THE FAMILY CONCERT SERIES WAS PERFORMED OUTSIDE DUE TO COVID SAFETY CONCERNS. IT FEATURED THE NHSO BRASS QUINTET, A NARRATOR, AND ANIMALS FROM CONNECTICUT'S BEARDSLEY ZOO. THE PERFORMANCES TOURED AROUND SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT IN MAY AND JUNE. YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONCERTS YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONCERTS HAVE BROUGHT FULL ORCHESTRA PERFORMANCES TO PUBLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN FOR OVER 89 YEARS. THESE PERFORMANCES ARE PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE. THE NHSO WELCOMES THOUSANDS OF YOUNG LISTENERS TO CONCERTS DESIGNED EXPRESSLY FOR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, SUPPORTED BY AN EXTENSIVE CURRICULUM GUIDE THAT SUPPORTS STATE AND NATIONAL TEACHING STANDARDS. MANY OF THE SCHOOLS HOST PRE-CONCERT VISITS TO THEIR CLASSROOMS BY NHSO TEACHING ARTISTS. A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF STUDENTS HEAR LIVE CLASSICAL MUSIC FOR THE FIRST TIME THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. THIS YEAR, THE NHSO OFFERED FREE, PUBLIC PERFORMANCES OF THIS PROGRAM IN NEW HAVEN AND SHELTON, AS WELL AS IN-SCHOOL FIELD TRIP-STYLE PERFORMANCES.

HARMONY FELLOWSHIP FOR UNDERREPRESENTED MUSICIANS, CONDUCTORS, ARTS ADMINISTRATORS, BOARD LEADERS -THE NHSO EXPANDED ITS HARMONY FELLOWSHIP FOR UNDERREPRESENTED MUSICIANS, FUNDED BY THE ANN & GORDON GETTY FOUNDATION THROUGH THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS TO INCLUDE CONDUCTING, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND BOARD FELLOWS BRINGING INCREASED DIVERSITY TO ALL AREAS OF THE SYMPHONY. THE INSTRUMENTAL FELLOWSHIP ACCEPTS A COHORT OF TWO MUSICIANS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED BACKGROUNDS EVERY YEAR FOR A TWO-YEAR FELLOWSHIP. FELLOWS RECEIVE LESSONS, PARTICIPATE IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SUCH AS MOCK AUDITIONS, AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY CONCERTS WITH THE ORCHESTRA. AT THE END OF THE TWO-YEAR FELLOWSHIP, EACH FELLOW WILL BE INVITED TO ANY FUTURE OPPORTUNITY TO AUDITION FOR THE NHSO.EACH COHORT, ALONG WITH TWO NHSO ORCHESTRA MEMBERS, FORMS ONE OF TWO HARMONY QUARTETS. THE HARMONY QUARTETS ARE INTEGRAL TO NHSO EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT FOCUS ON RESILIENCE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION. FOR UPPER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, A HARMONY QUARTET PRESENTS A CONFLICT RESOLUTION WORKSHOP. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN A SONG WRITING PROJECT WHICH CULMINATES IN THE STUDENTS RECEIVING A PROFESSIONAL RECORDING OF THEIR COMPOSITIONS, PLAYED BY THE HARMONY QUARTETS. CONDUCTING FELLOWS RECEIVE MENTORSHIP FROM MUSIC DIRECTOR ALASDAIR NEALE AND PRINCIPAL POPS CONDUCTOR CHELSEA TIPTON WHILE ADMINISTRATIVE AND BOARD FELLOWS ARE PAIRED WITH STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS TO WORK ON PROJECTS AND COMMITTEES THAT ALIGN WITH THEIR PROFESSIONAL GOALS. CREATING MUSICAL READERS CREATING MUSICAL READERS HIGHLIGHTS INSTRUMENTS FROM EACH OF THE FOUR FAMILIES OF THE ORCHESTRA IN THE CONTEXT OF LITERACY ACTIVITIES. PROGRAMS ARE PERFORMED AT SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, LIBRARIES, AND THE CONNECTICUT CHILDREN'S MUSEUM. DESIGNED FOR PRE-K THROUGH 2ND GRADE, MUSIC AND STORYTELLING ARE COMBINED TO ENCOURAGE AVID READING AND BEGIN A LIFETIME OF MUSICAL AWARENESS. EACH 45-MINUTE PROGRAM FEATURES AN NHSO MUSICIAN ACCOMPANYING A STORYBOOK ON THEIR INSTRUMENT, WITH BOOK TITLES INCLUDING MOLE MUSIC (VIOLIN), TUBBY THE TUBA (TUBA), AND RALPH'S SECRET WEAPON (BASSOON). PRESENTING PARTNERS CONTINUE TO BRING NHSO TEACHING ARTISTS BACK DUE TO THE PROGRAM'S POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOUNG READERS.YOUNG COMPOSERS PROJECT - THE PROJECT IS A 2-YEAR EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAM FOR TALENTED AND ENGAGED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN ADVANCED MUSICAL STUDY. STUDENTS COMPLETE MUSIC THEORY COURSES; PARTICIPATE IN PRIVATE COMPOSITION LESSONS AND MONTHLY COMPOSITION SEMINARS; AND WORKSHOP DIRECTLY WITH PROFESSIONALS. THE PROJECT CULMINATES IN AN ANNUAL PREMIERE PERFORMANCE OF A CHAMBER WORK WITH THE MUSICIANS OF THE NHSO, WHICH IS RECORDED FOR THE STUDENTS. THE NHSO'S YCP IS 1 OF ONLY 3 IN THE COUNTRY AND HAS WON NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR BOTH ITS DEPTH OF STUDY AND THE PRESTIGIOUS PERSONNEL INVESTED IN THE COMPOSERS' GROWTH. ALL PARTICIPANTS FROM THE PREVIOUS COHORTS HAVE GAINED ACCESS TO CONSERVATORY AND HIGHER-EDUCATION MUSIC PROGRAMS. THIS SEASON PARTICIPANTS WORKED WITH NHSO COMPOSER-IN-RESIDENCE JOEL THOMPSON.