- Hartford Symphony Orchestra
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra (HSO) is an American
orchestra based in Hartford,Connecticut . Marking its 65th season in2008 -2009 , the Hartford Symphony Orchestra is Connecticut's premiermusical organization and is widely recognized as one of America's leading regional orchestras.Each season, the HSO plays to audiences numbering approximately 170,000 and reaches thousands statewide through its broadcast concerts on
Connecticut Public Radio . The Hartford Symphony Orchestra's extensive array of Musical Pathways educational activities serves more than 70,000 individuals in Hartford and surrounding communities annually. The Hartford Symphony Orchestra is supported by approximately 8,000subscribers and 3,000 donors. The organization has been greatly strengthened by an extensive level of communication and involvement with its musicians that has become a national model for orchestral governance. Now representing 15% of theBoard of Directors and one-third of itsExecutive Committee , musicians also serve on all major Board committees.History
1930 – 1939: Community Beginnings
1934 - The Federal government established theFederal Emergency Relief Corporation , which included a program to help struggling musicians through the economic depression. Amateur musician and businessmanFrancis Goodwin II , considered today to be the “Father of the Hartford Symphony,” seized the opportunity to bring orchestral music to the city of Hartford. His Federal “Orchestra Application” was accepted, resulting in the creation of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, then known as the “Civic Symphony Orchestra of Hartford.” Created as a public service, the orchestra gave two free concerts per week, and the musicians rehearsed every day for a weekly salary of $21. The Civic Symphony Orchestra of Hartford performed its first concert on November 20, 1934 under music directorAngelo Coniglione at West Middle School in Hartford. Although this first concert did not bring in a huge audience, it was generally considered to be a promising start to the orchestra’s future.1935 - The Federal government disbanded theFederal Emergency Relief Corporation and instead began a larger program called theFederal Music Project (FMP). This project was a subdivision of theWorks Progress Administration (WPA) of the New Deal. Many orchestras in theUnited States were born out of the funding from this project. To the Hartford Symphony, being a part of theFederal Music Project meant they could pay musicians higher wages and charge a moderate admission of 25¢.1936 -Jacques Gordon replacedAngelo Coniglione as conductor andmusic director and the name of the orchestra officially changed to the “Hartford Symphony Orchestra.” The Symphony’s concerts schedule expanded with performances inThe Bushnell , as well as public venues acrossConnecticut ,Massachusetts , andRhode Island .1937 - The WPA changed its policies so that orchestras could not charge admission. However, the Hartford Symphony continued to bring in revenue by cleverly charging each patron 10¢ to rent a seat for summer concerts. At the final summer concert that year,Francis Goodwin II received a telegram in the middle of the first half explaining that theFederal Music Project was changing its policies and that the Hartford Symphony would need to cover half of its own costs or it would lose all Federal funding. Panicked, Mr. Goodwin stood up at intermission and appealed to the audience for its financial support. A box was passed around, and by the end of the concert they had collected $1,200! The next day the contributions continued to roll in, saving the orchestra from financial disaster and initiating the strong connection between the Hartford Symphony and the Hartford community.1938 - In the past the FMP had always had dictated which guest artists and conductors would be allowed to perform. Looking for complete artistic control over the orchestra, the Hartford Symphony pulled out of the FMP in order to hire conductorLeon Barzin as the new music director. Despite the Symphony’s poor financial status from a lack of government funding, the orchestra’s four-concert season was the most illustrious the orchestra had ever seen; it featured world famous soloists and a high ticket revenue from $3 admission prices.1939 - In an effort to raise community spirits, the City of Hartford funded five successful summer concerts with guest conductorGeorge Heck at the podium.Bushnell Park ’s outdoor bandshell was torn down at the end of this summer series, marking the end of the first decade of the Hartford Symphony’s history.1940 – 1949: Resilience and Rebirth
1940 - Ever since the decision was made to forgo Federal funding in1938 , the Hartford Symphony had been struggling to keep its doors open. Board memberFrancis Goodwin II , considered to be the “Father of the Hartford Symphony,” even put up $11,000 in personal collateral to finance a loan for theSymphony . (The Symphony was later unable to pay back the loan, and Goodwin’s personal collateral was confiscated.) Despite this financial distress, the Hartford Symphony presented five concerts inThe Bushnell which featured all-Beethoven programming. These concerts marked the highest attendance the orchestra had experienced in its six year history.1941 -1945 - The Hartford Symphony played the last of its successfulBeethoven concerts onMay 14 ,1941 . By this time,World War II had swept throughEurope , and by the fall of1941 nearly all of the Hartford Symphony’s musicians had taken leave to join the armed forces. With crippled finances and no musicians, the orchestra only existed as a corporate entity and it did not seem likely thatConnecticut would ever hear the Hartford Symphony again.1946 - In a final effort to save the Hartford Symphony,Francis Goodwin II pulled together a newBoard of Directors comprised of prominent Hartford businessmen, includingWillard B. Rogers , the Commissioner of theConnecticut Department of Economic and Community Development , as President of the Hartford Symphony Board.1947 - In an unprecedented action, Hartford’s musicians’ union agreed to perform for free for one year in an effort to get theSymphony up and running again. The Hartford Symphony was then free to use what little funds they had to pay for technical costs. They hired two alternating co-conductors:George Heck ,Dean of what is now theHartford Conservatory , andMoshe Paranov ,Dean ofThe Hartt School .1948 - The Hartford Symphony’s first concert back was held onJanuary 25 ,1948 inMortensen Hall . For the first time, patrons could buy subscriptions ($6 for seats at four concerts in either theOrchestra or Front Balcony section) or pay $1 per concert for a seat in the rest of the house. The audiences were much larger than theSymphony had seen in the past, with more than 1,000 paid admissions at every concert.After observing this heartfelt struggle to revive the Hartford Symphony,
Travelers Insurance Company , in conjunction with radio stationWTIC dn, offered up a generous gift of $30,000 over the course of three years to the Hartford Symphony. After the first $10,000 installment in1948 , the HSO was finally able to open official administrative offices in the first floor of theOld State House inHartford , and, more importantly, was able to pay the musicians scale wages.1949 - The Hartford Symphony’s concert season expanded to six concerts inThe Bushnell instead of four. In addition,Arthur Fiedler guest conducted the first Hartford Symphony POPS! concerts atThe Bushnell and theTrinity Field House , where audience members sat at cabaret-style tables and were served food and drink by white-coatedTrinity Students. It was noted this year that the orchestra played better than ever before; it seemed that musicians and audience members alike had a renewed interest in keeping the Hartford Symphony in business.The Fifties- Today
It was the Viennese-born
Fritz Mahler , the orchestra's sixth music director, who built the national reputation of the ensemble through an ambitious schedule ofbroadcasts andrecordings . Under his leadership, the HSO began its Young People's Concerts and made several recordings for Vanguard. In1964 ,Arthur Winograd , a founding member of theJuilliard String Quartet , became music director. Under Winograd, the Orchestra grew in artistic stature, culminating in a successful series of critically acclaimed performances at New York’sLincoln Center andCarnegie Hall . Under the artistic leadership ofMichael Lankester from1985 -2000 , the HSO received national recognition for its programming innovations, including the popular Classical Conversations andUnited Technologies Family Matinees, as well as a series of landmark theatrical productions.After an extensive search involving nearly 300 applicants from around the world, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra named
Edward Cumming as its ninth Music Director in2001 . During his first season Cumming introduced several exciting and successful initiatives including the popularUnited Technologies Rush Hour Classics and Classical Connections Series at The Bushnell's Belding Theater; the HSO's first Latino Music Celebration; and a long-awaited return toBushnell Park with "Sounds of the City", a concert embracing the rich musical traditions of many of Hartford's diverse ethnic populations. Recognizing his commitment to performing the music of our time, theAmerican Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) presented Edward Cumming and the HSO with its2003 Award for Adventurous Programming. The HSO also was one of three orchestras inNorth America to be honored with the2004 MetLife Award for Excellence in Community Engagement, awarded by theAmerican Symphony Orchestra League , and a2003 award from the Hispanic Professional Network recognizing the HSO's "dedication to promote awareness of Hispanic arts and culture."The HSO launched a major community engagement initiative designed to reach new audiences in
2000 with "I Have A Dream," the HSO's first concert celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In June2004 , the Hartford Symphony Orchestra was awarded the Governor's Arts Award "in recognition of remarkable artistic achievement and contributions to the arts in the state of Connecticut."In
2001 ,2003 , and again in2005 , the popular Italiantenor Andrea Bocelli chose the HSO to accompany him on tour in a total of eleven cities acrossNorth America .The Hartford Symphony presents more than 70 concerts annually – from The Masterworks Series, Hartford Symphony POPS!, and Family Matinees at
The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts , to The Choral Collection, a series presented in collaboration withThe Hartford Chorale andCONCORA , and theTalcott Mountain Music Festival SM in Simsbury,Connecticut . Highly talented resident musicians have helped the Orchestra reach its highest artistic level ever.Music Directors
*
1934 –1936 Angelo Conigilione
*1936 –1938 Jacques Gordon
*1938 –1941 Leon Barzin
*1947 –1953 George Heck
*1947 –1953 Moshe Paranov
*1953 –1963 Fritz Mahler
*1964 –1985 Arthur Winograd
*1985 –2000 Michael Lankester
*2002 –dateEdward Cumming Concertmasters
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1934 –1939 George Heck
*1948 –1955 Rubin Segal
*1955 –1960 Gerald Gelbloom
*1961 –1962 Gabriel Banat
*1962 –1969 Renato Bonacini
*1969 –2001 Bernard Lurie
*2005 –dateLeonid Sigal External links
* [http://www.hartfordsymphony.org/ hartfordsymphony.org] - Official Site
* [http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/Hartford-Symphony-Orchestra/18027192411/ Hartford Symphony Facebook Page]
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