Hartford Symphony Orchestra facts for kids
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra (HSO) is an American orchestra based in Hartford, Connecticut. It's a group of musicians who play classical music together.
What the Orchestra Does
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra performs over 230 concerts each year. More than 110,000 people come to listen to their music.
They also have many education and community programs. These programs help over 22,000 people in Hartford and nearby towns every year.
The orchestra gets support from nearly 4,500 people who subscribe to their concerts and over 2,000 donors. Musicians are a big part of the HSO's leadership. They make up 15% of the Board of Directors and serve on important committees. This way of working together is a model for other orchestras.
History of the HSO
The 1930s: A New Beginning
During the Great Depression, the U.S. government created programs to help people, including musicians. Francis Goodwin II, a businessman and amateur musician, saw this as a chance to bring orchestral music to Hartford. He's known as the "Father of the Hartford Symphony."
His idea was accepted, and the "Civic Symphony Orchestra of Hartford" was born. It was a public service, offering two free concerts a week. Musicians rehearsed daily and earned $21 a week. Their first concert was on November 20, 1934, led by Angelo Coniglione. It was a good start for the orchestra.
In 1935, the government started a bigger program called the Federal Music Project (FMP). This was part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of the New Deal. Many orchestras in the U.S. began with funding from this project. Being part of the FMP meant the Hartford Symphony could pay musicians more. They could also charge a small fee of 25¢ for admission.
In 1936, Jacques Gordon became the new conductor. The orchestra officially changed its name to the "Hartford Symphony Orchestra." They started playing in bigger venues like The Bushnell and other places across Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
The WPA changed its rules in 1937, saying orchestras couldn't charge admission. But the Hartford Symphony found a clever way to earn money: they charged 10¢ to rent a seat for summer concerts. During one concert, Francis Goodwin learned that the FMP would cut funding if the orchestra didn't cover half its costs. He asked the audience for help, and they collected $1,200 on the spot! This moment showed the strong connection between the HSO and the Hartford community.
In 1938, the Hartford Symphony left the FMP to have full artistic control. They hired Leon Barzin as their new music director. Even without government funding, their four-concert season was a huge success. It featured famous soloists and high ticket sales. The City of Hartford funded five successful summer concerts in 1939. The outdoor bandshell in Bushnell Park was taken down after this series, marking the end of the orchestra's first decade.
The 1940s: Surviving Hard Times
After losing Federal funding in 1938, the Hartford Symphony struggled financially. Francis Goodwin even used $11,000 of his own money to help the Symphony get a loan. Sadly, the orchestra couldn't pay it back, and he lost his money. Despite these money problems, the HSO performed five concerts featuring music by Beethoven. These concerts had the most attendees in the orchestra's history.
The last Beethoven concert was on May 14, 1941. By then, World War II had started in Europe. Many HSO musicians left to join the armed forces. With little money and no musicians, it seemed the orchestra might not play again.
In 1946, Francis Goodwin gathered a new Board of Directors, including important Hartford businessmen. In an amazing act of support, Hartford's musicians' union agreed to play for free for one year. This allowed the Symphony to use its limited funds for other costs. In 1947, they hired two conductors: George Heck and Moshe Paranov.
The Hartford Symphony's first concert back was on January 25, 1948. People could buy subscriptions for four concerts or pay $1 per concert. Over 1,000 people attended each concert. Seeing their efforts, Travelers Insurance Company and radio station WTIC-FM gave the HSO $30,000 over three years. With the first $10,000, the HSO opened offices in the Old State House and could finally pay its musicians.
The 1949–1950 season expanded to six concerts. Arthur Fiedler guest conducted the first HSO Pops! concerts. Audiences sat at cabaret-style tables and were served food. The orchestra played better than ever, showing renewed interest from both musicians and the audience.
The 1950s: New Leadership and Programs
With better finances, the Hartford Symphony performed six traditional concerts in The Bushnell. They featured famous guest performers like Walton Deckelman (piano) and Joseph De Pasquale (viola). Odell Shepard, a former Lieutenant Governor, even narrated Aaron Copland’s A Lincoln Portrait.
The Symphony decided to hire Fritz Mahler as the new conductor, replacing Moshe Paranov and George Heck. This decision upset the public and local newspapers. However, on October 28, 1953, Fritz Mahler conducted his first concert. It featured Samuel Mayes, a cellist from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, playing a new piece by Dmitry Kabalevsky.
Mahler wanted the HSO to grow. He started "Young People’s Concerts" at The Bushnell and hired Mrs. Rena Oppenheimer as Educational Director. She visited schools to show instruments and promote the concerts. Mahler also created the "Hartford Little Symphony," a smaller orchestra that played concerts in schools and other places.
Mahler brought variety to the Symphony's music. They performed pieces like Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky and an all-Tchaikovsky program. In 1954, the Hartford Symphony performed the American premiere of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. Audiences loved it, giving standing ovations and leading to excellent reviews.
On March 27, 1957, the Symphony recorded Carmina Burana for the Vanguard record label. Fritz Mahler continued recording, making three more albums with Vanguard.
The 1960s: Growth and Recognition
At the start of the 1960s, the HSO administration felt the orchestra wasn't growing enough. Francis Goodwin, now the Symphony President, wanted it to be a "really great orchestra." Reviews were mixed, and some people preferred other concert series.
Goodwin started a new fundraising campaign, which raised $100,000 in one year. This helped the orchestra provide better programs.
Even though the public loved Fritz Mahler, the board and musicians felt he wasn't fully committed to the HSO anymore. He traveled a lot to conduct other orchestras. The board decided to find a new conductor who would be more involved. After a national search, they chose Arthur Winograd, a cellist from the Juilliard Quartet. Under Winograd, the Symphony reached new heights. Concerts were full, and subscriptions increased by 15%.
In 1966, the Ford Company gave the Hartford Symphony a huge grant of $1,350,000. This was part of a national program for performing arts groups. Ford saw the HSO as an excellent local orchestra with "special potential." This gift brought the Symphony great financial success.
In 1967, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra was invited to perform in New York City at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. A review in The New Yorker praised the HSO, saying it was "exceeded in refinement, tone, and everything else that makes a great symphony orchestra only by the big four of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Cleveland." This showed how much the orchestra had improved.
The 1970s: Challenges and Stars
Despite the success of the 1960s, the New York Times listed the Hartford Symphony as one of 12 American orchestras in financial "danger." Operating costs were high. The Ford Challenge Grant required the HSO to raise one million dollars on its own to receive the $1,350,000 award. By the end of 1971, the Symphony was $140,000 short. At the last minute, Francis Goodwin and Harry Robinson each donated $70,000, saving the orchestra.
With financial stability, the HSO expanded its educational programs. They offered "Young People’s Concerts," a "Junior Symphony Series" for middle schoolers, and concerts at Connecticut College. Famous soloists performed with the HSO, including Benny Goodman, Isaac Stern, Leon Fleisher, André Watts, Itzhak Perlman, Van Cliburn, Ella Fitzgerald, and a young Yo-Yo Ma.
In 1976, the Symphony presented a special Bicentennial series, featuring American music. This year also marked the passing of Francis Goodwin, who had dedicated his life to the HSO.
In October 1978, the musicians went on strike for ten days, protesting fewer concerts and rehearsal hours. The strike ended later that month.
In 1979, the Symphony hired Richard Hayman to conduct the Pops! Series. Hayman brought new and exciting music to the series, including rock 'n roll, modern jazz, and international music.
The 1980s: New Sounds and Growth
The Hartford Symphony continued to host top guest soloists from around the world. These included pianists Andre Watts and Emanuel Ax, clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal, violinist Itzhak Perlman, and singer Tony Bennett. The Symphony also created new concert series like a Beethoven Festival and "Symphony on Ice."
After 20 years, Music Director Arthur Winograd announced his final season in 1984. After a year of amazing performances, Winograd passed the baton. A search committee looked for a new conductor. Michael Lankester, an exciting British conductor, impressed everyone and was appointed the new music director in 1985.
Lankester brought new guest artists and adventurous music. This included pianist Horatio Guttierez and 13-year-old violinist Midori. The season was bigger than ever, with Classical and Pops! programs, new "Discovery" and "Music to Go" series, and concerts in high schools. To handle all these new concerts, the musicians agreed to a new contract. It created 21 full-time "core" musicians who were paid a salary. Lankester set a new standard, mixing modern music with traditional works. Ticket sales were excellent, and the Symphony continued to grow.
However, the musicians were playing more than ever, leading to injuries and pay rate issues. This caused an 11-week work stoppage. Eventually, new contracts were agreed upon, making the work schedule more reasonable. The Hartford Symphony reopened on January 18, 1989. That year, the Symphony started five new series: "Classical Conversations," "Symphonikids" in-school concerts, Family concerts, "Music in a Gothic Space" (sold out in local churches), and new summer concerts.
The 1990s: Ups and Downs
Hartford Symphony Music Director Michael Lankester continued to expand the orchestra's presence. He started the "Classical Conversations" series to help audiences learn about composers' lives. He also grew the Family and Children’s Concerts, even writing much of the music himself.
Tension between musicians and management, which began after the 1988 contract talks, grew worse. In 1991, a contract dispute led to the cancellation of the entire 1991–92 season. Fourteen months later, a compromise was reached, and the HSO returned to work.
After the cancelled season, new subscriptions were low, and the 1992–93 season looked uncertain. The HSO got creative. With budget and staff changes, and more effort from the musicians, the orchestra survived. The Symphony opened its 50th-anniversary season in 1993 with a special fanfare written by Maestro Lankester.
Musicians, the board, and staff worked together to keep the Symphony alive. They started new fundraising efforts to increase donations and balance the budget. The HSO also began a new Chamber Orchestra series called the "Signature Series."
In 1996, the HSO held its first trial season of the Talcott Mountain Music Festival, a summer concert series.
By 1997, the HSO finally achieved a balanced budget after years of financial struggles. This recovery was due to better marketing, improved artistic quality, a focus on music education, and skilled management.
The 1997–98 season opened with a Masterworks concert featuring Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex. Guest artists included pianists Leon Fleisher and Garrick Ohlsson, cellist Ralph Kirshbaum, and actor Christopher Plummer.
In 1999, Michael Lankester announced he would be leaving the HSO. To celebrate his retirement, the symphony invited famous artists like Yo-Yo Ma, Yefim Bronfman, Marvin Hamlisch, Krystof Penderecki, Ute Lemper, and Captain Kangaroo. As the decade ended, the symphony began searching for its next leader.
The 2000s: Community and Awards
In 2000, the HSO started a big community project to reach new audiences. This included "I Have a Dream," their first concert celebrating the life of Martin Luther King Jr.. The orchestra also toured with popular tenor Andrea Bocelli, performing 15 concerts across North America.
After a three-year search, Edward Cumming was named the new Music Director. He promised to "Expect the Unexpected." His new ideas energized the orchestra and brought in large crowds. Cumming wanted the HSO to be an orchestra for everyone in Greater Hartford. They started a Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute concert and a new Latino Music Festival.
The League of American Orchestras gave the Hartford Symphony Orchestra the 2003 ASCAP award for playing new and exciting contemporary music. The Hispanic Professional Network also recognized the HSO for promoting Hispanic arts and culture. The HSO received major funding from MetLife Foundation's "Music for Life" program and joined the "Sustaining the American Orchestra" initiative.
In 2004, the HSO was one of only three orchestras in North America to receive the MetLife Award for Excellence in Community Engagement. The Symphony toured with Andrea Bocelli again. They also received the Governor's Arts Award for their artistic achievements in Connecticut.
In 2005, the HSO toured with Andrea Bocelli for a third time, gaining national recognition. For its innovative programs at home, Connecticut Natural Gas gave the orchestra its Diversity Award.
World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma joined Edward Cumming and the HSO for the opening concert of the 2007–08 season. After a year of diverse programs, the League of American Orchestras gave the HSO its ASCAP award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music for the second time in four years.
The HSO’s 65th Anniversary Season featured performances of all of Beethoven’s Symphonies. This year also saw the most successful Talcott Mountain Music Festival ever.
In 2009, Cumming announced that the 2010–11 season would be his last. This began a two-year search for his replacement.
The 2010s: A New Era
From 2009 to 2011, the HSO conducted a public search for a new music director. Six candidates guest-conducted the orchestra. The final candidate made the biggest impression. In January 2011, the HSO announced that Carolyn Kuan would be the next music director, starting in 2012. She was the youngest person and the first woman to hold this important title.
The 2011–12 season opened with a free "Picnic in the Park" concert. The HSO then launched new community programs, including CityMusic. This is an El Sistema-inspired after-school music program in Hartford.
In 2012, the HSO received a grant to start the Musicians Care Project. This project brings live, interactive music to people of all ages whose health prevents them from attending traditional concerts.
Thanks to its accessible and innovative community programs, the HSO's concert attendance reached a ten-year high. This brought in many new and younger audience members.
In 2014, the HSO partnered with The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. Both organizations remain independent, but The Bushnell now provides executive and administrative support to the HSO.
Music Directors
- 2011–present Carolyn Kuan
- 2001–2011 Edward Cumming
- 1985–2000 Michael Lankester
- 1965–1984 Arthur Winograd
- 1953–1965 Fritz Mahler
- 1947–1953 George Heck
- 1947–1953 Moshe Paranov
- 1938–1941 Leon Barzin
- 1936–1938 Jacques Gordon
- 1934–1936 Angelo Coniglione
