HARTFORD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
166 CAPITOL AVENUE
HARTFORD, CT
Pursuing its mission to “enrich lives and the community through great music” since 1934, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra—marking its 78th season in 2021–22—plays to audiences of more than 95,000 each year through more than 100 concerts. The HSO’s powerful and emotional experiences include classical masterworks, pops shows, and live performances of film scores including the Harry Potter series. The orchestra is led by Carolyn Kuan, who in 2011 became the first woman and youngest person to be named HSO music director. In 2020, when the pandemic forced the cancellation of indoor concerts, the HSO created new methods of sharing music, including HSO To Go, an online platform hosting orchestra recordings, and the Summer Splash! Series of outdoor concerts around Connecticut. Today—as in pre-pandemic times—the orchestra’s primary venue is The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. In addition, the HSO hosts the Talcott Mountain Music Festival Friday nights in July at the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center. The HSO’s extensive array of education and community activities serves 23,000 area individuals each year, fostering joy for music and an appreciation of its transformative power. With a renewed commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the HSO has pledged to seek out diverse talent and to develop more inclusive programming to better promote community engagement and artistic vitality. For more information about the HSO, please visit https://hartfordsymphony.org/