The auditorium of FDR High School was packed full of avid audience members as the Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra began their inaugural concert last Saturday night. The repertoire was a series of classical soundtracks composed by John Williams, creating a cinematic atmosphere for the crowd of fans and supporters. The symphony, conducted by Andre Raphel, performed music from beloved films like Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, and more.
The John Williams program illustrates a core principle of The Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra: performing modern music that their audience can relate to. The Orchestra first performed over 90 years ago as the Dutchess County Philharmonic Orchestra, and through several organizational changes has managed to maintain their commitment to their Hudson Valley community. The Orchestra has hosted numerous renowned soloists over the years, as well as presenting the winners of the distinguished Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Competition. When they became fully professional in the 1960s as the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the Orchestra began hosting educational concerts for school children, a tradition that continued until 2018.
“Our inaugural concert last Saturday was a wonderful celebration! It was a happy reunion for all the musicians, and a special evening of collaboration and joyful music-making.”
– Rachel Crozier, Executive Director, Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra
From 1999 until last year, the group was operated as a program of a local Hudson Valley opera house. As one of many programs operated at the opera house, the Orchestra saw their operations reduced from hosting dozens of concert series and educational events each year to three concerts total. After exhausting all options through negotiation with the opera house, the musicians of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic realized they needed to make a strategic decision to spin off from the opera house and reached out to FJC to pursue Fiscal Sponsorship as an interim step toward becoming fully independent.
When HVSO came to FJC this spring with an ambitious goal of a May 2024 concert date, FJC was able to work quickly to get the Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra approved as a fiscally sponsored program.
FJC’s approach to Fiscal Sponsorship allows the Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra musicians to take ownership of their programming while operating under our 501(c)(3) umbrella. Rachel Crozier, a violinist and HVSO’s Executive Director, stated that “a fiscal sponsorship afforded us the time and support to carefully develop our business plan, operations and select a strong board.” As a fiscally sponsored program of FJC, HVSO efficiently launched a website, publicized their event and debuted on Saturday night as a nonprofit organization run by musicians for the benefit of their community.
“We are so grateful to FJC for the opportunity to begin revitalizing our beloved orchestra,” said Crozier. “Our inaugural concert last Saturday was a wonderful celebration! It was a happy reunion for all the musicians, and a special evening of collaboration and joyful music-making.”
For more information about HVSO’s programming, please visit their website.
Special thanks to FJC Program Administrator Sophia Trombold for writing this story. Are you an FJC donor interested in recommending a grant to HVSO? Email us at fjc@fjc.org.
