The New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO) is excited to announce that it will be in residence at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) for the 2022-2023 academic year. The residency amplifies the Symphony’s commitment to performing accessible concerts for diverse audiences, collaborating on- and off-stage with community partners, and infusing educational opportunities into every facet of the organization. The residency will include on-campus concerts, classroom visits, hands-on learning experiences, and internships.
The Symphony’s main performance venue for the 2022-2023 Season, including the orchestra’s eight-concert “Classics Series,” will be the Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, SCSU’s multi-disciplinary performing arts venue. The Lyman Center was officially opened on October 18, 1968 at a dedication ceremony which included a performance by the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. The distinctive 1,500-seat mainstage features a three-quarter “thrust” stage design, placing the audience in an intimate semi-circle around the stage. Other features of the Lyman Center include free and easy parking lots, modern facilities, and fast access to surrounding restaurants, highways, and public transportation. Concert dates and repertoire for the 2022-2023 season will be announced later this spring.
The Symphony’s concerts and administration will become a classroom for the University’s brand-new Arts Administration and Cultural Advocacy minor. Through the residency, students will have access to internships with the orchestra and classes will engage in hands-on learning experiences in arts administration and non-profit management. The residency also will offer students of varying majors opportunities to engage with the Symphony through multi-disciplinary lectures and on-campus events.
NHSO Music Director Alasdair Neale says, “The Symphony and the University have a shared commitment to access and excellence in equal measure, and we are excited by the opportunities that this residency will offer the orchestra, SCSU students, and the broader New Haven community.”
SCSU President Joe Bertolino said, “I am delighted to welcome the New Haven Symphony Orchestra to our campus once again. With this partnership, both Southern and NHSO will enjoy new opportunities for educational and cultural enrichment, amplifying the university’s commitment to access as a key facet of its social justice mission.”
Audiences who are interested in hearing the Symphony in action at the Lyman Center can get a preview of the residency at two concerts being performed at SCSU this month. On Friday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m., the orchestra will perform Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” and music from the opera “The Snowy Day” written by NHSO Composer-in-Residence Joel Thompson. On Sunday, March 27 at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., the orchestra will perform free “Young People’s Concerts,” a dynamic introduction to the orchestra designed for kids. Tickets and information can be found at NewHavenSymphony.org or by calling (203) 787-4282.
About the New Haven Symphony Orchestra
The fourth-oldest orchestra in America, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra’s exceptional and accessible performances and education programs reach more than 40,000 audience members and 20,000 students each year. Innovative programming and a dedication to the commission of new works inspires deeper audience engagement and meaningful artistic and educational collaborations. Through the nationally-acclaimed Harmony Fellowship program, as well as numerous award-winning education and community engagement programs, the Symphony strives to be a leader for racial equity in the arts. To learn more about the NHSO, visit NewHavenSymphony.org.
About Southern Connecticut State University
Southern Connecticut State University is a flourishing community of more than 8,500 students, two-thirds of whom are undergraduates. Through its 128-year history, Southern has grown from its roots as a small teacher-training school to a modern, urban, diversified center of higher learning, expanding both its undergraduate and graduate programs in the School of Business and the Colleges of Arts & Sciences, Education and Health and Human Services. Southern also continues a proud tradition of offering learning opportunities to many students who are the first in their families to attend college. With its commitment to access, social justice, and community engagement; a diverse and talented student body; an accomplished and dedicated faculty; and a state-of-the-art campus, Southern plays a prominent role in Connecticut’s educational landscape. Since 1893, the university has awarded degrees to more than 95,000 alumni who live in all 50 states and around the world.
