STAMFORD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INC
263 TRESSER BLVD, STAMFORD, CT 06901 www.stamfordsymphony.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE ORGANIZATION'S PRIMARY EXEMPT PURPOSE IS TO PERFORM AND ENCOURAGE THE UNDERSTANDING, APPRECIATION, AND STUDY OF THE ART OF MUSIC. THE ORGANIZATION MANAGES AND SUPERVISES THE STAMFORD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, AS WELL AS PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS.

THE ORCHESTRA'S CORE PRESENTING SEASONSTAMFORD SYMPHONY PERFORMS 10 CLASSICAL SUBSCRIPTION CONCERTS EACH SEASON AT STAMFORD'S PALACE THEATRE AND OFFERS ADDITIONAL RECITALS AND CHAMBER MUSIC PERFORMANCES IN COMMUNITY VENUES INCLUDING ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, THE STAMFORD MUSEUM AND NATURE CENTER, AND STAMFORD LIBRARY. MICHAEL STERN, THE SYMPHONY'S MUSIC DIRECTOR DESIGNATE FOR THE 2019-20 SEASON, CONDUCTED THE OPENING WEEKEND CONCERTS FEATURING WORLD-RENOWNED PIANIST STEPHEN HOUGH, AND RETURNED IN FEBRUARY FOR THE BEETHOVEN 250 CELEBRATION WITH ACCLAIMED VIOLINIST PAMELA FRANK. OTHER PERFORMANCES INCLUDED AN ADDITIONAL WEEKEND OF CONCERTS AT THE PALACE THEATRE FEATURING SPANISH GUITAR AND A HOLIDAY CONCERT BY THE STAMFORD SYMPHONY BRASS, THE SEASON ALSO FEATURED A GALA CONCERT IN SEPTEMBER WHICH PAID TRIBUTE TO THE LATE LEGENDARY COMPOSER MARVIN HAMLISCH AND RAISED $250,000.STAMFORD SYMPHONY ALSO CONTINUED ITS POPULAR PERFORMANCE SERIES, SYMPHONY ON TAP, DESIGNED TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY MEMBERS UNDER THE AGE OF 40 WHO DO NOT HAVE A REGULAR HABIT OF CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT-GOING. HELD AT HALF FULL BREWERY IN STAMFORD, THE EVENTS FEATURE MEMBERS OF THE ORCHESTRA IN A MORE CASUAL AND INTIMATE SETTING THAN THE CONCERT HALL, PERFORMING AND ENGAGING THE AUDIENCE WITH DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THEIR INSTRUMENTS, THE MUSIC THEY WERE PLAYING, AND THEIR LIVES AS PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS. DUE TO THE RESTRICTIONS FORCED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, STAMFORD SYMPHONY WAS FORCED TO CANCEL ALL LIVE PROGRAMMING STARTING IN MID-MARCH, INCLUDING FOUR ORCHESTRAL CONCERTS AND A CHAMBER MUSIC PERFORMANCE. IN RESPONSE, THE SYMPHONY'S STAFF AND MUSICIANS IMMEDIATELY BEGAN WORK ON A NEW ONLINE PLATFORM, STAMFORD SYMPHONY CHANNEL, WHICH HAS PROVIDED FREE ACCESS TO EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCES, LECTURES AND INTERVIEWS, EDUCATION RESOURCES, AND MORE. MEMBERS OF THE ORCHESTRA WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN DONATING HOURS OF CONTENT TO THE CHANNEL. A HIGHLIGHT WAS A VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE OF "AMAZING GRACE" WHICH WAS DEDICATED TO HEALTHCARE WORKERS IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY WHO HAVE BEEN ARE ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION STAMFORD SYMPHONY IS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO OFFERING A BROAD RANGE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO ENRICH THE LIVES OF ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN OUR PROGRAMS. OUR MUSIC EDUCATION ACTIVITIES ENCOURAGE YOUNG PEOPLE TO EXPLORE, APPRECIATE, PERFORM, AND CREATE MUSIC, AND FREE CONCERTS IN COMMUNITY VENUES ENABLE US TO REACH A BROAD AND DIVERSE CROSS-SECTION OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY RESIDENTS.REFLECTING THIS COMMITMENT, WE CREATED THE NEW PART-TIME POSITION OF DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND HIRED DR. JANEY CHOI, A TALENTED MUSICIAN AND TEACHING ARTIST AT THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC, TO HELP US DETERMINE HOW WE CAN HAVE AN EVEN BROADER IMPACT BY ENGAGING AUTHENTICALLY WITH THE COMMUNITY AND CREATING NEW AND INSPIRING OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUDIENCES OF ALL AGES. COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES INCLUDED:LINK UP, A PARTNERSHIP WITH CARNEGIE HALL'S WEILL MUSIC INSTITUTE: LINK UP WAS DELIVERED TO ALL FOURTH GRADERS IN STAMFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLSAPPROXIMATELY 1,350 STUDENTS. USING A CURRICULUM BASED ON THE THEME "THE ORCHESTRA MOVES," STUDENTS LEARNED HOW COMPOSERS CREATE MUSICAL MOVEMENT USING MOTIFS, MELODIC DIRECTION, STEPS AND LEAPS, DYNAMICS, AND ORCHESTRATION. SCHOOL MUSIC TEACHERS, SUPPORTED BY CARNEGIE HALL'S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES AND SYMPHONY STAFF, GUIDED STUDENTS THROUGH THE CURRICULUM AND HELPED THEM EXPLORE ORCHESTRAL REPERTOIRE INCLUDING BEETHOVEN'S SYMPHONY NO. 5, STRAUSS'S THE BLUE DANUBE, THE "TOREADOR SONG" FROM CARMEN, AND MENDELSSOHN'S "NOCTURNE" FROM A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. STUDENTS ALSO PARTICIPATED ACTIVELY BY LEARNING TO PLAY THE RECORDER AND ENJOYED CLASSROOM VISITS FROM STAMFORD SYMPHONY MUSICIANS WHO GAVE INSTRUMENT DEMONSTRATIONS AND PERFORMED REPERTOIRE THE STUDENTS WERE LEARNING.THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE PROGRAM WAS A LIVE INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCE PRESENTED AT WESTHILL HIGH SCHOOL FEATURING MEMBERS OF THE STAMFORD SYMPHONY. AS ALWAYS, THIS WAS AN EXCITING DAY FOR STUDENTS AS THEY GOT TO SING AND PLAY THE RECORDER ALONGSIDE THE SYMPHONY. FOR MANY STUDENTS, IT WAS THEIR FIRST CONCERT EXPERIENCE AND SERVED AS A FUN AND INFORMATIVE INTRODUCTION TO CLASSICAL MUSIC AND CONCERT GOING. INSTRUMENT BOOTCAMPSIN THESE 90 MINUTE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, STUDENTS ARE PRESENTED WITH THE RARE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH AND LEARN FROM A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN FROM THE STAMFORD SYMPHONY. EACH BOOTCAMP INCLUDES INSTRUCTION ON INSTRUMENTAL TECHNIQUE, ONE-ON-ONE COACHING, DEMONSTRATIONS, AND A CHANCE FOR STUDENTS TO PLAY TOGETHER WITH THE INSTRUCTOR. PRIOR TO THE COVID-19 SHUTDOWN, INSTRUMENT BOOTCAMPS WERE HELD AT PARTNER SCHOOLS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BRIDGEPORT KEYS PROGRAM (KIDS EMPOWERED BY YOUR SUPPORT), YOUNG ARTISTS PHILHARMONIC IN GREENWICH, AND INTEMPO IN STAMFORD. BOOTCAMPS HAVE PROVEN TO BE INSPIRATIONAL AS WELL AS INSTRUCTIONAL, AS STUDENTS HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK WITH A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN ABOUT THEIR OWN STUDENT DAYS, THEIR CAREER PATH AND LIFE AS A MUSICIAN. MUSIKIDSMUSIKIDS OFFERS AN INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE FOR CHILDREN AGES 5 TO 12 AS PART OF THE SYMPHONY'S SUNDAY AFTERNOON CONCERT SERIES AT PALACE THEATRE. CHILDREN ARE INVITED TO COME ONE HOUR EARLY (AT 2:00 PM) TO ENJOY A FUN AND INFORMATIVE PRE-CONCERT PROGRAM LED BY A TALENTED AND ENTHUSIASTIC TEACHING ARTIST, WHO PREVIEWS THAT AFTERNOON'S CONCERT AND INTRODUCED RELEVANT MUSICAL CONCEPTS. CHILDREN ALSO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET THE CONDUCTOR AND SOLOIST FOR EACH CONCERT AND ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONCERT AND THEIR ROLES. FOR EACH CONCERT, CHILDREN RECEIVE THEIR OWN MUSIKIDS PROGRAM BOOK, DESIGNED ESPECIALLY FOR OUR YOUNGER AUDIENCE MEMBERS, WHICH INCLUDES THE CONCERT PROGRAM INFORMATION, ARTICLES WRITTEN BY OUR MUSICIANS, CONCERT ETIQUETTE TIPS, AND MUSICAL GAMES AND PUZZLES. ALL CHILDREN ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT ARE THEN WELCOMED TO ATTEND THE 3:00 P.M. CONCERT FOR FREE. DURING THE 2019-20 SEASON, MUSIKIDS PROGRAMS WERE PRESENTED PRIOR TO THE SIX CONCERTS PRESENTED AT THE PALACE THEATRE BEFORE THE COVID-19 SHUTDOWN, IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, AND FEBRUARY. ADVANCE THE ARTS EVERY YEAR THROUGH ADVANCE THE ARTS, THE STAMFORD SYMPHONY PROVIDES PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATIONS WITH FREE VOUCHERS FOR TICKETS TO ITS SUNDAY AFTERNOON CONCERT SERIES AT PALACE THEATRE. THE PTOS MAY SELL THE VOUCHERS, RETAINING THE PROCEEDS FOR THEIR SCHOOLS TO SUPPORT ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMS. FAMILIES WHO PURCHASE THE VOUCHERS ENJOY A FABULOUS COMMUNITY OUTING AT THE SYMPHONY, BEGINNING WITH THE 2:00 PM MUSIKIDS PROGRAM FOLLOWED AT 3:00 PM BY AN EXCITING MUSICAL PERFORMANCE BY THE FULL ORCHESTRA. DURING THE 201920 SEASON, 200 VOUCHERS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO LOCAL SCHOOLS. BEHIND THE BATONONE HOUR PRIOR TO EACH ORCHESTRAL PROGRAM AT PALACE THEATRE, THE SYMPHONY PRESENTED A PRE-CONCERT TALK FREE FOR ALL TICKET HOLDERS. THE PROGRAM'S CONDUCTOR, GUEST SOLOISTS, MEMBERS OF THE ORCHESTRA PLAYED MUSICAL EXAMPLES, SHARED INFORMATION AND THE COMPOSERS AND THE WORKS TO BE PERFORMED, SET THE PROGRAM IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT, AND ANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM PARTICIPANTS. DESIGNED FOR BOTH NEWCOMERS TO THE SYMPHONY AND REGULAR ATTENDEES, BEHIND THE BATON HELPS INCREASE THE AUDIENCES' UNDERSTANDING AND ENJOYMENT OF THE CONCERT.COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPSSTAMFORD SYMPHONY COLLABORATES WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHICH OFFER MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS, PARTICULARLY WITH THOSE WORKING WITH STUDENTS FROM UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. CURRENT PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDE PROJECT MUSIC, A FREE AFTER-SCHOOL MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS IN STAMFORD; INTEMPO, WHICH OFFERS A WELCOMING SPACE FOR MULTILINGUAL MUSIC EDUCATION, CULTURAL EXCHANGES, AND CULTURAL EXPRESSION; AND THE YOUNG ARTISTS PHILHARMONIC IN GREENWICH. THROUGH THESE PARTNERSHIPS, STAMFORD SYMPHONY OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR INSTRUCTION, COACHING, AND MENTORSHIP WITH ORCHESTRA MUSICIANS.

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