Pulled from reports written by Cheri Comasco, organized by Abby Rolland
As part of The Presser Foundation’s drive to be more transparent and to amplify the work of its partners, it uses information from grant reports to highlight its grantees.
Each post will spotlight one partner, who has final say over the contents and structure of the post. In this way, the Foundation hopes to not only use information from grant reports (which often go unread and unused), but also to shine the light on many wonderful music organizations.
This post focuses on Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, a renowned cultural institution in Pennsylvania’s capital city that delivers exceptional classical and contemporary orchestral performances while enriching the community through diverse programming and educational outreach initiatives.
Background
The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra (HSO) can be traced back to the early 1930s when a group of dedicated and resourceful music lovers decided to form a symphony in the city of Harrisburg. The country was in the throes of the Great Depression, but the group forged ahead, giving their first concert at William Penn High School in Harrisburg on March 19, 1931. By the end of 1931 the orchestra had moved its concerts to the newly opened Forum Auditorium in the Education Building, part of the Capitol Complex, where it still performs to this day.
A typical season includes seven pairs of Masterworks concerts, five pairs of concerts on the Capital Blue Cross POPS Series, two Young Persons’ Concerts for school age children, and free outdoor concerts in several communities over the July 4th weekend. In addition, the Symphony season includes several educational activities, including Welcome to the Concert activities at Masterworks performances for school-aged children, in-school performances, and master classes featuring HSO musicians and guest artists.
The Masterworks Series presents the core classical repertoire, and highlights the work of today’s composers, including commissions. Prior to each concert, HSO offers a 30-minute Pre-Concert Lecture designed to enhance the audience’s knowledge and to bring the listeners closer to the music and musicians. Post-concert, Maestro Stuart Malina leads a lively “talk-back” session with guest artists, musicians from the Orchestra, and audience members.
Education
Operating under the umbrella of the Harrisburg Symphony is the Harrisburg Symphony Youth Orchestra (HSYO), founded in 1954 and one of the oldest youth symphonies in the country. There are three ensembles in the program: the Harrisburg Symphony Youth Orchestra for high school age musicians, the Junior Youth String Orchestra for middle school age musicians, and the Elementary String Orchestra for elementary musicians.
Entry is by competitive audition, and scholarships are available, with all ensembles performing three concerts throughout the academic year.
Audiences at Youth Symphony concerts continue to grow, and HSO believes that the Youth Symphony will continue to expand their reach into the community and potentially build a future HSO audience.
To build future audiences, HSO also offers Musical Chairs, a level of ticket pricing that makes concerts affordable to families with K-12 students. A subscription to all seven Masterworks concerts costs each family member—including the adults–only $49 ($7/concert). During intermission at Sunday afternoon Masterworks concerts, the HSO presents Welcome to the Concert, a brief program with activities for younger audiences (1st through 5th grade). The HSO Director of Education prepares activities that include informative discussions and a short musical demonstration. All students attending HSO concerts receive a specially prepared program book that presents concert information in an age-appropriate format. It includes composer bios, information about the works being performed, games, and interesting tidbits to direct their listening. This makes the entire concert experience enjoyable for the entire family.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access
HSO works in several ways, both via their operations and via programming, to address DEI.
Recent seasons have included both compositions and performances by BIPOC artists, including works by Valerie Coleman, Reena Ismail, Eunike Tanzil, and Joan Tower on the Masterworks Series, with soloists including Terrence Wilson and the Dalí Quartet.
Their free 4th of July concerts each year open the day to a diverse audience, with an average attendance of 10,000. On three to five successive nights, HSO performs in different venues in four counties, two of which are economically challenged.
Operationally, HSO continues to use a screened audition process. Additionally, they promote and participate in the National Alliance for Audition Support and Orchestral Partners Auditions, both programs of The Sphinx Organization (which focuses on increasing representation of Black and Latine artists in classical music).
The Governance Committee of the HSO Board actively recruits from underrepresented populations to ensure greater representation among board and committee members, and they continually examine their staff hiring practices and policies.
Collaboration
Every two seasons, HSO partners with local music organizations such as the Susquehanna Chorale, the Messiah College Concert Choir, and the Messiah Choral Arts Society to present large choral/ orchestral works.
They also strive to connect to the community through smaller collaborations, notably with the Dauphin County Library System to allow its members to ‘check out’ a free ticket to attend a concert, and with Harrisburg Public Schools Foundation for a used-instrument drive. Their Musician Residency program places HSO musicians with schools’ instrumental music programs on a repetitive basis throughout a school year where they teach small group lessons, chamber ensembles, and play side-by-side. These small-scale initiatives allow them to expand their reach and demystify classical music.
They have expanded their outreach even further by adding Masterclasses – entitled “Guest Artist Series”–to area colleges and high schools. This program places the guest artist from the HSO Masterworks weekend in a local college or high school to present a Masterclass for local participating students. Those students are then invited to attend a performance at no charge.
Impact
For over ten decades, the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra has remained a cornerstone of cultural excellence in central Pennsylvania. From its humble beginnings during the Great Depression to its current status as a multifaceted organization offering diverse programming, educational initiatives, and community partnerships, the HSO continues to evolve while maintaining its artistic integrity. Through its commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, the HSO not only enriches the cultural landscape but also contributes significantly to the regional economy.
It has been proven that the arts are essential to supporting a thriving economy, and HSO is no exception. Seventy-eight of their musicians are union contracted by the Harrisburg Symphony Association. HSO also contributes to the economy of the region as a small business. The $2.5 million they annually spend in the region includes hotel rooms for musicians (2,500 rooms/year), advertising agency and media purchases, design and printing, office and venue rent, insurance and benefits, and other local production and professional services.
As the HSO looks toward the future, it remains dedicated to its founding mission: bringing exceptional orchestral music to audiences of all ages and backgrounds while nurturing the next generation of musicians and music lovers. In the heart of Pennsylvania’s capital, the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra demonstrates how artistic excellence and community engagement can harmoniously coexist, creating cultural resonance that extends far beyond the walls of the Forum Auditorium.
