DSO Clef Notes: Summer 2016 ?

The Delaware Symphony has been an integral part of the cultural fabric of our Brandywine Valley for well over a century.  Started by A. I. duPont as a small orchestra for powder mill workers it grew over the decades eventually becoming the fully professional orchestra it is today. And at each stage of its growth, the DSO has found ways to connect with the community it serves.  

Growth is never a smooth, even process. Instead, it happens in lurches.  After riding the perilous wake of the financial crisis, we found ourselves in a place that invited growth and change. With the hiring of Alan Jordan, one of the industry’s most well-respected and skilled managers, we have embraced it.  We are making sure the DSO will be a healthy, vibrant part of our state for generations by dissolving boundaries between our art and audience, making it accessible to both the curious neophyte and the seasoned connoisseur. We are striving to be meaningful, relevant and accessible for all Delawareans.

Through our efforts, and yours—classical music lives in our state.  The roster of orchestras that have been existentially threatened is long and has demonstrated that size, stature, and quality of music-making have no bearing on the perilousness of an institution’s health.  We are no longer on that roster thanks to your help, and that of our gifted musicians, engaged board led by Charley Babcock, and a committed staff under the leadership of Alan Jordan. We are, instead, focussing on aligning our institutional values with our community’s priorities.

This past season—the season of the bells—was marked with excellent performances, world-class soloists, compelling music—both new and old—and a renewed commitment to our art, and to its place in our state. This coming season follows suit with perennial favorites like The Four Seasons, West Side Story and Bolero to great works by Dvorak, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Beethoven—and spectacular soloists like Alon Goldstein, Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson, Denyce Graves, Jinjoo Cho, and Sergei Babayan. 

Thank you for making classical music, and the Delaware Symphony, a priority!

I look forward to seeing you at our concerts!