Page 58 - BusinessWest February 19, 2024

“Without
the arts, we’d have trouble attracting new residents and new businesses. And there’s a lot of economic spinoff.”
Leaders of both Springfield Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Chamber Players are gratified to be bringing music back to both Symphony Hall (pictured) and smaller venues around the region.
programming for youth.
“We are deeply involved in finding creative solutions, ways
to reach out. This is a giant opportunity to reach all kinds of members of our community who might like to learn more about music — classical music, symphonic music, all the various forms of music that we can touch,” he said.
Meanwhile, through a program called Beethoven’s Buddies, people can donate money toward free tickets for those who might not be able to afford one. “Whatever your situation is, we want you to come to these concerts to hear this music and have a wonderful time,” he explained. “We’re excited about that. It’s also another way that we can reach into our community to pull in people as donors and sponsors.”
A long-time program called the Springfield Symphony Youth
Orchestra is going strong as well, Lambert said, and the SSO just hired an education director, Caitlin Meyer, who has been engaging with public schools and colleges on everything from internships to educational programming and performances.
“That’s a critical piece in the equation,” Lambert added. “So many people, including members of my board, have told me, ‘the first time I ever heard a symphony orchestra was in school.’”
Meanwhile, Springfield Chamber Players recently presented educational outreach concerts at the Berkshire School in Sheffield and the Community Music School of Springfield.
Meeting young people where they are is simply a matter of survival for performing-arts organizations, said Mark Auerbach, Marketing and Public Relations director for Springfield Chamber Players.
“A lot of people who go to symphonies and come to our concerts are on the older side. And it’s partly
because the music programs in schools are not what they were 30 or 40 years ago,” he noted. “If we can get family concerts going, educational concerts going, and interest kids and young adults to come to concerts, hopefully they will stay and grow with us.”
Welty is glad the SSO is doing grant-funded youth outreach because the budget for Springfield Chamber Players is limited, so it needs to be a group effort.
“I’ve been with the symphony 40 years, and we used to have a really robust school presence. We’d send a trio or a quartet to play for kids, talk to them, and answer questions. And they later came to Symphony Hall to hear the whole orchestra,” she recalled. “I think they want to bring that back. We have to be developing the next generation of audience members.”
Part of the growth and outreach is simply broadening the definition of what an SSO concert is, Lambert told BusinessWest.
“A lot of folks think of a certain type of music from Western Europe, from the 18th and 19th century. And I love that music.
United Way of Pioneer Valley congratulates the 2024 Difference Makers Award winners
Make a difference through volunteerism with United Way of Pioneer Valley’s VolunteerConnect initiative and Dora D. Robinson Women’s Leadership Council
Dora D. Robinson
A38 2024
BusinessWest