HV orchestra returns following 'year of silence' caused by futile contract negotiations
The two sides reached an agreement to part ways in spring 2024, and the orchestra held its first performance as member-run entity in May.
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The Hudson Valley's orchestra is making a comeback after a "year of silence" - under a slightly different name and very different management.
The new name: The Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra.
The new managers: Themselves.
The new executive director and conductor of the orchestra were shooting a promotional video for the upcoming Opening Gala at Middletown's historic Paramount Theater.
This comes just one year after the 50-member orchestra almost folded.
Since 2000, the orchestra had been managed by The Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie.
Negotiations for the 2023 schedule between the musicians and Bardavon management went poorly.
Orchestra co-chair Rachel Crozier said the Bardavon had decreased the number of shows and cut programs meant to pique interest in music among young people.
"We had one season of three concerts, and at the end of that, we had one full year of silence," Crozier said. "We got back to playing exactly one year after things had shut down."
During the final stretch of negotiations, the orchestra was prohibited from holding events at the Bardavon or any other venue.
The two sides reached an agreement to part ways in spring 2024, and the orchestra held its first performance as member-run entity in May.
Crozier, a lifelong violinist, is the new executive director.
She and others from the orchestra are currently serving as volunteers.
"Live orchestral music as a part of peoples' lives — That's very important in this day and age," conductor André Raphel said. "Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra is going to be one of the proponents."
Crozier said ticket sales cover 20% to 30% of the orchestra's budget.
The orchestra is seeking steady sponsorships and grants to make the operation more practical.
Rozier said the orchestra's last three shows at the Bardavon before the year-long silence were sold out.
Bardavon managers have not responded to multiple requests for comment for News 12's story.
