We all know that the word “celebrate” gets used way too much at this special time of year but, if we focus on our lives and those of the people around us, we can find many reasons to practice what the word means.  We have access to medicines and health care as well as the many doctors who help us stay healthy.  We have family and friends with whom we can have gatherings, renew relationships, and see how we all have changed for the better in the last year or two. We also remember those we have lost and take comfort in our memories as we think of the special times and events we shared with them.

If we look more closely around us, we are surrounded with many events and happenings at this time of year that remind us how special this holiday season can be. Many of us were able to attend the Symphony’s Holiday Pops performances and listen to wonderful music of the holiday season under the direction of our Maestro, John Morris Russell.

All the members of the orchestra and the chorus delight in playing and singing, and we certainly enjoy listening with our family and friends—and now we are able to fill the entire church with people who appreciate our orchestra.

Let’s carry those good feelings of fun and frolic with us as we go forward towards a new year where, hopefully, we will again celebrate new people, events, gatherings, and music as we go forth. During the rest of the season at the HHSO, we can enjoy six more performances during the next five months, including an offering of the Maestro’s favorite hits. In addition, we will return with Symphony under the Stars in the Spring. Plus, the International Piano Competition will celebrate its twenty-fifth year of marvelous and talented pianists from around the world.

So, yes, Santa, we have many patrons and donors to thank for their generous contributions to the Symphony, and we all look forward to enjoying the performances of 2022.

I wish each of you a joyous holiday season. May music continue to fill our lives.

—Mike Harter, Chair, Board of Directors

There is great music planned, of course. John Morris Russell kicks off 2022 with Tchaikovsky’s “titanic” (his word) Fifth Symphony, a work that moves from despair and darkness to gleaming triumph.  It’s an orchestra showpiece that is guaranteed to thrill. Later in January, we welcome longtime Annapolis Symphony Orchestra Music Director José-Luis Novo as guest conductor for a program of music by Astor Piazzolla (the tango king!), Maurice Ravel, Manuel de Falla, and the “Spanish Beethoven,” Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga. Grammy winner Hector del Curto will perform Piazzolla’s Acongagua; Concerto for Bandoneón—when was the last time you heard a bandoneon concerto? John Morris Russell is the main feature in early February, as we fete his 10 years here with a program of “JMR’s Greatest Hits.” Grammy-winning violinist Tessa Lark makes her HHSO debut performing Dvořák’s Violin Concerto in a “meat and potatoes” program that concludes with Brahms’ Third Symphony.

March opens with the 25th Hilton Head International Piano Competition; this year, with the Senior Division (ages 18-30). Later that month, the eyes of the classical music world will be on Hilton Head Island as the HHSO presents the World Premiere performances of a new piano concerto by Jessie Montgomery—literally, the most performed living composer today! Another orchestra showpiece, Scheherazade, closes that program. The Orchestra Series finale will feature a cavalcade of dancers and dance ensembles in a raucous “Dance Party!” finale.

On top of all that, Symphony Under The Stars returns to Honey Horn in early April. We have the Youth Concerto Competition, Chamber Music Institute, and Young People’s Concerts all planned, too. And, then there’s SoundWaves; we’ll be adding some popular pre-pandemic offerings to our phenomenally successful Supper Club in the new year. It’s starting to feel like normal, again!

I’m sorry if this sounds more commercial-y than what you expect in Overtures. The truth is that we haven’t done a lot of marketing this season since capacity limitations resulted in few tickets available for sale. Now that we can again fill the house at First Presbyterian Church, we are eager for patrons to resume their ticket-buying habits, complete with the assurance that our protocols will provide a safe environment in which to experience live concerts.

In reflection, we saw the best in our patrons during the pandemic shutdown. Contributors came through with generous donations, even though our offerings were severely limited. Ticket buyers continued to purchase tickets, even though the certainty of being able to use them was in doubt. Many also converted their tickets into donations when concerts were cancelled or moved to online streaming. You, our family, stuck with the HHSO through the challenges. You were there for us, and now it is the HHSO’s turn to be there for you.

On behalf of the entire HHSO family, I wish you joyous, blessed, and peaceful holidays. We hope you will take advantage of the many musical offerings we have to share with you in 2022.  Thank you!

—Alan Jordan, HHSO President and CEO

Riding high on the success of our newest SoundWaves concert series, Coastal Home Supper Club, we closed out our 2021 monthly installments pairing food and music with a most festive dinner and cabaret evening titled Santa Baby. Supper Club’s artistic visionaries, vocalist Gretchen Kristine Stelzer and pianist Kenny Munshaw, delightfully filled all who were in attendance with the holiday spirit. Gretchen and Kenny’s stylish mix of holiday favorites were wrapped with a bright big musical Christmas bow by Supper Club newcomer, bassist Karl Kimmel, who secured his name on Santa’s good list laying down a funky Christmas groove. 

We extend our sincerest appreciation to Steve and Heidi of title sponsor Coastal Home for their inspiration and support of this series. Together, we have some unique and exciting program ideas in store for 2022 including feature appearances showcasing talents of HHSO orchestra series guest artists. Also, we say thank you to our good Coligny Plaza neighbors at Skillets who provided a hearty, warm meal to start out the fine evening on December 19th. (Appreciation also to FISH Casual Coastal Seafood, Rockfish Seafood and Steaks, and Sandbar Beach Eats for providing scrumptious dinners for Supper Clubs earlier this season.) We thank, too, our volunteer usher crew of Santa’s elves for their work throughout this series.

In other news, SoundWaves activity since our last newsletter, Overtures, included the long-anticipated and well-received return of IPC 2016 winner, ChangYong Shin, as well as several educational sessions organized by community partner Lifelong Learning of Hilton Head Island. The Camera Club of Hilton Head Island restored its meetings at SoundWaves and, like The World Affairs Council of Hilton Head, have scheduled numerous activities for Winter/Spring 2022.

Upcoming Event: Mark your calendar for our 2022 Youth Concerto Competition, set for Saturday, January 29th at SoundWaves. Be the first to hear these amazing young talents who as finalists rose above all applicants from the eligible states in the Southeastern United States. Lend your critical ear to determine who will win, and then look for that young musician to appear with HHSO next season under the direction of John Morris Russell.

Wishes to all for a Happy New Year! When you are around and about town, I invite you to tell your friends about our cozy home. 

See you at SoundWaves!

—Mario Incorvaia, HHSO Chief Operating Officer

The HHSO affirms that all races are equal. We intentionally and systematically support HHSO policies and practices in our organization that promote opportunities for full advancement of African-Americans and other marginalized groups that have been denied equal access and opportunity. Our local situation gives good historical example of the possibility for transformative change. That example is Mitchelville, one of our Lowcountry’s treasures. It was a bold and brave experiment of 1861, before the Emancipation Proclamation, in which formerly enslaved people were granted land and provisions to build homes and to establish a working town that was self-governing. The HHSO recognizes that self-governance and mastery depend on equal opportunity.

So, we seize the current adverse racial situation as our opportunity to become a positive change agent that will actively pursue diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in all of our policies, programs, staff, committees, and Board.

The HHSO recognizes that racial inequity is systemic throughout our society. The HHSO therefore will examine its operations to address any racial inequality in our organization. We will work to eradicate any such adverse influence and to ensure that racial equality is integral to our mission and to implementation of our administrative and programming activities. We commit to all processes that will help us achieve our racial equity goal. We are committed to a racially inclusive approach in all that we do because we respect and value diverse racial heritages and know that hearing diverse voices will enrich what we have to offer.

Programs and Musicians: We shall schedule more performances of orchestral music by composers of color. We will be conscientious in recruitment, hiring, and advancement of musicians of color for all standard programs and competitions.

Staff:We will be deliberate in our effort to attract racially diverse staff in our recruitment and hiring activities and commit to providing equitable advancement opportunities for them.

Board of Directors:The HHSO Board pledges to seek increased representation of racially diverse directors and actively encourage opportunity for their Board leadership.

We respect diverse life experiences and work to ensure that all voices are heard and valued, and commit to creating a more comprehensive action plan that addresses diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging for all marginalized groups.

Adopted August 12, 2020