The Thayer Symphony Orchestra, based in Leominster, Massachusetts, has “officially changed its name to the New England Symphony Orchestra,” states an unsigned report in Wednesday’s (7/20) Sentinel & Enterprise (Fitchburg, Mass.). “The decision to change the name was approved by a vote of the orchestra’s board of directors during its recent annual meeting in June…. The name change is just one component of the orchestra’s strategic plan to continue its growth and broaden its future audience, which also included hiring current Music Director John Roderick MacDonald after the retirement of former Director Francis Wada [in 2014].… At the start, the Thayer Symphony Orchestra, now in its 42nd year, was affiliated with the Thayer Conservatory at Atlantic Union College in Lancaster…. The two organizations are no longer connected…. An inaugural concert celebrating the orchestra’s new name—and new conductor—is scheduled to be held Saturday, Oct. 1, at Clinton Town Hall. The performance will feature music from film and theater, including songs from ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and the Harry Potter films.”
Posted July 20, 2016
