“The Handel and Haydn Society is extending the contract of artistic director Harry Christophers for another three years, lengthening the English maestro’s tenure with the period-instrument orchestra through the 2020-21 season,” writes Malcolm Gay in Friday’s (2/10) Boston Globe. “Since his inaugural 2009-10 season as artistic director, Christophers has focused the two-century-old orchestra’s repertoire, leading its musicians on two national tours and embarking on an ambitious recording series that so far includes 10 CDs. Last fall, Handel and Haydn announced that it had raised more than $13.5 million in a fund-raising campaign for its endowment, a bicentennial celebration, and other initiatives…. Handel and Haydn president and CEO David Snead said the two began discussing the conductor’s contract last spring amid plans to raise the orchestra’s national profile.… The orchestra’s upcoming performances at Tanglewood in August and at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in April are important steps toward extending the orchestra’s reach.… The orchestra will debut this June at the Connecticut Early Music Festival.” Snead said, “The growth of Handel and Haydn artistically under Harry’s tenure is a major factor in people wanting to support us, stabilize the finances, and set us up for continued success.”
Posted February 10, 2017
