The Hartford Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Carolyn Kuan in performance.
“The Hartford Symphony Orchestra announced that its executive director, Steve Collins, is now president and CEO, and announced that its DEI, Education and Community Engagement Department will now be called the Learning and Social Impact Department,” writes Susan Dunne in Monday’s (3/28) Hartford Courant (CT). “Collins, in an interview, said the adjusted titles are more than just name changes, but reflect new emphases…. The new Learning and Social Impact Department, staffed by Timothy Brown and Jennifer Phipps, reflects ‘a broad and very significant change in the way our organization, and all arts organizations, relate to our communities,’ … he said. The HSO, he said, has been working towards promoting diversity in several ways, including seeking out staff and board members who represent a variety of cultural perspective [and] presenting more diverse offerings…. Upcoming initiatives, Collins said, are a fellowship program for BIPOC early-career musicians, which he hopes to begin in October, and a three-year Black artist-in-residence program…. Regarding his own position, Collins said, … ‘I will be … making sure the HSO is maximizing its community impact and expanding our reach… Previously, my role has been focused … on the orchestra’s internal structure, operations, general management.’ ”
