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The Hendricks Symphonic Society was founded in the spring of 2007 as a result of collaboration between a group of music lovers from Hendricks County and conductor Benjamin Del Vecchio, with the shared vision of making quality music available in the area for a reasonable cost. The initial call for auditions brought out 250 music lovers, from whom Maestro Del Vecchio selected a 75 member orchestra and an 85 member chorus.
Our first season consisted of seven concerts. A single free introductory concert in October 2007 was followed by three sets of pairs: The Messiah, "Spring into Opera," and Carmina Burana with the choir and orchestra performing together.
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In our second year, we expanded our subscription series to six pairs of concerts plus a free chamber concert at Bartlett Chapel United Methodist Church (from which several chamber groups evolved, which are available for community outreach). Included in the repertoire we have performed over the years are Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Brahms’ Requiem, Debussy’s Iberia, Dvorak’s New World Symphony, Poulenc’s Gloria, Schubert’s “Great,” Stravinsky’s Petrushka, and Verdi’s Requiem.
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Each year we perform a summer concert in a Hendricks County park. In 2008 and 2011, we played for the Fourth of July celebration at Hummel Park in Plainfield. In cooperation with White Lick Arts, we performed an all-American pops concert (2009) and Beethoven’s Ninth (2010) in Danville’s Ellis Park.
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As part of our educational outreach, we sponsor a Youth Concerto Competition and provide scholarships to encourage local talent. We also provide two in-school concerts for the Avon School System. (In 2011, we featured a special guest artist for Peter and the Wolf—a live wolf!) The society has invited the high school choirs from Plainfield and Avon and the student strings from Avon, Brownsburg and Ben Davis to perform with us.
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An initial grant by the Hendricks County Community Foundation got our first season off the ground, and the town of Avon later added its financial support. The Society filed incorporation papers with the state of Indiana and in 2008 received 501(c)(3) status from the IRS. Our budget grew from under $25,000 in 2007-08 to over $80,000 at present. In addition to ticket sales and program advertising, corporate and individual sponsors make our existence possible and help us fulfill our mission of bringing quality music to the area.
Hendricks Symphonic Society Mission Statement
The Hendricks Symphonic Society is a non-profit volunteer organization formed to provide an educational, cultural, and recreational outlet for talented area performers to share and promote the arts of choral and orchestral music, perform on a regular basis, and produce quality music for the community to enjoy.
The Hendricks Symphonic Society’s Mission is to provide a broad range of excellent classical music experiences for the community that INSPIRE, CHALLENGE, and EDUCATE our AUDIENCE, MUSICIANS, and STUDENTS. (The word ICE is used to remember the three components; Inspire, Challenge, and Educate. There is a connection between inspiring the audience, challenging the musicians, and educating students.)
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