Orchestra > About the Orchestra of Indian Hill
About the Orchestra Of Indian Hill


One of the leading professional orchestras in the Greater Boston area, The Orchestra of Indian Hill presents six classical and two pops concerts at Littleton High School Performing Arts Center. Music Director Bruce Hangen has led the ensemble since his appointment in 1997. Performing a broad range of repertoire from the Baroque to works by 21^st century composers, The Orchestra is comprised of 75 professional musicians, many of whom perform with the Boston Pops and other renowned classical ensembles.

The Orchestra of Indian Hill originated as the Indian Hill Chamber Orchestra. Founded in 1975, the orchestra was a primarily volunteer ensemble of amateur, semi-professional and local professional players lead by guest conductors who performed in churches and schools in the Massachusetts communities of Groton, Littleton and Ayer. The 1979-80 season marked the arrival of Paul Gay as the first music director. In 1985, a chamber music series was established at an art gallery in Groton, which thrives and continues today. Over the ensuing decade, the orchestra grew, enlisted more professional musicians and increased programming. This expansion resulted in the renaming of the orchestra to the Indian Hill Symphony in 1989 and The Orchestra of Indian Hill in 2004.

Over its 33-year history, the orchestra has appeared in many area communities, has collaborated with a number of distinguished choral groups, and has staged opera productions such as Madame Butterfly and La Boheme. In his review of La Boheme, Boston Globe critic Richard Dyer said, "It is not always necessary to travel to the great opera houses of the world to hear a convincing performance ... an excellent orchestra, the Indian Hill Symphony." Acclaimed guests soloists includes David Kim, Christopher O'Riley, Leslie Parnas, Russell Sherman, and Joseph Silverstein. The orchestra has also commissioned new works by a variety of modern day composers including David Amram, Libby Larsen, Joyce Mekeel, Tison Street, David Kechley and George Tsontakis. The achievements of the The Orchestra of Indian Hill have been recognized through numerous awards and grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, major corporations and foundations and the National Endowment for the Arts.