Handel + Hayden Society To Honor Deborah Borda At The Society Ball Gala On April 28

The Handel and Haydn Society will honor Deborah Borda, president and CEO of the New York Philharmonic, for her extraordinary contributions to the field of classical music at the 2018 Society Ball, "A Celebration of Heroes and Heroines."

The festive evening of cocktails, dinner, live and silent auctions, and dancing to the Bo Winiker Band will take place on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston. The event will also feature musical performances by the Young Women's Chorus, Concertmaster Aisslinn Nosky and members of the H+H Chorus.

Deborah Borda began her career at the Handel and Haydn Society, serving as manager forty years ago. Borda became the first woman in recent history to manage a major American symphony orchestra when she was appointed Executive Director of the New York Philharmonic in 1991, and subsequently guided the Orchestra through a period of artistic and fiscal growth. Prior to her current role at the New York Philharmonic, Borda achieved great success as President and CEO at the Los Angeles Philharmonic, reinvigorating plans to build and launch Walt Disney Concert Hall, reimagining and expanding the scope of the organization's presentations there. In 2009, she captured the classical music world's attention by spearheading the appointment of Gustavo Dudamel as Music Director. In partnership with Dudamel, Borda invested in a host of groundbreaking educational initiatives including the founding of YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles), which provides free after-school instrumental instruction to children in underserved communities throughout Los Angeles.

Within her first few months after returning to the New York Philharmonic in 2017, Borda announced the completion of a $50 million launch fund to usher in a new era of fiscal stability for the orchestra. She and Music Director Designate Jaap van Zweden revealed the programs and projects of the Maestro's inaugural season in 2018-19, reflecting their plans to reconceive the Orchestra's engagement with timely social issues, connect with New York City, and redouble the Philharmonic's commitment to innovation, collaboration, and new music.

"On behalf of the Handel and Haydn Society, I'm honored to have the opportunity to recognize one of my personal musical heroes," said H+H President and CEO David Snead. "Deborah has pushed the boundaries of the American symphony orchestra, championing innovation and community engagement, reaching many more people with classical music. Her work in LA was unmatched and I'm looking forward to seeing what she achieves at the New York Philharmonic."

The Handel and Haydn Society will also recognize principal flutist Christopher Krueger at The Society Ball. Krueger, who has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, among others, will be retiring from the Handel and Haydn Orchestra in 2018 after 40 years of performing.

Proceeds from The Society Ball benefit the Handel and Haydn Society and its education programs, which serve 11,500 students in Greater Boston through public school performances, youth choruses, and in-school music instruction. Tickets for The Society Ball are available online at https://handelandhaydn.org/the-society-ball, or by calling 617.262.1815 or emailing brook@handelandhaydn.org.

About the Handel and Haydn Society
Internationally acclaimed for its performances of Baroque and Classical music, H+H's Orchestra and Chorus delight more than 50,000 listeners each year with a 10-concert subscription series at Symphony Hall and other leading venues, in addition to a robust program of intimate events in museums, schools, and community centers. Founded in Boston in 1815, H+H is the oldest continuously-performing arts organization in the United States, and is unique among American ensembles for its longevity, capacity for reinvention, and distinguished history of premieres. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Harry Christophers, the ensemble embraces historically informed performance, bringing classical music to life with the same immediacy it had the day it was written. Through the Karen S. and George D. Levy Education Program, H+H also provides engaging, accessible, and broadly inclusive music education to more than 11,500 children each year through in-school music instruction and a Vocal Arts Program that includes six youth choruses.

In addition to its subscription series, tours, and broadcast performances, H+H reaches a worldwide audience through ambitious recordings including Mozart + Haydn (Vol. 1), Haydn (Vol. 1-3), the critically-acclaimed Haydn: The Creation, the best-selling Joy to the World: An American Christmas, and Handel Messiah, recorded live at Symphony Hall under Christophers' direction. For more information, visit handelandhaydn.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.