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When an English woman
named Elizabeth Haddon from a Quaker family first gave her name to
Haddonfield in about 1701 it probably never went through her mind that the
name would be adopted by one of only three professional training
orchestras in the USA, alongside the New World Symphony in Miami and
Chicago's Civic Orchestra.
Now known as Symphony in C, and recognized internationally as a world-class training ground, the orchestra's musicians are selected from some of the most respected conservatories and universities in the region such as the Curtis Institute of Music, The Manhattan School of Music, and Princeton University.
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Launched
in 1952 the orchestra was originally staffed by unpaid volunteers, who did
everything from stuffing mail outs into envelopes, helping the members of
the audience to find their seats and organising fund-raising; possibly the
most important function considering the tiny budget available! Getting by
on a shoestring is never easy however, and tensions arose between the
musicians and the management which culminated in an all out strike by the
former, many of whom resigned and moved elsewhere. Haddonfield Symphony
was now at a crossroads; and a decision was made to change its focus to
providing a midway facility between college and work in a fully fledged
orchestra, as an opportunity for promising music students to gain
additional training in the real world. The repertoire is varied and
challenging, giving the musicians taste of the hard work and dedication
which is a major part of the life of a professional musician, and many of
these young people are then able to carry on for a career with major
orchestras.
