Arts & Ideas Fest: New Haven Symphony Orchestra On The Green June 11

NEW HAVEN, CT —The International Festival of Arts & Ideas will celebrate its return to a fully in-person season with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Broadway legend Brian Stokes Mitchell and celebrated soprano Harolyn Blackwell, June 11 at 7 p.m. in a free, outdoor concert on the New Haven Green.

The New Haven Symphony Orchestra is the fourth-oldest in America.

This event marks the first performance on the New Haven Green of the full New Haven Symphony since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a welcome return to outdoor performances for friends and neighbors. The evening will be conducted by NHSO music director Alasdair Neale and will also include performances by opera singer & Yale professor Albert R. Lee, electric cellist Jonathan Moore and jazz pianist, drummer, and composer Anton Kot.

The audience will be invited to sing from their seats on the Green in an all-city performance of Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing with a special roster of hometown heroes in an onstage choir.

The Festival is thrilled to begin its in-person programming--running now through June 26--with a longstanding partnership. Festival Programming Director Malakhi Eason is “delighted” to welcome the New Haven Symphony Orchestra back to the green on June 11. “This evening shows that arts organizations working in partnership impact their communities significantly. When we work together, we can get so much further; you'll see this manifested on stage.”

The return to a fully in-person Festival and to a full orchestra concert on the Green is a joyous occasion that “welcomes an entire city to our central Green for a free concert with some of New Haven’s brilliant lights, playing alongside the renowned Brian Stokes Mitchell and Harolyn Blackwell. An event like this reminds us that joy is a choice, a gift, and a necessity that we owe to ourselves and each other,” says Festival Executive Director Shelley Quiala. “I can’t wait to center joy in the center of our city as we kick off the 27th annual International Festival of Arts & Ideas.” For a full schedule of Festival events, visit artidea.org/calendar.

In the case of inclement weather, the performance will be moved indoors to the Lyman Center for the Performing Arts at Southern Connecticut State University. Weather changes will be posted to the Festival and the Symphony’s website and social media channels.

About the International Festival of Arts & Ideas

The International Festival of Arts & Ideas is a year-round organization that culminates with an annual celebration of performing arts, lectures, and conversations each summer in New Haven, Connecticut. The Festival convenes leading artists, thought leaders, and innovators from around the world for dynamic public programs to engage, entertain, and inspire a diversity of communities. In 2022, more than 85% of Festival programs will be free to the public, including events that feature some of the most influential musical, dance, and theater artists of our time.
The 2022 Festival marks a return to fully in person programming with live-streams in downtown New Haven, in the heart of the northeast corridor, two and a half hours south of Boston and 90 minutes north of New York City.

The Festival’s programs have an impact throughout the year and include additional performances, educational opportunities, and the annual Visionary Leadership Award. The Festival was established in 1996, by Anne Calabresi, Jean M. Handley, and Roslyn Meyer, who envisioned an annual celebration in New Haven—a city steeped in a rich array of cultural and educational traditions—distinguished from other arts festivals by its fusion of the arts with events centered on sharing ideas.

The Festival is presented with major support from Yale University, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, Connecticut Office of the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts with additional support from The City of New Haven, Connecticut Humanities, a non-profit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, media sponsor Connecticut Public, and our generous community of individual supporters.
Additional support has been provided to the International Festival of Arts & Ideas from CT Humanities (CTH), with funding provided by the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) from the Connecticut State Legislature.

About the New Haven Symphony Orchestra
The fourth-oldest orchestra in America, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra’s exceptional and accessible performances and education programs reach more than 40,000 audience members and 20,000 students in a typical year. Innovative programming and a dedication to the commission of new works inspires deeper audience engagement and meaningful artistic and educational collaborations. Through the nationally-acclaimed Harmony Fellowship program, as well as numerous award-winning education and community engagement programs, the Symphony strives to be a leader for racial equity in the arts. To learn more about the NHSO, visit NewHavenSymphony.org.