Every major city has one, or needs one: a group of independent, like-minded classical musicians who buck programming trends and play works by neglected (i.e. living) composers.
Ours is the Hartford Independent Chamber Orchestra, or HICO, who’ll perform works by Ken Steen, Robert Carl, Ryan Jesperson, Jessica Rudman and Frank Vasi — composers with ties to the Hartt School (Steen and Carl are profs) or the wider Connecticut classical scene — at Hartford’s Charter Oak Cultural Center. Here’s the twist: based on what they hear, audience members decide who gets a HICO commission for a work to be premiered in the 2015-16 season.
THE HARTFORD INDEPENDENT CHAMBER ORCHESTRA performs on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 to $20. Information: hicorchestra.com.
