Natalie Hubbs, of Stowe, and Harriet Grenier, of Waterbury, were recently elected Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, of the Central Vermont Friends of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. The appointments are effective January 1, 2010.
Natalie Hubbs and her husband, Tom, have lived in Stowe for almost 10 years. They moved from the Philadelphia area where Natalie taught music for 29 years. She has served on the Central Vermont Friends for two years, and is looking forward to becoming its Chair. “I’m excited to be able to serve the Orchestra in this increased capacity,” she says. Away from music Natalie enjoys skiing and tennis, and also volunteers at the Helen Day Art Center in Stowe.
Harriet Grenier, a retired music teacher and choir director, has served four years on the Central Vermont Friends as secretary and housing coordinator for traveling musicians. She has moved to the Vice Chair position and will continue her work as housing coordinator. She donates her time because the music excellence of the Vermont Symphony is worth the work and effort to bring music and artistry to all areas of Vermont.
Representing Lamoille and Washington counties, the Central Vermont Friends of the VSO is part of a statewide network of six regional boards that provide critical volunteer support for concerts and educational outreach.
Throughout the year, the VSO fosters appreciation of music in all its various forms, with emphasis on orchestral, choral and chamber music, bringing more than 40 orchestral concerts to venues around the state. Founded in 1935, the VSO is the oldest state-supported orchestra in the country. It is a professional orchestra, led by music director and noted violinist Jaime Laredo, who draws world-renowned guest soloists to perform in Vermont. The popular, multi-faceted SymphonyKids educational outreach program reached more than 23,000 Vermont school children last year through 171 performances for 159 different schools serving 142 towns. The VSO raises the common standard of musical education and enjoyment in Vermont, and provides quality programming at reasonable cost for audiences across the state.
