LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending the Hudson Valley Philharmonic upon
the occasion of its designation as recipient of the 2012 Friend of Arts
Award by the Mill Street Loft on March 8, 2012

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize that the
quality and character of life in the communities across New York State
are reflective of the concerned and dedicated efforts of those organiza-
tions and individuals who would devote themselves to the welfare of the
community and its citizenry; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
the Hudson Valley Philharmonic upon the occasion of its designation as
recipient of the 2012 Friend of Arts Award by the Mill Street Loft, to
be celebrated at its 15th Annual Friend of the Arts Award event on
Thursday, March 8, 2012 at the Grandview in Poughkeepsie, New York; and
WHEREAS, Twenty years ago, a young man wearing a pony-tail and cowboy
boots, was selected to be Music Director of the Hudson Valley Philhar-
monic (HVP); and
WHEREAS, The Hudson Valley Philharmonic began in 1932 when four Pough-
keepsie businessmen, who were also dedicated string players - George
Hagstrom, Sydney Fleishman, Charles T. Miller and Dr. Charles Hoffman -
joined with other local musicians to establish the Dutchess County Phil-
harmonic Orchestra (DCPO) with Hagstrom as its first conductor; and
WHEREAS, The DCPO was made up of amateurs, professionals and a number
of music students from surrounding high schools; and
WHEREAS, From 1945 to 1959, the DCPO was led by Ole Windingstad, a
European-trained conductor from Norway; under his baton, the orchestra
made its Carnegie Hall debut on October 29, 1953, performing works by
Greig and Sparre-Olsen; area audiences were also treated to an unforget-
table version of Prokofiev's classic "Peter and the Wolf" narrated by
former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt; and
WHEREAS, Claude Monteux, a world-class flutist and son of legendary
conductor Pierre Monteux, built the orchestra into a fully professional
ensemble and renamed it the Hudson Valley Philharmonic Society, Inc. to
signify its status as a regional enterprise serving Dutchess, Ulster,
Orange, Rockland and Columbia counties; and
WHEREAS, During the Monteux tenure from 1959-1976, the HVP introduced
educational Young People's Concerts and in-school chamber music programs
through its string, wind and brass quintets; and
WHEREAS, From 1976 to 1990 the HVP was guided by Imre Pallo, formerly
Director of the Deutsche Opera of the Rhein/Germany and New York City
Opera conductor; and
WHEREAS, With the assistance of a professional management team and
growing Board of Directors, Maestro Pallo introduced opera and dance
series, and in 1979 established a POPS series modeled after the success-
ful Boston Pops; and
WHEREAS, During the 1980s the HVP's arts-in-education youth and
outreach programs flourished and core orchestra members established even
stronger bonds in the community through their performing and teaching
activities; and
WHEREAS, A 33 year-old cultural and educational cornerstone of the
region, Maestro Randall Craig Fleischer has been the Music Director of
the Hudson Valley Philharmonic for the last 20 years; and
WHEREAS, Maestro Randall Craig Fleischer's boundless enthusiasm to
promote symphonic music in his new community is no better illustrated
than with his unforgettable visits to area organizations, including Mill

Street Loft's afterschool jobs training outreach programs for under-
served urban youth; and
WHEREAS, The HVP became a subsidiary of the Bardavon Opera House in
Poughkeepsie in 1999; Maestro Randall Fleischer continues to lead
orchestra series at the Bardavon and its Ulster Performing Arts
Center/Broadway Theater in Kingston; and
WHEREAS, The HVP also makes regular guest appearances at festival
venues, including: SUNY/New Paltz PianoSummer, Dutchess County Fair-
grounds 4th of July, and Bethel Woods Center for the Performing Arts;
and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when organiza-
tions of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend the Hudson Valley Philharmonic upon the occasion of its desig-
nation as recipient of the 2012 Friend of Arts Award by the Mill Street
Loft on March 8, 2012; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the Hudson Valley Philharmonic.