Our Mission
SECCO connects and supports volunteer musicians, inspiring them to share their joy of music through the practice and performance of symphonic literature in community spaces.
We aspire to perform all our activities in alignment with the shared values of accountability, respect, transparency, teamwork, inclusion, and community.
Our Beginnings
In the spring of 2022, a group of volunteer musicians gathered with the goal of creating beautiful music in a supportive, inclusive environment. When we realized there was enough interest to support a community orchestra, we incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We are cosponsored by the Town of Waterford Department of Recreation and Parks, where we hold our rehearsals on Wednesday evenings.
Music Director
Hilarie Clark Moore is a composer, orchestral conductor, chamber ensemble coach, music teacher, theorist, and freelance musician on the French horn. Her curiosity and desire to learn everything she can about music – its history, the theory, and performance practices – has motivated her to approach music from all angles. Her education blends both music academia and music performance. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree in French horn performance from the University of Connecticut and a Ph.D. in music theory from Yale University. As a music theorist, she has presented academic papers for both the Society of Music Theorists and the New England Conference of Music Theorists, in addition to teaching music theory at both Yale University and the State University of New York, Orange County Community College. As a professional freelance musician on the French horn, she has performed in both local and international symphony orchestras and opera companies.
As an orchestral conductor, Hilarie Clark Moore has over 25 years of experience conducting community orchestras. Presently, she conducts the Southeastern Connecticut Community Orchestra (SECCO) and the Cheshire Symphony Orchestra in her home state of Connecticut. Her conducting resumé includes serving as Assistant Conductor for the Hudson Opera Theatre, conducting Sweeney Todd for SummerStar Theatre, being the founding conductor for the SUNY Orange Community Orchestra, and more. In addition to conducting, she is the founder and principal coach of Chamber Music by the River, a weekend chamber music festival she runs from her music studio.
Her first major work is The Fishergirl, a hybrid between opera and musical theatre where she expresses her unique voice in her ‘Post Romantic’ compositional style. James Kuslan (www.jameskuslan.com), a writer for Opera News, complimented her for creating an “alluring musical language” and said one of her songs, “Who Beat You?”, was “totally gripping in that its psychological complexity is rendered musically.”
Board of Directors
President: Susan Butler
Vice President: William Shea
Treasurer: Donna Piacenza
Secretary: Kathleen Mason
Officers: Jo Ambrosini, Kate Lamoureux, Theresa Mazzaferro, Cindy McGrath, Don Wallace, and Hilarie Clark Moore (ex officio)
Join
We rehearse Wednesdays from 6:45-8:45 pm
Waterford Community Center, 24 Rope Ferry Road, Waterford, CT 06385
We currently have openings for strings and percussion. All others, please contact us for more information. There are no auditions, and you’re encouraged to join us for a rehearsal to see if SECCO is right for you. We work together to help musicians of all levels and backgrounds feel included and supported.
Contact
SECCO, PO Box 484, Waterford, CT 06385
seccorchestra@gmail.com
Support
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, SECCO welcomes donors who are passionate about supporting our mission to connect and support volunteer musicians and share the joy of music through the practice and performance of symphonic literature in community spaces.
To learn more about donation opportunities, please click here.