Heritage Hunt Concerts (HHC) Mission, Operations & History

Topics Covered

  • How HHC Operates
  • Partnership with HOA
  • 14 Years of Great Shows
  • Where We’re headed
  • HHC’s Early Days

How HHC Operates

Resident volunteers, operating in a business-like manner — while striving to bring residents the best shows they will pay for:

  • Select, contract for, price and (with support from LSTV and house staff) produce acts
  • Promote HHC shows — through emails, Horn ads, e-Communicator, HHTV, direct mailings, posters, and pre-show slides.
  • Accept reservations, collect payments and check in attendees
  • Control and account for receipts and disbursements

Partnership with the HOA

Through 8 years of operating solely with resident-supplied financing, HHC firmly demonstrated the financial viability of this highly-popular, resident-managed concert series.  

Relying upon this confidence-building track record, at the beginning of 2016,  the HOA undertook several resolutions and actions.  The HOA then:

  • Designated HHC shows as “HOA Events”
  • Adopted a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) establishing HHC as a perpetually-chartered activity and redefining its relationship to the HOA
  • Provided $20K in working capital to finance advances often required by residents’ increasingly-preferred, more upscale acts 

If the concert series ends, any residual funds go to the Association

14 Years of Great Shows

Prior to March, 2020, when our stage went dark, HHC presented nearly 150 shows to more than 25,000 resident concertgoers

They include:

  • The best Neil Diamond Tribute who flew from Las Vegas just for us
  • The Broadway co-stars of Les Miserables
  • Shirley Alston Reeves, a member of the rock and roll Hall of Fame
  • David Kim, Concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra
  • The finest Motown band we could find
  • The Bronx Wanderers who went on to star in Las Vegas

Where We’re Headed

Building on our well-received track record, each year, HHC develops a program mix of: 

  • Rock & Roll
  • Classical
  • A broad array of other genres including folk and country.
  • Dance parties to enhance the fun

We continue moving upwards by seeking out more prominent acts, national acts – sometimes with correspondingly higher costs.

We constantly strive to present:

 “The best possible shows at the best possible price.”

HHC’S Early Days

2008 founding

HHC was founded as a chartered HOA club, in the fall of 2008 by Bill and Jane Daly, Joan Donnelly, Bets Knepley, Frank Lamm, Linda Curtis, Danny Fisher, Jeanne Fisher, Richard Norton and Ken Duck. 

Over 700 residents have since signed up for HHC’s email list — which provides timely notice of our monthly programs.

In our first season, Heritage Hunt residents and their guests enjoyed eight classical programs — ranging from small ensembles to a 36-person orchestra. We even had a Viennese waltz program for Valentine’s Day, accompanied by chocolate-covered strawberries! 

The following summer, we launched a three-month Americana series — featuring distinctly-American musical genres that has since expanded to include Bluegrass, Jazz, Ragtime, Cajun, Dixieland, Swing and Rock ‘n Roll.

September’s resumption of classical programming  featured a solo piano performance by South African pianist, Petronel Malan — unfortunately resulting in the breakdown of the clubhouse piano, causing the artist to cancel her planned encore presentation.

Piano Donation

After the September 2009 failure of the former clubhouse piano, in early 2010, HHC purchased and donated to the HOA a brand new Mason and Hamlin AA piano, selected by a piano search committee assembled under the auspices of the HOA Facilities Committee. 

The following May, while receiving six standing ovations, Ukrainian pianist, Elena Ulyanove dedicated this marvelous instrument to the memory of Fritzee Lank, late wife of HHC member John J. Lank who provided three-quarters of the funds for its purchase. 

“Fritzee’s piano” plays an important role in our programming: in 2014 alone, we presented two classical solo performances, a trio reprising 30s & 40s movie and show tunes, a solo presentation of Hoagie Carmichael, George Gershwin and other favorites and a quintet dedicated to performing Brazilian tangos.

Audience members and artists alike continue to thoroughly enjoy this instrument. John Eaton, a frequent performer at the Barns of Wolf Trap, remarked: “You have to come all the way to Gainesville to get a decent piano.”