More Information About Our Membership
Rochester Music Alliance Members and Their Mission
The ensemble mission and programmatic choices of our member groups cover a wide variety of interests and abilities. Below, we have included more information, provided by them, that may be helpful.
Brighton Symphony Orchestra
Contact person(s): Michael Allentoff, Jonathan Allentoff, Ric Jones
Email: brightonsymphony@yahoo.com
Directed by Ric Jones, the Brighton Symphony Orchestra is the largest volunteer community service orchestra in Upstate New York, sponsored and partially funded by the Town of Brighton’s Recreation, Parks, and Community Services. Founded in 1974, the B.S.O. performs an annual series of free public concerts and on-site programs at senior living communities around the Rochester area. We have provided amateur and professional musicians with a friendly, enjoyable musical experience for over 40 years.
Our orchestra performs a wide range of repertoire including large symphonic masterpieces, contemporary works, pops, chamber music with the Rococo Project, and selections for chorus and orchestra with the Genesee Chorale.
Brockport Symphony Orchestra
Contact person: Michael Allentoff
Email: brockportco@yahoo.com
Founded in 2010 by Jonathan Allentoff and Dr. William Hullfish, the Brockport Symphony Orchestra is dedicated to sharing the joy of music with our community. Comprised of students, educators, community players, and professional musicians, our innovative orchestra collaborates with local and national soloists, ensembles, and arts organizations to create dynamic and interdisciplinary productions.
Our orchestra performs a wide range of repertoire including classics, pops, folk music, orchestral/choral masterpieces, film scores, music with dance, and new tuneful works. Many of the works performed are custom arrangements, manuscript restorations, or new compositions, and we enjoy presenting world premiere performances in every concert season.
Finger Lakes Symphony Orchestra
Contact person: Lois Michalko
Email: michalk@rochester.rr.com
Ensemble Mission: To provide orchestral music performances to communities in the Finger Lakes region. Members are all volunteer except for the conductor and concertmaster. Young Artist Competition is open to students through Grade 12 each spring, allowing them to perform as soloists with the orchestra.
Programmatic Choices: Classical and popular music genres
Flower City Ukulele Festival
Contact person: Carole Teegarden
Email: flowercityukefest@gmail.com
This annual festival occurs in October and has in the past been held at the First Unitarian Church of Rochester on Winton Road. This year the festival will take place on line.
The Flower City Ukulele Festival provides a fun and educational opportunity to make and hear music in a multi-general context that welcomes players of all levels and abilities. The festival creates a welcoming environment that strengthen our community, supports performing and teaching artists, and further contributes to positive change by donating a portion of the proceeds from each year’s festival to the Rochester Area Interfaith Hospitality Network (RAIHN).
Workshops are offered at multiple levels of ability and areas of interest. Concert performances feature local and nationally known artists.
Genesee Valley Orchestra and Chorus (GVOC)
Contact person: Lynn Duffy
Email: info@gvoc.org
GVOC is dedicated to providing opportunities for musical growth for its members and enriching the lives of area residents by presenting high quality musical performances throughout the Genesee Valley. GVOC aspires to be a thriving, diverse organization that reaches out to audiences of all ages, races, religions, cultures, and geographic regions within the Genesee Valley, a model community performing group, committed to the highest standards of performance, collaboration with community. Classical with approachable modern music; annual pops concert.
GVOC is a welcoming group and has lots of opportunities for its members. We’ve been around for 43 years and aspire to continue in that fashion through new partnerships within the community and sharing our love of music.
Greater Rochester Women’s Philharmonic
Contact person: Nancy Strelau
Email: Nstrela1@naz.edu
Ensemble Mission: Connect area musicians, welcome new musicians, perform professional level music.
Programmatic Choices: Eclectic
Greece Community Orchestra
Contact person: Jonathan Allentoff
Email: gcorchestra@yahoo.com
The Greece Community Orchestra is comprised of musicians of all ages who enjoy gathering together on Monday nights to share in the joy of music-making. In addition to presenting public concerts in the local community, our orchestra performs musical programs at local senior living communities.
Our orchestra performs both classical and popular works, and collaborates with local soloists and ensembles.
Greece Symphony Orchestra
Contact person(s): Jonathan Allentoff, David Fetler
Email: jonallentoff@aol.com
Founded and directed by Dr. David Fetler, the Symphony regularly collaborates with world-renowned artists. The orchestra is comprised of music educators, students, and community players.
Our orchestra performs both major and light classical works, as well as contemporary programs.
Hilton-Parma Gazebo Band
Contact person: Mary Reazor
Email: mreazor188@gmail.com
The Hilton-Parma Gazebo Band was established in 1984 by Hilton music educator Gordon Bascom. Since 2009, the band has been conducted by Dr. Charles P. Schmidt. The band is an All-Volunteer organization with no membership fees. The Gazebo Band is dedicated to presenting a wide variety of works from a broad range of musical styles. Our purpose is to provide adult musicians with an opportunity to continue to create and enjoy music and to share our “Gift of Music” with the community.
Honeoye Falls Community Concert Band
Contact person(s): Brad Willard, Tom Exter
Email: bwillard64@mac.com
Ensemble Mission: To provide fun and high-quality music to our local community.
Programmatic Choices: Usually a mix of challenging, fun pieces.
New members are welcome to commit to either or all of our Autumn, Holiday, Spring, or summer concerts.
Hornell Area Wind Ensemble
Contact person: Donna Caneen
Email: dcaneen@hughes.net
The purpose of the Hornell Area Wind Ensemble is to provide local musicians with a medium to meet and perform concert band literature in order to foster musical awareness and appreciation in the Hornell area. The group also promotes the talent of young musicians by dedicating one concert to Young Artists. High School students from three counties are invited to participate in an audition process to determine which two will be featured as soloists at the annual Young Artist Concert.
The repertoire of the Hornell Area Wind Ensemble consists of a wide variety of music ranging from transcriptions of standard classical pieces, traditional concert band pieces, music from the stage, as well as a broad range of marches and contemporary literature written for concert bands. Five of the six concerts are in the formal setting in the auditorium of the Hornell High School. The only out-door concert is held in June on the Broadway Mall in Hornell. All of the concerts are free and open to the public.
The Irondequoit Chorale
Contact person: Heide Jorgensen-Murray
Email: Heidejmurray@gmail.com
The Irondequoit Chorale strives to bring diversified programs of quality music to the Rochester community. In doing so, we broaden the music experiences of its membership as well. During the course of rehearsals and performances, a camaraderie develops which unifies and strengthens us.
We sing many different types of music, from spirituals and folk music to Broadway show tunes and classical as well as sacred pieces. Our concerts usually have a theme and we program the music around it, using soloists from our group as well as outside singers and instrumental musicians.
Madrigalia
Contact person(s): Daniel McInerney, Cary Ratcliff
Email: info@madrigalia.org
Now in our 45th concert season, Madrigalia delights audiences with our beauty of sound and artistic excellence. Under the direction of Artistic Director Cary Ratcliff, our ensemble of highly skilled vocalists presents unique and challenging programs of choral music built around intriguing themes. We promote the appreciation of choral singing to diverse audiences through performances, recordings, broadcasts, outreach, and the commissioning of new music.
Our music is drawn from all times and places, spanning the riches of classic choral styles, the vast range of compelling music being written in our time, and the intriguing musical expressions of cultures throughout the world.
Penfield Symphony Orchestra
Contact person: Penfield Symphony Orchestra Office
Email: pso@penfieldsymphony.org
The mission of the Penfield Symphony Orchestra is to perform and promote live symphonic music for Penfield and the Greater Rochester community and to provide an opportunity for highly-qualified dedicated musicians to perform in a community orchestra of the highest quality.
Programmatic Choices: Music for full orchestra from a variety of time periods, challenging for musicians and enjoyable for audiences.
Temple Beth El Orchestra
Contact person: Jonathan Allentoff
Email: jonallentoff@aol.com
Founded by Jonathan Allentoff, the Temple Beth El Orchestra performs for special musical services and concerts at Temple Beth El, including the nationally-acclaimed Selichot Service. The orchestra collaborates with the Rabbi, Hazzan, and Temple Beth El Choir.
Our orchestra performs liturgical music, symphonic masterpieces, and contemporary selections.
Victor Pops Community Band
Contact person: Paul Mangiamele
Email: mangiamp@victorschools.org
Our programs tend to lean more towards the lighter Boston Pops selections.
Webster Village Band
Contact person: Tom Indiano
Email: tindi128@gmail.com
Ensemble Mission: Making good music together and enjoying the experience.
Programmatic Choices: Light pop and band classics, marches,