The Chappaqua Orchestra was founded 45 years ago by a small group of musicians and music lovers, among them Dr. Boris Koutzen, the distinguished violinist, teacher, and composer, who quickly agreed to take up the baton. The February 7, 1959 premiere performance firmly established the orchestra's reputation for musical excellence. On stage were a baker, a lawyer, a doctor, a stockbroker, a minister, an artist, a postman, homemakers, music teachers and professional musicians, all of them exceptional performers.
Hailed as "The Jewel of New Castle", The Chappaqua Orchestra has served Northern Westchester since 1958. Now under the baton of Michael Shapiro, the orchestra will play diverse and challenging programs. The Chappaqua Orchestra has grown into a sophisticated ensemble of professional level artists.
Many notable artists have been associated with TCO over the years, including Joseph Fuchs, Julius Baker, Chee Yun, Allison Eldredge, Ruth Laredo, Eugenia Zukerman, Leslie Parnas, Andrew Litton, Lucie Arnaz, and Vanessa Williams. TCO also has a proud history of collaboration with young soloists who later went on to stardom, many of them proteges of longtime Music Director Norman Leyden, who also conducted the Westchester County Youth Orchestra.
In the 1940’s a group of amateur musicians began playing together in Greenwich, CT. In 1958, several concerts under the baton of Kenneth Wendrich led to the founding of the Greenwich Philharmonia, now known as The Greenwich Symphony Orchestra.
In 1975 David Gilbert was named Music Director and Conductor. Associate Conductor Patricia Handy, who presents the Pre-Concert Lectures and conducts the GSO’s highly acclaimed Youth Concert series, joined in 1979. The Greenwich Philharmonia was renamed the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra in its 25th anniversary season, 1982 to 1983, and the Auxiliary became the Symphony Guild. That season marked the GSO’s first dual concert with the Greenwich Choral Society, and the establishment of the endowment fund, which was greatly enhanced by a gala benefit concert starring Victor Borge. Over the years, the GSO has featured such outstanding soloists as Emanuel Ax, Barry Douglas, Pamela Frank, John O’Conor, Peter Serkin, and Dawn Upshaw.
The Greenwich Symphony Guild is embarking on its thirty-sixth year of service to the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra. Members of the Guild are devoted to classical music and the orchestra, and they actively participate in audience development, community outreach and fund raising for the many activities and programs of the Symphony.
Young People's Concerts are specially designed to introduce Greenwich school children to the music of the great masters and the symphony orchestra. Attending the programs are all children in grades two through seven of all public and private schools in Greenwich. These students are prepared for knowledgeable listening by their schools; music teachers, with the aid of CDs and creative classroom assignments prepared by the Greenwich Symphony Board’s Young People’s Concert Committee.
The Yorktown Theatre Company, KJK Productions, is a non-profit organization that serves as the major resident theatre program at the Music Hall at Tarrytown. The Yorktown Theatre Company has produced several successful productions which have brought major classic Broadway musicals (including: The Music Man, Phantom, The Sound of Music, Christmas Carol, West Side Story) and live children's theatre to Tarrytown and nearby areas.
The Emelin Theatre is a non-profit institution dedicated to enriching the lives of Westchester residents with a full range of performing arts programs. Since 1972, established artists with international reputations, young rising stars, community performers, and children have all graced our stage and become a part of the Emelin family.
The Emelin Theatre produces theatre that includes productions for Adults, Children and Musical Events to be enjoyed by all. Season productions may include: Bluegrass, Brazilian Jazz, Cabaret, Children's Theatre, Classical Music, Film Club, Plays, Acting Workshops and more.
The Westchester Chamber Orchestra (WCO) is a fully professional orchestra, quickly becoming known in and outside of Westchester County for its first rate and inspiring performances, world class soloists, innovative programming and its world premiers of meaningful new works it has commissioned.
The Westchester Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1984 by its Artistic Director, Barry Charles Hoffman. For many years the WCO gave its concerts at various sites throughout Westchester County and in 1994 began its association with Iona College in New Rochelle, NY.
At Westchester Chamber Orchestra concerts, great performances of the standard repertoire are blended with lesser known but equally beautiful works. Innovative programming has also included concert themes such as "Music of the British Isles," "Music of the Heart," and "Music of Appalachia and Appalachian Spring," the latter with renown folk artists Jay Unger and Molly Mason. The WCO has presented many world class soloists in its performances. These have included: harpist Barbara Allen, violinists Glenn Dicterow and Yuri Kharenko, violists Karen Dreyfus and Emanuel Vardi, clarinetist Stanley Drucker, oboist Matt Sullivan, bassoonist Lennie Hindell and tenor Robert White. You will be treated to outstanding soloists and inspired performances of some of the greatest works of German composers over the past three centuries; from Gluck to Beethoven to Schumann to Schoenberg. The richness and rewards are here.
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the nation's premier repertory company for chamber music, is devoted to the outstanding performance and creation of chamber music. Its unique structure allows the ensemble to present outstanding concerts of every instrumentation, style, and historical period. In addition to performances at Alice Tully Hall, activities include national and international tours, nationally-televised broadcasts on Live From Lincoln Center, a weekly radio show heard locally on WQXR 96.3 and distributed nationally, and regular appearances on National Public Radio's Performance Today. In its 36 years, CMS has commissioned over 132 new works, built a large and critically acclaimed discography that includes a year 2000 Grammy nomination, and developed educational programs reaching thousands of students around the tri-state area. The Chamber Music Society is dedicated to nurturing the very highest quality of performers and in cultivating new audiences from a wide range of backgrounds, ages, and levels of musical knowledge. Press "Blue Button" for Chamber Music Society website.
There might be no Chamber Music Society as we know it but for the effort spearheaded by Alice Tully, William Schuman and Charles Wadsworth - because every note played by The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center bears their unique and lasting stamp. Collectively and individually they contributed immeasurably to the cultural life of the United States.
The magnitude and diversity of chamber music demanded an institution devoted solely to its repertoire, and as President of Lincoln Center, William Schuman determined that chamber music should be housed, in a hall designed specifically for it, along with dance, orchestral music, theater, opera and film at America's preeminent artistic base. Dr. Schuman invited the eminent pianist, chamber musician and accompanist, Charles Wadsworth, to help determine the structure of the new chamber music constituent. They decided on a unique format in which chamber works of every size and description would be presented by highly esteemed performers, including a core of Artist Members to be augmented each season by Guest Artists.
This institution would also encourage and commission the creation of new works. The founding triumvirate was made complete with the arrival of Alice Tully, a former opera singer and vocal recitalist who agreed to help finance a chamber music hall on condition that it have exemplary acoustics and comfort. The Chamber Music Society's inaugural concert on September 11, 1969 marked the opening of its home, Alice Tully Hall.
America’s pre-eminent film presentation organization, The Film Society of Lincoln Center was founded in 1969 to celebrate American and international cinema, to recognize and support new filmmakers, and to enhance awareness, accessibility and understanding of the art among a broad and diverse film going audience.
Each year, The Film Society presents the New York Film Festival, the New Directors/New Films series (co-sponsored by The Museum of Modern Art), and a fundraising Gala Tribute, which honors preeminent actors and directors. Year-round programming at the 268-seat Walter Reade Theater explores new international cinema and the rich tradition of American film. The Film Society also publishes Film Comment magazine.
As an independent constituent of the world’s foremost performing arts center, the Film Society of Lincoln Center presents a 363-day season that includes premieres of new films from an international roster of established and emerging directors; major retrospectives; in-depth symposia and high profile events. The Film Society is one of those rare institutions whose stature is matched by its popularity, each year welcoming an aggregate audience of more than 200,000 film aficionados, filmmakers and industry leaders of every nationality, age, economic and ethnic group. The organization has been a pioneer among film institutions and one of the film world’s most respected and influential arbiters of cinematic trends and discoveries. François Truffaut, R.W. Fassbinder, Jean-Luc Godard, Pedro Almodóvar, Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson – over the last four decades there is scarcely a major director who has not been introduced to American audiences by the Film Society. Press "Blue Button" for more information.
From its opening in 1883, the Metropolitan Opera has been one of the world’s leading opera companies. Today, the Met’s preeminent position rests on the elements that established its reputation: high quality performances with many of the world’s most renowned artists, a superior company of orchestral and choral musicians, a large repertory of works, and the resources to make performances available to the public.
The Metropolitan Opera has always engaged many of the world’s most important artists. Christine Nilsson and Marcella Sembrich shared leading roles during the opening season. In the German seasons that followed, Lilli Lehmann dominated the Wagnerian repertory and anything else she chose to sing. In the 1890s, Nellie Melba and Emma Calvé shared the spotlight with the De Reszkes (Jean and Edouard), and two American sopranos, Emma Eames and Lillian Nordica. Enrico Caruso arrived in 1903 and by the time of his death had performed more times with the Met than with all other opera companies combined.
In 1977, the Metropolitan began a regular series of televised productions with a performance of La Bohème viewed by more than four million people. “The Metropolitan Opera Presents” has made seventy-eight complete Met performances available to a huge audience around the world. Many of these performances have been issued on videotape, laserdisc, and DVD.
Almost from the beginning, it was clear that the opera house on 39th Street did not have adequate stage facilities. However, it was not until the Metropolitan Opera joined with other New York institutions in forming Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts that a new home became possible. The new Metropolitan Opera House, which opened at Lincoln Center in September of 1966, was equipped with the finest technical facilities.
In 1995, the Metropolitan introduced “Met Titles,” a unique system of simultaneous translation. “Met Titles” appear on individual computerized screens mounted in specially built railings at the back of each row of seats, for those members of the audience who wish to utilize them, but with minimum distraction for those who do not. “Met Titles” are provided for all Metropolitan Opera performances. Each season the Metropolitan stages more than two hundred performances of opera in New York. More than 800,000 people attend the performances in the opera house during the season. Millions more, throughout the world, experience the Metropolitan Opera on television, radio, on tour and recordings.
Be sure to press "Blue Button" to explore and enjoy the Metropolitan Opera's website. It is just wonderful! You can learn about opera or even hear new and old recordings of the greatest voices ever heard. Press to hear "Sounds of the Met" Listen to Caruso, Ezio Pinza, Jan Peerce, Richard Tucker, Placido Domingo, Leontyne Price, Jessye Norman and many more of the greatest voices ever heard; or enjoy James Levine and Leonard Bernstein conducting the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. This website is a gift!
The New York Film Academy was founded in 1992 on a belief that a top quality education in filmmaking should be accessible to anyone with the drive and ambition to make films. The Academy opened its doors in 1992 in Robert DeNiro‘s Tribeca Film Center. Since that time we have grown into our own facilities in Manhattan‘s Union Square and Soho. We also opened Film Academies at Universal Studios in Los Angeles and St. Catherine’s College Oxford University, England. We hold One-Year and short-term programs throughout the year in these locations. During the summer we offer our short-term programs at a number of additional locations, including Harvard University; Princeton University; Disney-MGM Studios-Florida; Paris, France; and Florence, Italy.
Each year hundreds of students of all occupations, races, ethnicities, and of a wide range of ages from around the world benefit from the extraordinary education offered at the New York Film Academy. Today, little more than a decade after the first students graduated, the New York Film Academy is considered one of the most prominent fixtures of film education in the world. Press "Blue Button" for more information.
Riverbank State Park is the only park of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. Inspired by urban rooftop designs in Japan, this 28-acre multi-level landscaped recreational facility is a state-of-the-art park facility. Rising 69 feet above the Hudson River, Riverbank offers a wide variety of recreational, athletic and arts experiences for all ages, interests and abilities.
Housed in five major buildings are an Olympic-size pool, a covered skating rink for roller skating in the summer and ice-skating in the winter, an 800-seat cultural theater, a 2,500-seat athletic complex with fitness room, and a 150-seat restaurant.
Outdoor sports amenities include a 25-yard lap pool, a wading pool, four tennis courts, four basketball courts, a softball field, four hand/paddleball courts, and a 400-meter eight-lane running track with a football/soccer field.
Riverbank also boasts spectacular promenade views of the Hudson River, the Palisade Mountains and the George Washington Bridge. At water level, there is a 900-seat amphitheater and docking facilities for excursion and fishing boats.
Points of Interest: The "Totally Kid Carousel", created by Milo Mottola and 37 young children.
Parks attractions include: Carousel, Food, Gymnasium, Hiking, Ice Skating, Performing Arts Theater, Picnic Tables, Playground, Playing Fields, Pool, Recreation Programs, Showers, Tennis
Blueberry Pond Theatre Ensemble is the only professional theatre company in Westchester County whose season consists solely of original work, and as such we fill a unique place in the community and indeed in the tri-state area. The company is developing cutting-edge, provocative works in an ensemble process involving actors, directors, and writers.
The Ensemble had its origin in the summer of 2001 at the Croton-on-Hudson estate of Blueberry Pond, the residence of Stephan Summa, a businessman, and Jean-Paul DeVellard, a writer, food critic and playwright. According to Mr. DeVellard, "We knew a group of very talented artists, and my idea was to bring them together as the nucleus of a theatrical ensemble along the lines of the original Actors Studio. We all knew playwrights, actors, directors, that it would take a cooperative effort to bring our dream of original and bold and indeed provocative theater to life. Our commitment is to creative cooperation and support for new and exciting visions which reflect the world in which we live."
Founded in 1950 and dedicated to promoting the awareness and appreciation of dance throughout all the communities of Westchester County, New York, the Westchester Ballet Company has become known for excellence in performance and dance education. As The New York Times recently observed, "the company has flourished since 1986 under the artistic direction of Beth Fritz-Logrea and Jean Logrea."
The Westchester Ballet Company, which celebrated 50 years of dance in the year 2000, is one of the oldest community ballet companies in the United States. In 1950 Iris Merrick, a former student of Michel Fokine and soloist with the English Opera Company, established the Scarborough Children's Ballet Theatre, which officially became known as Westchester Ballet Company in 1954. Over the years Merrick's school developed a fine reputation in the County for artistic discipline and regular professional performances. Under her direction the Company's annual productions of The Nutcracker were staged at the Scarborough School's Beechwood Theatre and at the County Center in White Plains.
The Westchester Ballet Company members may join as student dancers as young as age 8 and progress by audition through the junior company and apprentice levels until they are accepted into the senior company. Training at the Company's school, the Logrea Dance Academy, is rigorous, emphasizing the development of strength and flexibility and the cultivation of artistic expression. Dancers receive instruction in healthy nutrition and safety. Senior company members participate in the nation's most prestigious summer training programs and festivals.
Our annual Nutcracker performance at the Westchester County Center features a cast of over 125 dancers and guest artists, with exquisite choreography, many special effects, and lavish costumes and scenery. Other ballets in the Company's repertoire include Peter and the Wolf, Coppelia, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Pas de Quatre, Les Sylphides, Graduation Ball, and Aurora's Wedding. Our dancers' dedication, discipline, and artistic expression are acclaimed by audiences of all ages. The Company's Board of Directors works closely with the artistic directors to provide Westchester audiences with professionally produced ballet performances at an affordable price, and to offer financial support to County students who seek professional training.
Originally built as a 1025-seat movie palace by Publix Pictures, a subsidiary of Paramount Pictures, the Peekskill Paramount Theatre first opened its doors to the public on June 27, 1930.
The Inaugural program featured an overture by the Paramount Symphony Orchestra, an appearance by the village mayor, and “A Paramount All-Talking Picture”, The Big Pond, starring Maurice Chevalier and Claudette Colbert. Publix Theatres was recognized as a leader in the theatre building industry, and the Peekskill Paramount was constructed as a state-of-the-art facility for the times. The Paramount building is a designated Westchester County Landmark, declared eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
The Paramount prospered for decades despite the Depression and World War II. However, it was the advent of shopping malls and television that brought on its demise as a movie theatre. Paramount sold the building in 1973. Eventually the building was acquired by the City of Peekskill in 1977 due to a tax default.
The Peekskill Paramount Center for the Performing Arts presented its first series of performances in the spring of 1982. Its mission was to bring cultural and educational programming to the northern Westchester and Putnam County area at affordable prices. Since 1982, what was a grass roots “Save the Paramount” campaign has grown to become a true center for the arts, with live performances, arts-in-education programs, films, and visual art exhibitions, serving over 50,000 people annually.
For more than a quarter century, The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College has provided residents of Westchester County, Fairfield County, and nearby surrounding areas with diverse performing arts programs of the highest caliber. A vast array of stellar performances has graced its stages-from the established to the emerging, from the exquisite to the outrageous, from the traditional to the avant-garde. There are performing arts programs available for every interest and all enrich us by expanding the boundaries of our imaginations.
The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College has several theatres which offer the flexibility to present a diverse program of performing arts including: New York Philharmonic, Purchase Symphony Orchestra, Dance Theatre, Talk Cinema, Ballet, live Repertory Theatre, Theatre Arts & Film, Chamber Music and more.
The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College offers residencies for such renowned artists as Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, Bill Irwin, Penn and Teller, Phillip Glass, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, The Dance Theatre of Harlem, Bill T. Jones and many more. Master Classes by many of The Center's artists, including Garrick Ohlsson, Pinchas Zuckerman, Edward Villella, The Tokyo String Quartet and Marilyn Horne.
The theatres at The Center are: The Concert Hall, The Pepsico Theatre, The Recital Hall, and The Abbott Kaplan Theatre and The Organ Room. This diversity of theatres ensures that each performance is performed in the best venue.
The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College offers world-class programming that is conveniently located, affordably priced, with ample parking! The Center also has an Arts-in-Education programs which reach over 15,000 school children each season.
Boscobel is a neoclassical style mansion (built 1804-1808) located on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River. This is where the river cuts through the Appalachian chain of mountains, creating the Hudson Highlands. The mountains on both sides rise up more than 1000 feet from the water's edge at what is the narrowest, deepest and most treacherous stretch of the river.
From the front lawn at Boscobel, one can see the Constitution Marsh Sanctuary and Constitution Island immediately below, the Bear Mountain Bridge to the south, the United States Military Academy at West Point across the river, and Storm King Mountain to the north. Spectacular views of the Hudson River and the Hudson Highlands, including Crow’s Nest, Storm King, and Sugar Loaf Mountains are visible from Boscobel’s grounds. The Hudson has been an inspiration for artists through the centuries, and great works by Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Doughty, Thomas P. Rossiter, and Frederic Church, have depicted the majesty of the River and its surroundings.
Boscobel was originally located in Montrose, New York, about fifteen miles south of the present site, with views overlooking the Hudson River at Haverstraw Bay. It was built by States Morris Dyckman (1755-1806), a descendant of one of the early Dutch families of New Amsterdam.
The Boscobel Mansion dates from the early nineteenth century and contains one of the nation's leading collections of furniture and decorative arts from the Federal period with high-style furniture by Duncan Phyfe and other recognized New York cabinetmakers of the day. Much of Dyckman's English china, silver, glass, and part of his library have also survived and are on exhibit. Collections are displayed in beautifully appointed period interiors with reproduction carpets, wallpaper, fabrics, and window treatments based upon contemporary sources.
Point of Interest: Visitors can explore the quaint nineteenth century village of Cold Spring with its antique and specialty shops, restaurants, Bear Mountain State Park, Historic West Point and more. Press to see more Historic Sites
Point of Interest: The Hudson River was recently named one of ten "American Heritage Rivers."
Attractions include: Guided Tour of Mansion, Self-Guided Tour of Magnificent Grounds including Rose Garden, Orangery, Springhouse and Garden House, Woodland Trail, Exhibition on Rescue and Restoration of Boscobel, Spectacular Panoramic Views of Hudson Highlands and River
The Ridgefield Playhouse is dedicated to serving Ridgefield, Connecticut and nearby communities in the Performing Arts. Designed in 1938, the auditorium in "the old high school" was once the center of Ridgefield's cultural life. During World War II, residents had the privilege of twice hearing the legendary Arturo Toscanini conduct here. In its new life, The Ridgefield Playhouse has been designed to embrace its former role and more. In an age of multiplexes and stadiums, what a pleasure to be in an impeccably renovated, historic theater with near-perfect acoustics!
Since our opening, enthusiastic, sold-out audiences have enjoyed Peter Yarrow, Marcel Marceau, Barbara Cook, Moscow Boys Choir, Joan Baez, and The Bacon Brothers. Film-goers have seen a range of movies from Oscar-winners such as Traffic and Chocolat to family fare to our international film series. Community events such as the Ridgefield High School Orchestra Concert and the Annual Town Meeting found a new home at The Playhouse.
While we can all agree with Shakespeare that "the play's the thing," we also know that this beautiful theater adds a great deal to the experience of a performance or movie. In an age of multiplexes and stadiums, what a pleasure to be in an impeccably renovated, historic theater with near-perfect acoustics!
Notable Beginnings, Legendary Performances Designed in 1938, the auditorium in "the old high school" was at one time the center of Ridgefield's cultural life. In its heyday, before being abandoned in 1972, it was home to school performances as well as community events and town meetings. During World War II, residents had the privilege of twice hearing the legendary Arturo Toscanini conduct here.
In its new life, The Ridgefield Playhouse has been designed to embrace its former role and more. The interior preserves the hall's excellent acoustics that make it an ideal venue for musical performance and live theater. At the same time, retractable draperies cover the walls enabling the "deadening" effect needed to show movies. Thanks to a generous legacy from Patricia Schuster, founder of the Ridgefield Studio of Classical Ballet, the stage was built to have the resilience necessary for dance performances. Parts of the old stage rigging have been preserved and supplemented to enable use of the stage's large fly space. Stage lights and a state-of-the-art sound system have been installed.
Echoing the importance of the town of Ridgefield in the theater's life is a hand-painted mural covering the lobby walls with familiar scenes of historic Ridgefield. The mural, a gift from a Ridgefield couple, was created by a local artist. Other murals enliven the interior of the performance area as well as the entryway to The Playhouse; all were gifts of Playhouse supporters. Press "Blue Button" to explore the Ridgefield Playhouse."
Lasdon Park, Arboretum and Veterans Memorial is a magnificent 234 acre property consisting of woodlands, open grass meadow and formal gardens with flower and shrub specimens from all over the world. Lasdon is also the site of the Chinese Friendship Pavilion and four inspirational memorials and a museum honoring Westchester veterans.
Parks attractions include: Botanical Specimans, Chinese Friendship Pavilion, Formal Gardens, Open Grass Meadow
Stamford Center for the Arts (SCA), a not-for-profit arts organization, is dedicated to serving as the region's premier center for the performing arts. SCA operates the exquisitely restored historic Palace Theatre and the state-of-the-art Rich Forum, both within four blocks of each other in downtown Stamford, Connecticut.
Each season, Stamford Center for the Arts creates, presents and promotes the highest quality entertainment, education and outreach programs that include the best in live theatre, concerts, comedy and dance entertainment from throughout the world.
The Palace Theatre, a 1580-seat Thomas Lamb designed vaudeville house, was acclaimed as "Connecticut's Most Magnificent" when it opened in 1927. The Palace was restored and re-opened in 1983 for live theatre, concerts and art exhibitions in the Sackler Gallery.
Rich Forum, which opened in 1992, is an arts and communications center. Rich Forum includes the 757-seat Truglia (proscenium) Theatre; the Leonhardt Studio (black box theatre); the Mercede Promenade; and the front-of-the-house upper level that includes the elegant Rossi Salon and the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Gallery.
Both the Rich Forum and Palace Theatre seasons include performances by Connecticut Grand Opera and Orchestra, Stamford Symphony Orchestra, New England Lyric Operetta, Ballet School of Stamford, Young Artist Philharmonic, Lumina String Quartet, Zig Zag Ballet, The Perry Players, as well as stage productions specifically for young audiences.
Since its inaugural season (1992-93), Rich Forum most recently presented such productions as the Pulitzer Prize-winning Dinner with Friends, Thunder Knocking on the Door, ART, The Threepenny Opera, and SCA's Fringe Festival. The Palace Theatre and Rich Forum attracted such diverse and luminous events and performers as Lily Tomlin, Peter, Paul & Mary, Tom Jones, B.B. King, Carrot Top, Harry Belafonte, Drummers of West Africa, Vienna Choir Boys, Balanchine's The Nutcracker, Late Nite Catechism, George Winston, It's A Wonderful Life, The Big Apple Circus, Annie, Liza Minnelli, Itzhak Perlman, Johnny Mathis, Michael Feinstein, Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern, Ray Romano, Willie Nelson, Tony Bennett, Judy Collins, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and more.
In 1996, Stamford Center for the Arts established a month-long festival, Celebrate! Black History, which has evolved into a year-round African-American Cultural Series featuring numerous and varied events, many of which are free for local and statewide youths, adults and families.
The Stamford Symphony Orchestra is widely acknowledged to be the finest in Connecticut. It consists solely and entirely of professional union musicians from New York City and the surrounding areas, including Fairfield County and Westchester County. In addition to the SSO, these outstanding musicians currently play with: The American Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, New York City Ballet Orchestra, New York City Opera Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra.
A typical Stamford Symphony Orchestra season features: five pairs of Classical Concerts, three Pops Concerts, a student concert designed for elementary students, and a Family Concert Series.
The Stamford Symphony is the resident orchestra at the Stamford Center for the Arts' newly renovated, 1586-seat Palace Theatre. The Palace Theatre is in downtown Stamford in the heart of Fairfield County.
In 1980, Music Director Roger Nierenberg ascended our podium. Maestro Nierenberg's commitment to the SSO and the community has resulted in the expansion of the classical subscription series, the creation of new music and education programs, and the recognition of the Stamford Symphony Orchestra as a musical treasure by the local community, and "a major cultural force" by the New York Times.
In 2003, Maestro Nierenberg announced he would step down as Music Director. Eckart Preu was named Music Director of the Stamford Symphony Orchestra in June 2005. Maestro Preu is a superb musician, an energetic community leader, and an artistic visionary.
Historical Note: The Stamford Symphony Orchestra was first organized in 1919. It ceased operations temporarily after World War II, when many of the orchestra's European musicians returned to their homelands. The orchestra was revived in 1967, and with Skitch Henderson's appointment as Music Director in 1974, the Stamford Symphony became the fully professional orchestra it is today.
The Performers of Westchester was founded in 1979 by pianist Joel Rosen with the purpose of arranging chamber music performances in homes rather than in concert halls. As a result, we can listen to chamber music in an ambience intended by the composer. The performances are arranged by our artistic director, Andy Simionescu, with the musicians selected being professionally established, performing artists. The programs include the more frequently heard chamber music repertoire as well as modern, rarely presented or unusual pieces.
Westchester Arts Council, the county’s link between the arts, business, and culture, was established in 1965 as a private, not-for-profit program organization. It is the County’s designated arts council and the largest of its kind in New York State. In partnership with Westchester County Government, municipal governments, and business and community leaders, the Arts Council works to weave the arts into the fabric of Westchester life, strengthen the county’s cultural institutions, and enrich the quality of life for all of Westchester’s residents.
The Arts Council’s underlying belief is that the arts are for everyone, whether in a school or in a concert hall. The Arts Council partners with over 100 arts groups and more than 150 artists to bring the arts into schools, senior centers, daycare sites, after-school programs, and mental health facilities.
Westchester Arts Council is supported by Westchester County Government, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Westchester Delegation of the New York State Legislature, and by foundations, corporations, and individuals.
The Westchester Philharmonic was created by Paul Lustig Dunkel and a group of area citizens and business leaders who recognized that some of the world’s best classical musicians, who played nightly in such New York City venues as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, were playing only minutes away from Westchester County. Why not have the finest professional musical artists performing regularly right here in Westchester County?
Established as the New Orchestra of Westchester in 1983 and, a few years later, renamed the Westchester Philharmonic, the orchestra was created to enhance the quality of life in the community and provide educational opportunities for local schoolchildren. The founders of the orchestra didn’t simply create a first-class local symphony orchestra. They founded a fully professional orchestra that in its first 21 seasons would grow to become one of the most influential cultural institutions in the region with a broad reach well beyond its immediate geography.
The Westchester Philharmonic’s opening concert in 1983 featured White Plains native Garrick Ohlsson as guest artist. Already an established star on international concert stages, his participation set a high standard of artistry that continues into the organization’s current season. Guests of the Philharmonic in recent years, include Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Gil Shaham, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Frederica von Stade, André Watts, and Joshua Bell.
Kids discover the nuts and bolts, or flats and sharps of musical composition in innovative programs developed in collaboration with the Westchester Library System. Youngsters in classrooms across the region are treated to the orchestra’s award-winning Education Program, which reaches over 7,000 elementary school students in over 50 schools. The Philharmonic’s Special Audiences Project reaches out to over 3,000 at-risk youth.
For 23 seasons the audience that first wanted the Westchester Philharmonic has supported and nurtured it. They’ve brought new audiences with them - family, friends, and newcomers to the region. With their support, the Westchester Philharmonic continues to make the musical arts accessible to the community, to provide the highest quality educational programming in the classroom, and to enhance the quality of life in the region through innovative professional performances and by showcasing the finest new artistry in the concert hall.
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