“The ‘&’ tells you, ‘We’re out there, we’re in the community. We’re helping with educational programs. We’re getting music into the lives of seniors, and those of all ages with disabilities. We do everything possible to make the RPO accessible to anyone.’”
–RPO BOARD CHAIR DIANA CLARKSON
RPO Assistant Conductor Jherrard Hardeman conducts the orchestra for residents of St. Ann’s Community as part of the RPO’s Care & Wellness initiative.
COVER: Mother and child at RPO’s sensory friendly Embrace the Eclipse concert, designed to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for those with sensory sensitivities.
MAKING HISTORY: At Carnegie Hall, RPO Music Director Andreas
From the podium
Where in the world is Andreas
Delfs?
Maestro brings touring triumphs home to the RPO
By MIKE CIDONI,
Movements Senior Writer
ALEXANDRA
Delfs conducted the Kazakh State Symphony Orchestra’s first New York performance.
Over the last year, RPO Music Director Andreas Delfs’ guest-conducting schedule earned him acclaim from Beijing to Buffalo. “Of course, these experiences are personally valuable,” Andreas said. “But the priority is always making sure everything I do comes back to enrich the RPO.”
Here are some of the Maestro’s travel highlights:
October 9, 2023, New York City, Carnegie Hall, Kazakh State Symphony Orchestra. While in New York, Delfs was also invited to attend the United States premiere of composer Lowell Liebermann’s Three Dances from Frankenstein. “I said, ‘Lowell, this is great. Can you please orchestrate this piece for me so I can do it in one of my concerts next season with the RPO?’” Prologue and Waltzes from Frankenstein made its concert premiere with the RPO in November, as part of the orchestra’s Voices of Today initiative. ConcertoNet.com review.
March 23, 2024, Beijing, Beijing Concert Hall, China National Symphony.
“Part of your role as music director is to serve as an ambassador for your orchestra,” Delfs noted. “I tell them how great the Rochester Philharmonic is, and how great upstate New York is, which is not on many people’s radars internationally.”
October 19, 2024, Seattle, S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium— Benaroya Hall, Seattle Symphony. Seattle CEO and President Krishna Thiagarajan served as senior director of artistic operations and education at the RPO from 2008-2010. “When we had lunch, he said, ‘I hear all these great things are happening in my old stomping grounds,’” Delfs recalled. “It was something wonderful to bring home and share with the orchestra.”
Bachtrack review.
October 25–26, 2024, Buffalo, Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Andreas shuffled off with RPO Concertmaster Juliana Athayde to perform with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra on a program including the Delfs-commissioned Violin Concerto by Roberto Sierra. The performance earned glowing reviews to Athayde and Delfs (Buffalo Rising) and continued to galvanize the RPO’s relationship with composer Sierra, whose newly commissioned Sinfonia Concertante for Oboe, Bassoon, Violin, Cello, and Orchestra will premiere March 20 and 22, as part of the Voices of Today initiative.
AROUND THE WORLD (clockwise from bottom): Poster for RPO Music Director Andreas Delfs’ concerts in Beijing, and New York City. Four-story high billboard for his appearance in Seattle, and advertisement for performances in Buffalo featuring RPO Concertmaster Juliana Athayde.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
‘RPO&’ helps secure orchestra’s future
By MIKE CIDONI, Movements Senior Writer
“RPO&” is shorthand for the Rochester Philharmonic’s Comprehensive Capital Campaign, a five-year, $50 million fundraising initiative that promises to ensure the long-term viability of the orchestra.
So, what’s in a name? RPO President and CEO Curt Long said adding the “&” to “RPO” is a nod to both the orchestra’s artistic versatility and its longstanding partnership with the Rochester community. It also stands as a reminder that participating in the RPO experience “should never be an either/or decision for any community member,” Long noted. “The RPO has been here for everyone in Rochester for more than 100 years, and we’re not going anywhere.”
have yet to step foot into Kodak Hall. One example: the recently launched Voices of Today initiative, which spotlights a diverse group of contemporary composers and artists redefining the classical genre. There’s also an entire Pops series, led by RPO Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik, with this season’s offerings running the gamut from Bee Gees and Blondie to the best of Broadway. If price or accessibility are barriers, the RPO performs dozens of free concerts each year at local parks and schools, and in private healthcare settings and senior living facilities throughout the Greater Rochester area. The orchestra also funds an annual “Community Comps” program that provides select groups free admission to ticketed concerts in Kodak Hall.
“‘RPO&’ means the orchestra should never be an either/ or decision for any community member. It should always be ‘RPO& you.’”
—RPO President and CEO Curt Long
Long said he wanted longtime patrons to be assured the orchestra will continue its storied tradition of honoring the European masters: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, and the like. But the orchestra and RPO Music Director Andreas Delfs are also intent on creating new traditions for both decades-long subscribers as well as for music lovers who
“The ‘&’ tells you, ‘We’re out there,’” said RPO Board Chair Diana Clarkson. “‘We’re in the community. We’re helping with educational programs. We’re getting music into the lives of seniors, and those of all ages with disabilities. We do everything possible to make the RPO accessible to anyone who can’t see us.’”
RPO & ROCMUSIC: The RPO& Campaign will continue to support a score of education programs, such as ROCmusic, for thousands of area school children each year.
Play ball!
RPO President and CEO Curt Long uses a baseball metaphor when describing the essence of RPO&. “The way I look at it is the RPO has been successful for 100 years as a right-handed power hitter. We’ve hit a lot of home runs and doubles and triples, and that’s what people expect from us,” he said.
“But that’s not the only thing we can do well,” Long continued. “In our second hundred years, when the community needs a left-handed batter who can lay down the perfect drag bunt, we’re going to deliver some amazing drag bunts. It’s about becoming what I call, ‘an ambidextrous organization,’ an organization that can deliver new programs and initiatives with the same level of quality and vision and artistic impact that we’ve always brought to our traditional repertoire.”
RPO Vice President of Development Rob Dermody
recalled RPO&’s origin story, which began in fall 2019 with an invitation from world-renowned arts-organization fundraising consultants Marts&Lundy to see if a long-term capital campaign was viable for the orchestra.“The first thing they did was look under the hood,” Dermody said, adding the consultants liked what they saw, but needed more data. They began a series of exhaustive interviews, both inside and outside the RPO.“They made recommendations to ready the organization for a significant fundraising campaign, and we began making them,” Dermody continued. “Then came the pandemic, which, as tragic as it was, especially for many notfor-profit arts organizations, turned out to be a cloud with a silver lining for us.”
While other symphonies went dark or out of business, the RPO’s musicians played on, performing concerts streamed directly into homes, to socially distanced audiences outdoors, in any way the orchestra could safely continue its community connection. Dermody remembered, “Early in the pandemic, there was that first round of vaccinations in tents,
with hundreds of people lined up in cars. There was an armed military presence. People were scared. So, the RPO sent chamber ensembles in to perform at vaccination sites, just to calm people down. There is a lot of those stories, and with them the RPO built up a lot of good will with the public.”
RPO& officially began July 1, 2022, and for the next two years was in its so-called “Leadership Phase” or “silent phase,” allowing the orchestra’s Development team to secure enough gifts from select major donors to ensure the campaign’s success and set the stage for its public reveal.
Patrons received the first word of the campaign from a lavish full-page ad in the 24/25 season opening issue of the orchestra’s playbill, Bravo, shown at right.
“Our second century is RPO& YOU,” it read, announcing the tenants of the campaign: “CREATE. INSPIRE. CONNECT.”
At this writing in mid-December, the RPO& campaign is just shy of the $30-million mark. The public phase of the initiative continues through June 30, 2027, with the remainder of the $50-million goal expected from donations —small, medium, and large—from every corner of the Greater Rochester community.
Click here to learn how you can donate to RPO&.
THE BAND PLAYED ON: Not even a global pandemic could stop the RPO from connecting to the community. The orchestra performed a livestreamed concert featuring an original composition from Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik.
in tune
Have instrument, will travel
As professional performers, many RPO musicians have opportunities to play with orchestras all over the world. We asked three about how out-of-town performance experiences influence their work with the RPO.
Joshua Newburger, Principal Violist
The Wiliam L. Gamble Chair
Q: What is your favorite place to play, outside of Rochester and the RPO, and why?
A: I have been very fortunate to travel extensively with several orchestras and to explore much of the US and parts of more than 20 countries through musical performance. To pick a singular favorite place to play outside of Rochester is really difficult, however, I think one place that has been most impactful on my life and career is Verbier, Switzerland. I have spent most summers there since 2016 and it has begun to feel like a second home where I am reunited annually with a wonderful group of musicians from around the world who come together to enjoy each other’s company and artistry.
Anna Leunis, First Violin
Q: Why is it important to have the experience of playing outside your “home” orchestra?
A: Playing outside my “home” orchestra offers the opportunity to explore a wide range of musical perspectives and approaches. Each orchestra has its own unique way of interpreting a piece and shaping a musical phrase. These experiences broaden my understanding of music, providing new ideas and insights that I can bring back to my work with the RPO. It also allows me to collaborate with talented musicians from around the world, inspiring and motivating my own artistry.
Wesley Nance, Second Trumpet
Q: How do these experiences help motivate or influence your work with the RPO?
A: It’s always good to come home to the RPO, just like when your family has a great time on vacation, but then is so happy to be back again. As a musician, it can be refreshing to perform in another city and have a great experience. I see it as professional development for the symphony orchestra musician. I might come back with repertoire ideas of pieces we’ve never played, or a suggestion for a guest conductor who we’ve never seen. Above all, I come back with a strong sense of confidence and pride in the RPO, realizing what a great orchestra we have here.
MEET, GREET & SEAT: More than 160 volunteer ushers work to make your RPO concert experience memorable.
Enhancing Your Experience
Ushers bring patience, confidence, and a sense of humor to the Hall
HERB GRIFFITH
Before you set foot in Kodak Hall for a concert, a small army of volunteers has prepared for your arrival.
They are the face of the RPO: our ushers, led by House Manager Daniel Traina. “How we meet, greet, and seat patrons is all about projecting a happy attitude.” Traina is responsible for managing a corps of nearly 160 ushers, 40 or 50 of whom are on hand at each concert.
Ushers arrive at Kodak Hall 90 minutes prior to every show for an usher briefing. Traina reviews the concert’s logistics noting any unique aspects of the performance (when late patrons can be seated with the least interruption, expected capacity, etc.) that may be useful to his team. Ushers then head to their assigned position in the theatre or lobby to help create the best concert experience possible.
Before each show starts, ushers are available to answer questions, hand out programs, and help direct patrons to landmarks throughout the theatre including the elevators, will call table, bathrooms, and ultimately, to their seats. The team is also available during intermission to answer questions, address any issues or concerns and, of course, make sure patrons find their way back to their seats before the second half of the concert begins. After the show, they escort patrons to the lobby and make one last round through Kodak Hall to retrieve programs and other items that may have been left behind.
One big perk that comes with volunteering: being able to enjoy the concert. It’s what attracted Don Sheffrin to the position four years ago. “There’s a variety of musical genres that the RPO performs, from classical to pops, jazz to the movies,” said Sheffrin. But it’s more than a ticket to the concert that keeps ushers coming back. “When our volunteers go out of their way to assist patrons,” Traina said, “they get to see the joy and gratitude in that person’s face.”
Sheffrin lists three qualities that make an usher truly special. “Patience is number one. Then, having confidence in the job you’re doing. And I think it helps to have a sense of humor when dealing with such a wide variety of people. It’s that happy attitude that can make or break the concert experience for our patrons.”
If you’re interested in becoming an usher or RPO volunteer, email Rachel Solomon, Volunteer Coordinator at rsolomon@rpo.org and check out the Rochester Philharmonic League for more information.
RPO volunteer ushers help patrons navigate the complexities of Kodak Hall.
RPO House Manager Daniel Traina reviews the concert evening’s logistics with his volunteer usher corps prior to a recent show.
NOTEWORTHY
THORGY THOR
FEB 13 | 7:30 PM HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN WILLIAMS! FEB 15 | 8 PM
Two ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your RPO!
First Thorgy Thor, a classically trained violinist and NYC drag queen is bringing her Thorchestra to Kodak Hall Thursday, February 13 at 7:30 PM. Jherrard Hardeman conducts and the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus (along with a few surprise guest artists) perform in a celebration of love. “This is a show for the whole family,” said Thorgy. “We’re going to be playing everything from Beethoven to Beyonce. There will be beautiful drag energy, humor, love, and of course beautiful string music. If you come because you love classical music, you’re going to leave loving drag and vice versa.”
Two nights later (Saturday, February 15 at 8 PM) we say Happy Birthday John Williams! in an evening of movie music from the iconic composer. Your RPO will play unforgettable songs from Williams’ most enduring soundtracks including Jaws, E.T., Star Wars, Jurassic Park, and more!
Compose Your Own Season—3 Concerts for $99*!
Our 24/25 Season is at its halfway point but you can still SAVE BIG on our Compose Your Own (CYO) series subscription!
For a limited time only, when you pick ANY 3 concerts from our Philharmonics or Pops Series for just $99* you’ll get a 4th concert FREE!
YOU pick the concerts YOU want to see, WHEN you want to see them, and SAVE! Plus, you’ll receive 10% off add-on tickets to our entire 24/25 Season Philharmonics, Pops, Specials, Sunday Matinees, and OrKIDStra series concerts including our presentation of The Wizard of OZ LIVE to Film on January 15.
*$99 per package + $15 handling fee. Offer valid for Zone 2 and 3 seats only.
EASY WAYS TO SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE! 3
RPO.ORG/SUBSCRIBE (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
PHONE: 585-454-2100
Monday-Friday 10 AM-5 PM
IN PERSON AT OUR PATRON SERVICES CENTER
255 East Avenue, First Floor, at rear of building Rochester, NY 14604
Monday-Friday 10 AM-5 PM
Free parking is available behind the Farash Building
RPO Staff New Year’s Resolutions
What do you resolve to do this new year? We asked RPO staff members what they’re looking forward to in 2025.
Set aside time to bake and cook
– Rachel Solomon, Volunteer Coordinator
Complete a marathon –Meghan Dunn, Orchestra Operations Manager
Cook and try dishes/recipes of foods I’ve never eaten before
Slow down and take more time to actually listen to music and not just “have it on” in the background
