Genesee Symphony Orchestra

When Thomas A. and Kim M. Cox found out that Genesee Community College intended to move forward with their annual Encore event on Saturday, Dec. 12, despite the obstacles presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, they were intrigued.

"We've always enjoyed working with GCC, including on Encore in the past and we have been supporters of the GCC Foundation and the scholarships it provides for years," said Tom Cox. "We were excited to take on the challenge when the Foundation asked us to return and cochair Encore 2020."

Last month, Kim and Tom, a current member of the GCC Foundation Board of Directors, kicked off the Encore 2020 efforts and got right to work.

The couple excitedly announced that this year's Encore event is being sponsored by Tompkins Financial Advisors, Tompkins Bank of Castile, and Tompkins Insurance Agencies.

"Tompkins has always been community focused, and now more than ever, it's important for organizations to step up and recognize the impact GCC has on its students and our community," said David S. Boyce, Tompkins Insurance president and CEO. "Thank you to GCC for its role in educating our future leaders."

With the support of Tompkins Financial, the GCC Foundation has been able to secure very special performances by the Genesee Symphony Orchestra as well as a special appearance by members of the Genesee Chorale!

Perhaps the newest feature of this year's Encore event will be the venue -- the entire performance will be available online! Visit here for tickets to access the performance from the comfort of one's own home and an extra special offer that will make the evening even brighter!

Join the virtual celebration on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m.

To "Be the Light" and sponsor Encore 2020, please complete the online forms here or contact the Foundation Office at (585) 345-6809, or foundation@genesee.edu today.

The following sponsorships are available:

• Virtual Table Sponsor – $2,000 Sponsorship includes 10 tickets to the event, program recognition, and dinner for 10 (takeout or gift certificate).
• Conductor’s Circle Sponsor – $1,000 – Sponsorship includes six tickets to the event, program recognition and dinner for six (takeout or gift certificate).
• Golden Baton Society Sponsor – $600 – Sponsorship includes four tickets to the event, program recognition and dinner for four (takeout or gift certificate).
• Inner Circle Sponsor – $300 – Sponsorship includes two tickets to the event, program recognition and dinner for two (takeout or gift certificate).
• Platinum Patron Ticket – $100 – Ticket includes one ticket to the event, and dinner for one (takeout or gift certificate).
• Concert Ticket – $50 – Ticket includes admission for one to the event (no dinner).

Area Restaurants Generously Supporting Encore with Dinner Takeout Menus

Alex’s Place – Batavia

Black & Blue – Rochester

Hole In The Wall  – Perry

Yard of Ale – Piffard

Zambistro Restaurant – Medina

From the Genesee Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors:

Like many of you, the Genesee Symphony Orchestra is closely monitoring the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the effect it is having on our community and around the world.

We’re dedicated to creating a safe environment for our patrons, musicians, and volunteers to enjoy beautiful music.

As a result of recent events, we have decided to make the following changes to our upcoming event calendar:

• The String Workshop scheduled for March 28 is cancelled;
• The Young Artist Competition scheduled for May 2 is postponed until further notice. Applications are on our GSO website. Katharine Wilson is the contact person:  katharinewilson04@gmail.com

We will continue to work with students andteachers from around the area to find opportunities for interested musicians to participate in future GSO events.

• Our recital featuring Music Director and Conductor S. Shade Zajac and Brian Preston scheduled for April 19 will be postponed until further notice.
• Our concert scheduled for May 3 at the Elba Central School Auditorium will be cancelled.

We are working diligently with musicians and special guests to find a time to perform this program for you in the near future, and as we make progress through this trying time we will keep everyone informed.

Our GSO would ask that you consider any of the Season Tickets which you purchased earlier be considered your donation to the orchestra’s yearly operating fund. If you request a ticket refund, please e-mail:   roxie.gso@gmail.com

• The GSO's drawing for its annual raffle, “Canandaigua Culinary Experience,” scheduled for Sunday, May 3 has been postponed. We will reschedule the drawing to coincide with Maestro Zajac’s recital in late May, and we will inform our patrons when a final date is selected. If you have purchased raffle tickets, they are in a safe place until the drawing takes place. Musicians and Board Members still have tickets to sell until the recital.

Lastly, Summer Serenade is still scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 23rd, at The LeRoyan. More information/details will be coming as August nears.

The GSO will continue to work with relevant community leaders to operate in a manner consistent with recommendations from health offcials, government, and our event-hosting venues. Every decision we make is with you in mind.

We look forward to continuing to provide our community with wonderful music for years to come.

Thank you,

GSO Board of Directors

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From GSO Music Director and Conductor S. Shade Zajac:

"...These are indeed uncertain and troubling times, but we will work hard to make next season’s concerts all the more special. I would like to thank you for your continued support of this incredible and special orchestra.

"It is in times like these when music is most needed and so I hope you will keep us in your thoughts and music in your hearts. I wish you all health and I know we will see each other soon!

"Symphonic Pictures III -- Once Upon a Time" is the third of four concerts this season performed by the Genesee Symphony Orchestra. It will be held starting at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 1 in the Elba Central School Auditorium, located at 57 S. Main St. in Elba.

The program will be:

• "Night on Bald Mountain" by Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky
• "Ma Mere 'L'Oye" ("Mother Goose Suite") by Maurice Ravel
• "Romeo and Juliet" selections by Sergei Sergeyevich Prkofiev

GSO Conductor S. Shade Zajac says the concert is intended to evoke magical storytelling through beloved pieces of music and he promises it will be "spellbinding."

"Night on Bald Mountain" for example is from Disney's animated classic "Fantasia." It depicts the spirits of darkness in celebration of "Chernobog," a Slavic deity aka "The Black God," before the sound of church bells drives them back into darkness.

"Very dramatic and maybe still a bit scary," writes Zajac in his "Message from the Maestro" to the orchestra, its board members and supporters.

The suite by Ravel is based on classic children's stories: "Sleeping Beauty," "Tom Thumb" and "Beauty and the Beast."

"It is a tour-de-force for our wind players and features everyone from the stratospheric piccolo to the grumbling contrabassoon!" Zajac says.

In the timeless ballet based on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," some of the most famous moments will be performed musically: "The Montegues and Capulets," the balcony scene, and the tragic scene of Romeo at Juliet's grave, and more.

Concert tickets are adults $15, seniors $10, and students with ID are free.

Note that there will be a GSO raffle for a chance to win a day and overnight stay in lovely Canandaigua.

The winning ticket will treat two to fine dining at the NYS culinary arts facility -- The Restaurant & Bar at New York Kitchen (NYKitchen), right on the waters edge of Canandaigua Lake, where New York foods and beverages and the freshest seasonal produce are showcased. Stay at the postcard-perfect Bella Rose Bed & Breakfast in a beautifully appointed suite with private bath. The B&B offers "the best breakfast in Canandaigua," a three-course meal in its Victorian dining room.

Have a look-see at The Restaurant & Bar at New York Kitchen here, and the Bella Rose here.

Raffle tickets are on sale at the GSO concerts -- including the season finale concert May 3 ("Symphonic Pictures IV -- Dance"), also at Elba Central School Auditorium -- and from any board member. Raffle tickets cost $5 for one ticket; $10 for three tickets. The drawing will be held at the May 3 concert. Proceeds benefit the GSO.

The Genesee Symphony Orchestra performs its annual holiday concert, "A Nutcracker Holiday," at 4 p.m., Sunday, at Byron-Bergen High School, conducted by S. Shade Zajac.

Performances include "Christmas Concerto" by Corelli, "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson, "Piano Concerto No. 2" by Saint-Saens (featuring Amy Feng, GSO Young Artist Winner), T"he Nutcracker" by Tchaikovsky, a holiday selection featuring the Pembroke Elementary Chorus, and Christmas Festival by Leroy Anderson.

Tickets are adults $15, senior $10, and students with ID are free.

Byron-Bergen High School is located at 6917 W. Bergen Road, Bergen.

Genesee Symphony Orchestra will perform "Symphonic Pictures II -- A Nutcracker Holiday" at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8, at Byron-Bergen High School.

It is located at 6917 W. Bergen Road, Bergen.

S. Shade Zajac is the music director and conductor.

The program is:

• "Christmas Concerto" by Corelli
• "Sleigh Ride" by Anderson
• Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, movement I, by Saint-Saëns, performed by Amy Feng, GSO 2019 Young Artist winner
• "The Nutcracker" selections from Act I by Tchaikovsky
• Holiday Selections performed by the Pembroke Elementary School Chorus, directed by Erin Rush, with pianist Sarah Panna
• "Christmas Festival" by Anderson

Tickets are $15 for adults; seniors $10; and students with student ID, free.

Tickets are available at: Roxy's Music Store (228 W. Main St., Batavia); The Yngodess Shop (73 Main St., Batavia); the Bank of Castile, Le Roy (29 Main St.); and online at the GSO website here.

This concert is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the NYS Council on the Arts, with the support of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the NYS Legislature. The funds are administered by GO ART!

Here is the Genesee Symphony Orchestra during Monday's rehearsal performing Aaron Copland's "John Henry."

The Genesee Symphony Orchestra opens its 2019-20 season this Sunday at 4 p.m. with a concert in the auditorium of Pembroke High School.

The concert, "Symphonic Pictures I: Portraits" features "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" by Debussy, "John Henry," by Aaron Copland, "The Swan of Tuonela," by Sibelius, and "Pictures at an Exhibition," by Mussorgsky.

This is the fourth season S. Shade Zajac leads the orchestra.

For casual fans of orchestra music or those who have never been to see an orchestra perform, this is an excellent show. The pieces are largely modernist and fun. The Mussorgsky piece is particularly exciting (watch the video) and Aaron Copland is perhaps America's greatest composer.  

If you watch the video, you will likely want to attend this show.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, and students (with ID) get in for free. Tickets are available at Roxy's Music Store, GO ART!, The YNGodess Shop, Bank of Castile in Le Roy and at geneseesymphony.com.

Pembroke High School is located at 8750 Alleghany Road (routes 5 and 77), Pembroke.

Previously: Video: GSO prepares for opening concert of the season, rehearsing 'Pictures at an Exhibition,' by Mussorgsky

The Genesee Symphony Orchestra opens its 2019-20 season this Sunday at 4 p.m. with a concert in the auditorium of Pembroke High School.

The concert, "Symphonic Pictures I: Portraits" features "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" by Debussy, "John Henry," by Aaron Copland, "The Swan of Tuonela," by Sibelius, and "Pictures at an Exhibition," by Mussorgsky.

This is the fourth season S. Shade Zajac leads the orchestra.

For casual fans of orchestra music or those who have never been to see an orchestra perform, this is an excellent show. The pieces are largely modernist and fun. The Mussorgsky piece is particularly exciting (watch the video) and Aaron Copland is perhaps America's greatest composer.  

If you watch the video, you will likely want to attend this show.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, and students (with ID) get in for free. Tickets are available at Roxy's Music Store, GO ART!, The YNGodess Shop, Bank of Castile in Le Roy and at geneseesymphony.com.

Pembroke High School is located at 8750 Alleghany Road (routes 5 and 77), Pembroke.

The Genesee Symphony Orchestra will perform its fall concert at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20, in Pembroke High School Auditorium.

It is located at 8750 Alleghany Road, Pembroke (routes 5 and 77).

S. Shade Zajaz is the music director and conducter.

"Symphonic Pictures I -- Portraits" will feature:

• "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" by Debussy
• "Jon Henry" by Copland
• "The Swan of Tuonela" by Sibelius
• "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Mussorgsky, with arrangements by Ravel

Tickets are $15 for adults; seniors $10; students with student ID, free.

Tickets are available at Roxy's Music Store, GO ART!, The Wyngodess Shop, and Bank of Castile in Le Roy.

This concert is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the NYS Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Legislature and administered by GO ART!

The Genesee Symphony Orchestra prepares for the annual Summer Serenade, a joint fundraiser with United Way and held each year at the La Royan in Le Roy.

The 2019 concert is Aug. 25. Social hour begins at 4:30 p.m., with dinner at 5, the concert at 6:15, and dessert to follow.

Tickets are $75 a person. Garden party attire recommended.

Tickets available at Tompkins Bank of Castile in Le Roy and Roxy's Music Store or online at  www.uwrochester.org/summerserenade

Proceeds benefit the United Way Backpack Program and the GSO.

Press release:

Save the date!

On Aug. 25, the United Way of Genesee County will host their Fourth Annual Summer Serenade; a combined fund-raising event with the Genesee Symphony Orchestra (GSO).

This year’s garden party, held at the stately LeRoyan (formerly Mercy Grove), will start with cocktails at 4:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at 5 o'clock and a serenade of guests by the GSO will begin at 6:15, followed by dessert.

Garden party attire is encouraged.

Tickets for this combined fundraiser are $75 per person and include: beer & wine, dinner, dessert and the beautiful sounds of the GSO. (Cash bar is available.) Proceeds support the United Way’s Backpack Program and the GSO.

To support these two wonderful groups, tickets can be purchased as follows:

• Tompkins Bank of Castile, Le Roy
• Roxy’s Music Store
• United Way Board Members
• GSO Board Members
• Online at www.uwrochester.org/summerserenade

The Genesee Symphony Orchestra will present its "Made in America!" Pops Concert at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 31 in the Elba Central School Auditorium. It is located at 57 S. Main St. in Elba.

S. Shade Zajac is the symphony's music director and conductor. The concert will feature composer, percussionist and guest soloist Dave Mancini.

WBTA is the sponsor of the "Made in America!" Pops Concert.

The program is:

• "The American Frontier" by Calvin Custer
• "The Journey" by Dave Mancini
• "Fiesta Latina" by Dave Mancini
• "Psycho Prelude" by Bernard Herrmann
• "Forrest Gump Suite" by Alan Silvestri, arrangements by Calvin Custer
• Concert Suite from "Dances With Wolves" by John Barry
• "Over the Rainbow" from "The Wizard of Oz" by Harold Arlen, arrangements by Chuck Sayre
• "Star Wars Suite for Orchestra" by John Williams -- "Leia's Theme" and main title

Tickets are: adults -- $15; students -- $7; seniors -- $10; family -- $35 (parents and children 12 and under).

Tickets are available at Roxy's Music Store, GO ART!, The YNGodess Shop, Vinyl Record Revival, Smokin' Eagle BBQ & Brew, and on the symphony's website here.

This concert is made possible, in part, by the NYS Council on the Arts with the support of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Legislature.