Come out and join us as we kick off our 2026-2027 season with Dvořák's New World Symphony, Schubert's Rosamunde, and Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel's Overture in C.
Dvořák wrote it in 1893, while running a music conservatory in New York, and it premiered at Carnegie Hall that December. Listen for the English horn in the second movement. That melody later became the song "Goin' Home."
Schubert wrote this music in 1823 for a play called Rosamunde, Princess of Cyprus. The play closed after two nights. The music has outlived it by two centuries, and these two entr'actes show why.
A brilliant pianist and composer, and Felix Mendelssohn's older sister, she wrote this overture around 1830 to 1832. It is the only orchestral work Fanny composed, and it was never published in her lifetime.
The 2025-26 season was Steven Huang's sixth leading the orchestra as Music Director and Conductor, and everyone is so happy with how he continues to shape this organization. We programmed four exciting performances, and collaborated with professionals from the community. Our membership keeps growing too: our viola section expanded, new players joined nearly every section, and it all added up to one of our best fundraising years ever.
An afternoon of music and imagination, pairing classics with the cartoons that made them famous. The centerpiece was the U.S. premiere of Thomas Gregory's The Anxious Dragon, narrated by Eileen Oddo of Musical Munchkins with an animated video that delighted the young folks (and the young at heart) in the crowd.
Our annual tradition returned to South Salem for a second year, a partnership made possible by Susan Kang's introduction to her church community. Guest conductor Richard Slade and his ensemble of singers joined us for an afternoon of Handel, Mendelssohn, and Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. December also brought the launch of our first community newsletter and a $5,000 matching gift challenge.
A chamber group from the orchestra performed a benefit of Ukrainian music alongside violinist Solomiya Ivakhiv. The concert raised $900 through the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, directly supporting a family displaced by the war in Ukraine, and drew coverage from Nova Gazeta.
Our most ambitious program yet closed the season, celebrating America's 250th anniversary and NewWSO's 15th. Guest pianist Victoria Schwartzman joined us for Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, alongside An American in Paris, selections from West Side Story, and the Largo from Dvořák's New World Symphony.
Saturday, December 12th at 3:00 PM. Our annual Messiah Sing-Along returns to South Salem Presbyterian Church, 111 Spring St, South Salem. Bring your voice and a friend!
I joined the orchestra in the summer of 2021; our first meeting was under a tent behind the restaurant Sam's of Gedney Way, and future indoor rehearsals were spottily attended as members adjusted to post-COVID life. Our first public performance that fall, with Dvořák's Eighth, drew in a large audience, but our membership was just starting to recover: about a fifth of our roster were invited as guest musicians to fill our ranks for that concert.
Compare that to today. Through numerous initiatives, including branding, outreach, fundraising, and programming, by our tireless board, and of course all the musical efforts of all of our members, the orchestra has grown and welcomed more community musicians than ever before. Regardless of where your level of playing is, if you can read the music, you can play with us! I am proud that we continue to lean into this mission of inclusivity, in a field where exclusion is often more typical.
This community spirit will continue to become more important in the years to come. With the dizzying ascent of artificial intelligence, citizens will become even more attuned to activities that are relational and communal in nature. Whatever the fears this new technological frontier may conjure, we should rest assured that the performing arts will always be the unassailable redoubt of human endeavor, because the worth is in the gathering and doing, not just the product.
There will be other exciting challenges for our group in the next decade: at some point, we will need to find a new rehearsal home. We also want to diversify our community engagement with collaborations with other performers, composers, venues, and organizations. All of this takes money: yes, your dues, but also donations, grants, sponsorships, and fundraising. But these challenges are about this group maturing and growing to meet these challenges of a changing world. So thank you for your gifts of time, talent, and treasure, and here's to the next fifteen years of community music-making!
Christine Scott-Deutsch is one of the founding members of the orchestra and joined another oboist and an accordion player in the wind section. She had returned to playing just three years earlier, after a 30-year hiatus, and 15 seasons later she is still here, now as our principal oboist. She encourages all in the section to play the principal part in at least one selection to help improve their musical acumen, confidence, and experience giving the orchestra the tuning A.
Christine has played with many ensembles over the years, and she will tell you that what keeps her coming back to this one is the people. She is also a devoted Laubin player, and will happily explain why if you ask. A graduate of Music & Art, she continues to take occasional lessons and enjoys learning about the composers we play and the different styles of composition through the centuries.
"I've played in a lot of groups. This one started as a few friends who wanted to play real repertoire, and it continues to grow."
"Every season there's a piece that reminds me why I fell in love with this orchestra. This fall it's the Dvořák."
Watch for more member stories as we celebrate our fifteenth season.
We need your help to raise $5,000 this Fall 2026, which Braze, Inc. will generously match dollar-for-dollar for a total of $10,000 toward our operating and performance expenses.
Your contribution will directly support:
By giving, you're helping sustain a welcoming musical community that fosters growth, artistry, and joy for both players and audiences. Please join us in making music accessible and meaningful for all!
