Brockton Symphony Orchestra

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The Brockton Symphony Orchestra (BrSO) is a semiprofessional orchestra based in Brockton, Massachusetts founded in 1925 as the Brockton Orchestral Society. [1] Described by the Boston Globe as "one of the region's classical jewels", [2] the orchestra performs five or six concerts each year, including several masterworks concerts and an annual Holiday Pops Concert at venues in Brockton including the Buckley Center for the Performing Arts, Christ Congregational Church, and Brockton High School. [3] In the 1970s, the orchestra also produced original operas and ballets, [4] a tradition it revived with its 2025 production of Carmen. [5] Contemporary works which have been commissioned and premiered by the orchestra include Gardner Read's Vernal Equinox (1955), [6] Beth Denisch's Golden Fanfare (1998), [1] and Thomas Oboe Lee's Sounds of The Islands (2005). [7]

Contents

The orchestra is currently music directed by John Masko, who has served since 2023. [8] Its board chair is Susan Caplan. [9] Clarinetist and conductor Jonathan Cohler served as the orchestra's Musical Director from 1996 to 2006, and James Orent served as Music Director from 2007 until his death in 2021. [7]

Vasconcellos Youth Competition

The Brockton Symphony Orchestra also hosts the annual Vasconcellos Youth Competition, offering $1500 in prizes every year to instrumentalists under the age of 18. Winners are invited to play a concerto with the Brockton Symphony Orchestra. [10] Past Winners include Miki Nagahara, Winston Huang, Jaclyn Freshman, Kristhyan Benitez, and Meihui An.

Members

The following is the list of instrumentalists as of the Brockton Symphony Orchestra 2023-2024 season. [11]

NameSectionChair
Janny JooViolin IMark Finklestein Chair
Zenas Hsu
Donna CulleyJohn D. Martin Chair
Tudor Dornescu
Joy Garmaise-Yee
Viridiana Hernandez Villa
Kathleen Jara
Diane Hartung
Jonathan K.S So
Jo Manning-Souza
Gigi Turgeon
Laura-Marie Tusi
Ali You
Christine Warren
Betsy HinkleViolin IIMarcia Lindsay Chair
Lily Apolloni
Karen Grant
Maureen Jardin
Joshua Lennox
Heather Luhn
Nareh Mkrtschjan
Allison Patton
Carol Rankin
Sam Ruest
Sara Weir
Isaiah Chapman
Stephanie BillinghamViola
Stephanie Burns
Patricia Chane
Arjun Mudan
Carly Rockenhauser
Roselie Samter
Cassandra Sulbarán
Julie Reimann
Caroline Walter HineCello
Christelle Alcindor
Tara Chambers
Angelina Donahue
James Hardiman
Howard Katz
Macaulley Whitlock
Amitabh GoswamiBass
Carlos Sulbarán
Carlos Yepes
Susan CaplanFlute/PiccoloCaplan Family Chair
Carolyn Baughman
Lorrie Hassan
Mark FinklesteinOboe/English HornKenneth R. Feinberg Chair
Melanie HaynMark Finklestein Chair
Lori Hagborg
Torben HansenClarinetEvelyn Chamberlin Chair
Jeffrey Lichenstein
Karen SanbornBass Clarinet & Saxophone
Mary Jo RunningSaxophone
Debbie ChenBassoon
Robert Gemmell, Jr.
Jessica YoungHornCarol F. Bedard Chair
Erik Svenson
Rachel Daly
Samuel Koeck
Wayne KingTrumpet
Spencer Aston
Joseph Donohue
John Schuller
Sydney Alfano
Nic DionTrombone
Thomas Williams
Donald RunningBass Trombone
Jordan OliveiraTuba
Carol ChaffeePiano
Eve Budnick
Bryan RoundPercussion
Chris Boyd
Angelina SavoieHarp

References

  1. 1 2 Redpath, Lisa (2022). "In Harmony: The Complementary Musical Tales of the Brockton Symphony Orchestra, Sharon Civic Orchestra, and Sharon Community Chamber Orchestra" (Universal Publishers, 2022)
  2. Massey, Joanna (11 December 2003)."Brockton Orchestra Enjoys Crescendo of Success". Boston Globe. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  3. Brockton Symphony Website. [https://www.brocktonsymphony.org/season_current.php
  4. Coleman, Sandy (11 March 1990). "Brockton Concert Master Strives for Success as Violin Soloist". Boston Globe .
  5. Brockton Symphony Website. [https://www.brocktonsymphony.org/season_current.php
  6. Dodd, Mary Ann, and Jayson Rod Engquist (1996). Gardner Read: A Bio-Bibliography, p. 80. Greenwood Press. ISBN   0313293848
  7. 1 2 Massey, Joanna (11 December 2003)."Brockton Orchestra Enjoys Crescendo of Success". Boston Globe . Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  8. "About the Brockton Symphony Orchestra: Music Director, John Masko". www.brocktonsymphony.org. 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  9. Brockton Symphony Board and Staff. https://www.brocktonsymphony.org/about_personnel.php
  10. Budris, John (22 January 2006). "Symphony gives concerto winner an ovation; Vasconcellos Awards honor top youth"., Boston Globe .
  11. "Orchestra Roster, 2023-2024 Season". brocktonsymphony.org. 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2024.