History
Founded over seven decades ago by eight musicians in the living room of Parl Brooks’ home on Clark Street in Orchard Park and being able to draw professional and amateur musicians alike, it has been the pleasure of the Orchard Park Symphony Orchestra to be YOUR Symphony in the Southtowns. With the assistance of the Orchard Park Central School District’s community education program, the embryonic orchestra retained its first conductor, Joesph Wincenc.
The Orchestra’s first concert featured Betty Smith as its first solo artist performing the second movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 12 in A Major. Since then, the OPSO has been able to continue because of the generous support of its patrons its tradition of exceptional quality, drawing in solo artists, such as Mark O’Connor, Jay and Molly Ungar, Cathy Cho, Peter Stumpf, Jeremy Denk, Carol Wincenc, Eduardus Halim, Simon Boyar, Claudia Hoca, Rachel Lee and Simon Mulligan.
Executive Board
Meri Beth Jones, President
Barney Colón, Past-President
Peg Beyer, Treasurer
Lora Sambora, Secretary
Doug Ward, Vice President
Maureen Thiel, VP of Marketing
Catherine Nagel, General Counsel
Board Members
Ann Thea Beck
Jillian Beyer
Lauren Binder
Don Carducci
JoAnn Litwin-Clinton
Roseann Deni
Gail Freeman
Joan Litwin
Jason Majchrzak
Matthew McGarrity
Angela Nowicki
Lynn O’Conner
Elaine Rappold
Al Sager
Staff
Brenda Small – Executive Director
Michael Anton Sciortino – Librarian
Paul Furlong – Personnel Manager
Alicia Herbert – Stage/Venue Manager
Orchestra
VIOLIN I
James Ieda, Concertmaster
Angel Rhodes
Michael Hobart
Linda Ward
Merry Jeffers
Denise Uhlman
Lily Wagner
Marcella Wentland
Alex Crinzi
Charlene Brooks
Eve D. Roushey
VIOLIN II
Barney Colón Principal
Vivian Johnston
Linda Dansa
Michael Anton Sciortino
Lora Sambora
Maria Czechowski
Victoria Callen
Jacqueline Dubill
Emily Pawelski
Kristen Stadelmaier
Suzanne Kovic
Cara Czechowski
VIOLA
Amy Kelly Principal
George Herbert
Annette Ieda
Dennis Lell
Robert Donowick
Leslie Bahler
Riley Williams
David Bojanowski
Sharon Greenfield
CELLO
Nanci Bailey Principal
Peg Beyer
Alicia Herbert
John Bailey
Ann Thea Beck
Jonathan Steffen
Sharon Meholick
Joli Springborn
Kevin Jopp
BASS
Peter Bahler
Michael Maywalt, Jr.
Matt Ferraro
Colin O’Donnell
Bill Bosinski
FLUTE
Nicole McPherson
Gabrielle Moore
Alicia Fitzpatrick
OBOE
Brenda Small
Laura Buechi
CLARINET
Charles Vara
Elaine Rappold
BASS CLARINET
Richard Nunemaker
BASSOON
Paul Furlong
Douglas Ward
TRUMPET
Larry Deni
Kara Mayer
Nathan Barnes
FRENCH HORN
Michael Ruesch
Julie Robinson
Jason Majchrzak
Michael Robertson
Nan Cobb
TROMBONE
Peter Karda
Peter Blackwell
Mike Bossert
TUBA
Fred Lenz
PERCUSSION
Eric Jeffers
Ed Katz
Brett Colangelo
TIMPANI
Molly Williams
HARP
Cristin Kalinowski
PIANO
Kevin Jopp