The Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra is a performing community ensemble based in
Harford County, Maryland
Harford County is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 260,924. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County is included in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is al ...
.
The orchestra was founded in the late 1970s by Sheldon Bair as the Harford Community Orchestra, and changed its name to "The Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra" in 1982.
The orchestra is an all-volunteer ensemble of about 70 musicians from many professions.
The musicians rehearse together once a week. It performs a four concert series during the school year and one to two pop concerts in the summer.
In addition to performing pieces composed by Bair himself,
the orchestra has premiered many pieces, including two by Henry Cowell, and works by David Finko, Kile Smith, Gwyneth Walker,
Sean O'Boyle
Sean Michael O'Boyle AM (born 1963) is an Australian composer and conductor.
His ''River Symphony'' was performed by the Queensland Orchestra and released on ABC Classics in 2007 on a CD that also included ''Concerto for Didgeridoo'' composed ...
, Theldon Myers, Sir
Malcolm Arnold, and others. The Symphony and its director, Sheldon Bair, are known for performing relatively obscure works of music by well-known composers. The Symphony also champions living composers and encourage those composers to attend their concerts. Guest artists hosted by the SSO include
Alexander Skwortsow, the
Edinburgh String Quartet
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
, David Amram, the
Penn State Choir and members of the
Cleveland Orchestra and the
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. During the 2007–2008 season the orchestra performed for
Poland's independence day at
St. Patrick's Cathedral in
New York City.
Carnegie Hall
After working with the orchestra for their 2007 St. Patrick's concert, the orchestra was again invited to New York City by Polish conductor Jan Sporek. On October 18, 2009, the orchestra performed at
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
as part of Sporek's 20th anniversary celebration.
David Dubal
David Dubal (born Cleveland, Ohio) is an American pianist, teacher, author, lecturer, broadcaster, and painter.
Musician and painter
Dubal has given piano recitals and master classes worldwide, and has also judged international piano competitions ...
and
Olek Krupa
Aleksander Krupa (born 18 March 1947), often credited as Olek Krupa, is a Polish actor, active in film and television roles and best known for playing villains and/or criminals, such as in ''Eraser'', ''Blue Streak'', ''Home Alone 3'' as Peter B ...
hosted the event honoring Sporek's 20 years of artistic work in the United States.
References
External links
Official website
Musical groups established in 1978
Orchestras based in Maryland
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