BY LAWRENCE KOPP
In 1965, five visionary musicians founded an orchestra in bucolic Ridgefield. Fifty years later, the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra has grown into a fully professional ensemble whose annual concert series is enjoyed by concertgoers from throughout Fairfield and Westchester counties.
The RSO is truly a remarkable organization in many ways. According to the League of American Orchestras, no other community nationwide with a comparable population supports an orchestra of the RSO”™s size. That speaks volumes to the dedication of the community we serve. And the exceptionally high musical standards we maintain are a testament to our music director and the commitment and quality of our musicians, many of whom have performed with the RSO for decades. Besides performing with all of the major musical organizations in New York on a regular basis, RSO musicians have performed with some of the finest orchestras worldwide, including London”™s Royal Philharmonic, the Jerusalem Symphony and the Stockholm Philharmonic, among others. We even have a member of the orchestra who has won a Grammy award.
Internationally acclaimed Music Director Jerry Steichen maintains a busy conducting schedule outside of Ridgefield, including posts with the Utah Symphony and Ballet West. Under his baton, the RSO continues to grow artistically every season. A reviewer of the RSO”™s October 2014 concert noted the “impressive growth in expressive performance and professional quality (of the RSO)”¦. over the past 50 years.” He went on to call the performance “a memorable triumph.”
The RSO”™s commitment to community includes a robust array of education programs. Notable is a new collaboration with SPHERE, a Ridgefield-based organization that supports adults with developmental disabilities, a groundbreaking program unique in the U.S. And in 2014-15, the RSO has launched a new pre-concert lecture series hosted by noted conductor and musician Michael Lankester.
The RSO”™s Golden Anniversary Season includes five concerts of the finest in classical and pops, performed at the Anne S. Richardson Auditorium in Ridgefield and Clune Auditorium in Wilton. For more information, visit ridgefieldsymphony.org, or call 203-438-3889. I invite all of you to join us in celebrating the RSO”™s 50th anniversary!
Lawrence Kopp is executive director of the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra, a member of the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.
