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POTSDAM - The Orchestra of Northern New York, the North Country's only year-round symphony orchestra, has received a five-year commitment to sponsor the exceptionally gifted students from the Crane School of Music who are selected for the ONNY Apprenticeship Program. The students are paid as young professionals.

The donation comes from The Secret Sits Pro Musica Ensembles, Inc. (TSS, Inc.), a charitable nonprofit organization founded in 2017 in memory of Marie A. Patten, of Athens, GA and the Gull Pond Community in the Piercefield, NY area. TSS, Inc. is incorporated in Georgia and New York.

Marie Patten was educated in New York City public schools and went on to earn BA, MSW and PhD degrees at the College of William and Mary and the University of Georgia. Her love of music grew throughout her life. An avid opera- and concert-goer, she would leave chamber music performances and frequently comment to the effect that the world would be a better place if that kind of music was on street corners. It is that sentiment, and the pursuit of related goals finding root around it, to which TSS, Inc. is now dedicated -- Better Music, Better World.

Marie was very fond of poetry, and wrote some herself. A personal encounter with Robert Frost when she was young became indelible in her life, and this is reflected in "The Secret Sits" being the title of one of Frost's poems:

We dance round in a ring and suppose,
But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.

"It is a wonderful opportunity for Crane students to perform with a professional symphony orchestra," says Kenneth Andrews, who founded the orchestra in 1988. "They are held to the same high standards as the other musicians, and the experience fosters discipline and professionalism."

"We are most grateful for this generous gift. It truly is transformational for the orchestra," Andrews continued.

ONNY is celebrating its 31st season of music that inspires and excites. It is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is "to enrich the quality of life in Northern New York and engage area youth by inspiring the enjoyment and appreciation of music through live performances by professional musicians." It is funded, in part, by the Northern New York Community Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

For more information about ONNY, call 315-267-3251 or visit www.onny.org.

POTSDAM -  The Orchestra of Northern New York seeks high school students to compete in its 13th Annual James and Katherine Andrews Young Artist Competition for High School Instrumentalists to be held 10:00 a.m., Saturday, February 16 at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music.  The application deadline is February 1st.

The event is open to the public that is sure to be amazed as high school students from northern and central New York compete by performing required works from memory. 

Established in 2007 to help fulfill ONNY's youth mission of engaging young people in the enjoyment and appreciation of music. the competition's mission is to inspire young musicians to reach their highest level of artistry. 

The competition is one of the few of its kind in the U.S. that offers both a cash prize and the opportunity to solo with a professional symphony orchestra. 

The first place winner takes home $500 and this year will perform the winning piece during the Harry Potter Spectacular concerts on March 23rd and 24th in Watertown and Potsdam.  Second and third place prizes of $300 and $150 respectively are also awarded.

This year, we are proud to announce the $500 First Prize is donated anonymously by a friend and classmate of the late Rev. Peter J. Sullivan in his memory.

For an application form, list of required repertoire and more information about this year's competition, visit onny.org or call 315-267-3251.

This annual report is Intended to keep ONNY stakeholders informed of the Orchestra's state of affairs as it marks its 31st season of making music that inspires and excites.  The report is available here.

POTSDAM - Maestro Kenneth Andrews, music director, conductor and founder of the Orchestra of Northern New York, will address the audience at a pre-concert lecture at 3:45 pm, Saturday, April 28 in Hosmer Hall at the Crane School of Music, and 2:15 pm, Sunday, April 29 in the First Presbyterian Church in Watertown. The concert, Stravinsky & Mendelssohn, begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3:00 p.m. Sunday.

Both performances are sponsored, in part, by the Northern New York Community Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency, with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

The concert features Stravinsky's masterful Pulcinella  Suite that will showcase the virtuosity of ONNY's principal chairs. On the second half of the program, Mendelssohn's brilliant and exhilarating Symphony No. 4 (Italian) will take the listener back to his magical trip to Italy in 1830.

Silas Smith, 18, of Malone will perform Ravel's Introduction and Allegro for harp. He is the winner of the James and Katherine Andrews Young Artist Competition held this past February. He has been studying harp for ten years through the National String Project at the Crane School of Music, under the direction of Dr. Jessica Suchy-Pilalis.

Tickets for the Watertown concert are available in Watertown at the North Country Arts Council, 52 Public Square, and Pine Cleaners, 237 Franklin Street.

Concertgoers are encouraged to come to Hosmer Hall early on Saturday, April 28th to take advantage of SeaComm Federal Credit Union's 'pay it forward' campaign. The financial institution is providing free tickets to the first 250 people in attendance.

For more information about ONNY, call 315-267-3251 or visit www.onny.org