The Orchestra of Northern New York, the North Country’s only year-round symphony orchestra, begins its 39th season with music by legendary composers.
Music Director Colonel Michael J. Colburn, USMC (Ret.), now in his third year as the artistic leader of ONNY, says, “We have music inspired by literature, movies, the holidays, the four seasons, and national pride. And the composers include Dvorak, Bernstein (both Elmer and Leonard), Vivaldi, Saint-Saens, and Sibelius. You won’t want to miss a single note!”
Frederic Remington’s America
ONNY’s celebrates our nation’s 250th anniversary with a unique and exciting collaboration with the Frederic Remington Art Museum, located in Ogdensburg, New York. The concert, Frederic Remington’s America, has been curated through the lens of one of America’s most important artists, and reflects his family’s heritage, experiences growing up in Northern New York, his travels to Paris and Cuba, and his lifelong love of the cowboy culture of the American West.
The concert will feature a veritable “Who’s Who” of American composers, including Aaron Copland, Richard Rodgers, George Gershwin, Scott Joplin, and Leroy Anderson, and will finish in traditional ONNY fashion with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and Sousa’s The Stars and Stripes Forever.
The ever-popular summer Pops concert is a stand-along offering this year, not part of the season subscription offering. For tickets, visit onny.org or call/text 315-212-3440.
The celebration begins with an outdoor free performance on July 1 at 8 pm in Thompson Park, Watertown, followed by fireworks. It continues Thursday, July 2 at 7:30 pm in Hosmer Hall, Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam. And because of a special collaboration between ONNY and the Frederic Remington Art Museum, a third performance on Friday, July 3 at 7 pm will take place in the George Hall Auditorium at Ogdensburg Free Academy. The program begins early to give patrons time to get to Morristown for the traditional fireworks display there.
American Lit. 101
For the opening concert of the season, ONNY turns to music inspired by great American literature. In some cases, the works are traditional novels, like Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow, and William Faulkner’s The Reivers. In other cases, the music is inspired by other types of writing, such as the series of Pulitzer Prize winning articles by Malcolm Johnson that were the catalyst for the 1954 film On the Waterfront, and the collected writings of the Suffragette movement that led to 19th Amendment. The music resulting from all these works is as varied and stirring as the texts themselves and serves as a reminder of how music can augment and even elevate the power of the written word.
Two of the works on the program, Stacy Garrop’s “Battle for the Ballot” and John Williams’ “Suite from The Reivers” feature the texts of the authors as part of the concert experience. To share these words, we’re thrilled to be joined by Guy C. “Chip” Lamson and Dr. Colleen Skull as guest narrators.
Performances are scheduled for Saturday, October 17 at 7:30 in Hosmer Hall, Crane School of Music. On Sunday, the program is presented at 3 pm in Trinity Episcopal Church, Watertown.
‘Tis the Season
When it comes to getting into the spirit of the holiday season, there’s nothing like a concert of your favorite holiday music! Rest assured that ONNY will always do its part to get you ready for all that shopping, wrapping, and decorating. Whether you’re in the mood for classical works by composers like Tchaikovsky and Vaughan Williams, light-hearted gems by Leon Jessel and Leroy Anderson, or music from cherished television specials like Charlie Brown and the Grinch, ONNY has you covered. “Tis the season” to get rid of the humbugs and celebrate the season with ONNY!
Performances include a matinee only on December 12 at 3:00 PM in Hosmer Hall, SUNY Potsdam, and December 13 at 3:00 PM in Trinity Episcopal Church, Watertown.
Four Seasons
Is there any better way to brighten up a cold, dark February evening than to listen to music that evokes thoughts of birdsong in the spring, a languid, warm summer afternoon, or a harvest festival in the autumn? Thanks to composer Antonio Vivaldi and soloist Liesl Schoenberger Doty, ONNY will take listeners on a musical journey through the “Four Seasons” that is sure to transport you out of the doldrums of a North Country winter.
Longtime patrons of ONNY may recall our annual Baroque concerts, which we are bringing back with a twist: While Baroque music will still be featured on these programs, we will also program string orchestra works from other eras as well. In addition to Vivaldi, we will perform Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara’s charming depiction of country fiddlers, “Pelimannit,” and John Rutter’s heartwarming tribute to British folksong, “Suite for Strings.”
Performances are Saturday, February 6, 2027, at 7:30 PM in First Presbyterian Church, Potsdam, and Sunday, February 7 at 3:00 PM in Trinity Episcopal Church, Watertown.
National Treasure
One of the greatest sources of inspiration for many composers is their country and culture, and this program features works in which the country of origin is beyond a doubt! There is perhaps no greater example of this type of composition than Sibelius’ “Finlandia,” a work so nationalistic that it had to be performed under the title “Impromptu” during the years that Finland was under the sway of the Russian Empire. Ironically, Joan Tower’s “Made in America,” a fantasia on “America the Beautiful,” was inspired by the years she spent as a child living in Bolivia, an experience that gave her an even greater appreciation for the opportunities our country offers. Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8 is a showcase for the charm and exuberance of the folk music that endlessly inspired him.
Performances are on Saturday, April 24 at 7:30 PM in Hosmer Hall, SUNY Potsdam, and Sunday, April 25th at 3:00 PM in Trinity Episcopal Church, Watertown.
Ticket Information
Adult tickets are $30 with discounts for seniors, military, and students. Children 12 and under are always free. Newcomers to ONNY may request a voucher, $30 value, for one free ticket to any concert.
ONNY is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a member of the League of American Orchestras. ONNY is funded in part by the Northern New York Community Foundation, and by NYS Council on the Arts, a State agency, with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the NYS Legislature.
For more information, visit onny.org or call/text 315-212-3440.