ABOUT US
The Rochester Oratorio Society has been inspiring audiences in Western New York with exceptional performances since 1945. The organization serves Rochester, NY and the surrounding seven-county region with a full symphonic choir, live musicians for hire, local education and outreach, and international support for emerging vocal artists.
The Rochester Oratorio Society, founded in 1945, is the leading choral/orchestral ensemble in Rochester, New York, and the surrounding seven-county region. The mission of ROS is to produce live choral music of the highest quality, engaging and educating our community in numerous musical genres, and gratifying our volunteer singers with the professionalism of their art. Led by Maestro Eric Townell since 2006, the Rochester Oratorio Society gives voice to the very best qualities of Rochester and western New York.
Comprising approximately 145 auditioned, adult members in a typical performance season, the ROS presents two to four performances of predominantly well-known masterworks for chorus and orchestra from the 18th-20th centuries. In this role, the ROS has offered the local premieres of monumental works, such as the Berlioz Requiem and Britten’s War Requiem, and many performances of Handel’s Messiah, under the direction of founder Theodore Hollenbach and successors Roger Wilhelm and Eric Townell.
Rochester is our first name; living and singing here affords us the opportunity to celebrate our culture in all its rich variety, to welcome all who share our passion for the full spectrum of choral music, and to serve our community as we give voice to its best qualities.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Maestro Eric Townell is an experienced and creative conductor of operatic, orchestral, and choral repertoire from the Baroque period through the 21st Century. Since joining the Rochester Oratorio Society in 2006, he has led the ROS in a wide variety of concerts, outreach performances, and tours.
ACCOMPANIST
Kevin Nitsch is a pianist, collaborator and teacher in the Rochester area. Kevin is a member of the piano faculty at Nazareth College of Rochester, is vocal coach at SUNY Geneseo and is the Music Director at the Baptist Temple in Brighton. Kevin performs regularly with Rochester Oratorio Society, Finger Lakes Opera, and Lyric Opera.
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EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
Learn more about our education and outreach initiatives including outreach performances, youth vocal lessons and choir, and our scholarship and fellowship programs.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Meet our board of directors, made up of members of the chorus and our community, working together to uphold our mission and vision.
HISTORY
Learn more about our past concert seasons, browse images, and listen to historic recordings of ROS
MEMORABLE PERFORMANCES
The ROS has performed concert tours to Italy, Eastern Europe and China; performed a live, one-hour televised concert for WXXI’s “Voices” series; collaborated with the region’s finest vocalists, instrumentalists, ensembles and artists in other disciplines; commissioned and premiered major works; hosted choirs from Canada and from major cities in the U.S.; appeared regionally in concert venues on college campuses, in performing arts centers and churches; and initiated a solo vocal competition of national stature which continues to this day.
Over the years, the ROS has performed for conductors of national and international distinction, including Leonard Bernstein, Erich Leinsdorf, David Zinman, Yuri Segal and Christopher Seaman, in engagements with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) and at the Chautauqua Institution, where the ensemble has appeared frequently over the years.
The ROS has welcomed a wonderful variety of collaborating ensembles and artists over the decades. Among the notable favorites are: baritone William Warfield; Borinquen Dance Theatre; Sankofa African Dance and Drum Ensemble; Morgan State University Choir; Thomas Warfield and the NTID Dancers; Haudenosaunee Turtle Clan representative Jamie Jacobs; Choreographer and dancer Sean McLeod; BIODANCE; Elena O’Connor, soprano; and numerous youth and academic choirs, including the Hochstein Youth Singers, the Genesee Valley Children’s Choir and the Nazareth Bach Children’s Choir.
COLLABORATION WITH THE RPO
The ROS has long maintained a thriving relationship with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, performing masterworks of Vaughan Williams, Orff, Verdi, Bach, Beethoven, Handel, Mozart and Britten, among many others. The relationship grew significantly (2006) with the arrival of Eric Townell, who brought professional orchestral conducting and choral preparation experience to his role with ROS and who enjoyed a close working relationship with (then) RPO Musical Director Christopher Seaman. This culminated in the 2009-10 season, during which the ROS completed a record four engagements for the RPO, all of which were subsequently broadcast over WXXI radio. In a highlight, the ROS performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Philharmonic under Christopher Seaman before three capacity audiences on the occasion of the grand opening of the remodeled Kodak Hall at Eastman Theater. Following an acclaimed performance of Handel’s Messiah in 2012 with the RPO under Eric Townell, the ROS was engaged for three performances for the 2013-2014 season and a further four performances in 2014-15, including La Traviata in concert with RPO Music Director, Ward Stare. ROS continues to perform with the RPO regularly and is scheduled as part of their 100th anniversary season finale with Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.
Mission and Vision
MISSION
The Rochester Oratorio Society presents choral music of the highest quality that engages, challenges, and delights members and audiences alike.
VISION
ROS will provide our audience with a consistently superior and pleasingly unique artistic experience that will inspire their attendance and support. ROS, as a diverse and inclusive organization, will promote education, collaboration, and arts-access for all.
VALUES
EXCELLENCE
We maintain consistently high performance-standards, balancing traditional and innovative approaches and honoring expectations for artistic excellence.
COLLABORATION
We amplify the importance of choral singing through artistic partnerships. We actively promote projects and programs among our members and with the wider community.
COMMUNITY
We encourage and find value in learning and performing music. We solicit and reflect on feedback from constituents to learn and grow as an organization.
EDUCATION
We cultivate an inclusive, accessible and safe environment that offers opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect, collaborate and learn together.
DIVERSITY
We nurture the development of a diverse, equitable and inclusive organization that offers access to performances. We provide a variety of opportunities for those who may not typically attend or participate in a choral presentation.
SUSTAINABILITY
We value flexibility and adaptability. We manage finances with the utmost respect and responsibility to ensure that the ROS organizational structure and staffing can execute our brand and mission.
