For nearly eight decades, the Rochester Oratorio Society has been a cornerstone of the region’s musical life, bringing together generations of singers, conductors, and audiences in the shared experience of powerful choral performance. This page offers a window into that rich legacy, featuring archival audio recordings, season histories, and curated notes that illuminate the artistic milestones and community partnerships that have shaped ROS since its founding. Explore these materials to revisit treasured moments and discover how the Society’s enduring commitment to musical excellence continues to resonate today.
Our good friends at The Bop Shop recently discovered some pristine 78’s of historic performances by the Rochester Oratorio Society under their founding director, Theodore Hollenbach. We’re delighted to offer those here for the first time.
Journey through the history of ROS—select any entry below to discover the concerts, milestones, and standout stories that defined each era.
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.
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 was scheduled as part of the RPO’s 100th anniversary season finale with Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.
ROS continues to perform with the RPO regularly, including the orchestra’s season finale performance of Carmina Burana scheduled for May 2026.
