News & Events

West Side Story Dance Celebration at Lincoln Center

Don't miss this spectacular event featuring our Orchestra performing music by Leonard Bernstein, Alberto Ginastera, and Arturo Marquez alongside young dancers from Dancing Classrooms Youth Dance Company...great seats still available at Avery Fisher Hall.  Click here for tickets and information.    And click here for a fun sneak peek at the Dancing Classrooms kids rehearsing for this event!

Making a Joyful Sound: A Holiday Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Maestro Dino Anagnost

Tickets will be available for this weekend's musical tribute to Dino Anagnost at the door, beginning at 4:30 on Sunday.  Click here for more information.

Accepting applications for Music Director position

The Little Orchestra Society/Orpheon Inc. (LOS) welcomes applications for the position of Music Director. 

Residing within New York City and serving audiences throughout the Metropolitan Area since 1947, LOS presents imaginative and creative Education and Family concerts and programs, both on-stage and in classrooms throughout New York City, plus unique stand-alone concerts for adult audiences each season. Designed to inspire and encourage lifelong participation in the arts through its focused programming, LOS seeks to be at the forefront of defining new program models, which build on its foundation as an inventor and leader committed to excellence and education. The second oldest professional union orchestra in New York City, LOS performs at many of New York's renowned concert halls for annual audiences of 38,000 people. 

The ideal candidate will possess exceptional musicianship and conducting skills and will have experience working with professional orchestras, musicians and artists in other performing art forms. S/he will have a practical knowledge of a broad range of repertoire, strong interpersonal, leadership, and communication skills, including the ability to engage with audiences, plus vision, passion and a proven ability to create and develop programming and scripts that incorporate new technology to make orchestra music relevant and exciting for existing and new audiences. Advanced degree required and previous or current music directorship experience preferred.

For a complete job description, and to learn more about applying for the Music Director position, click the following link: Music_Director_Position.pdf

Amahl and the Night Visitors

Don't miss our glittering presentation of Amahl and the Night Visitors at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center on 12/17.  This musical masterpiece is great for audiences of all ages and is sure to warm hearts with its spirit of hope, joy and human kindness....a perfect holiday celebration for the entire family!  Call 212-971-9500 or click here to purchase your tickets!

Lolli-Pops Concert this weekend!

Meet the Conductor, Part 2

Click here for the 2nd installment of our Meet the Conductor conversation series and watch Jeffrey Grogan answer another question from one of our young audience members.   Here's a hint - he likes to play Wii!

Do you have an interesting question for our Conductor?  One lucky Facebook fan will win two free tickets to a Lolli-Pops concert at The Kaye Playhouse.  Lust "Like" our Facebook page to become a fan, and then post a comment or video with a question on our wall.  The winner will be selected at the end of October.

Meet the Conductor, Part 1

Our first Guest Conductor, Jeffrey Grogan, has answered a series of questions from one of our young audience members.  Click here to watch the first video installment of our new Meet the Conductor conversations series.

If you or your children have a question for one of our Guest Conductors, please post a comment or video with the question on our Facebook wall.  Stay tuned for more installments of this fun conversation!

Making a Joyful Sound: A Holiday Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Maestro Dino Anagnost

We are so pleased to announce that a concert will take place on Sunday, December 11 to honor the memory of the late Dino Anagnost, who led us through 32 seasons of happy music making.   A Benefit Dinner will follow the concert, proceeds from which will be used to establish a fund in memory of Dino Anagnost, to support the Orchestra's future programming.  Click here for more information about this special event.

LOS to participate in Third Avenue Street Fair this Saturday, 9/10

The Little Orchestra Society will participate in tomorrow's Third Avenue Street Fair.  Join us on 3rd Avenue between 74th and 75th Streets from 11:00am to 5:30pm.  We will be talking about the 2011-2012 concert season, decorating masks with the kids, and performing on the stage at 2:50.  Don't miss this fun-filled musical sneak-preview of our upcoming season...see you there!

Buzz the Bee gets down at Museum Mile 2011

The Little Orchestra Society had a great time at this year's Museum Mile event.  Like last year, we set up in front of El Museo del Barrio and had the opportunity to speak with hundreds of arts-loving New York families.  Check out this great video of Lolli-Pops favorite Buzz the Bee getting down with some young music fans!

The Little Orchestra Society - Museum Mile 2011

The Little Orchestra Society is excited to once again participate in Museum Mile.  The Orchestra, including some of our favorite Lolli-Pops and Happy Concerts characters, will be at 104th Street and 5th Avenue, directly across from El Museo del Barrio from 6:00pm to 9:00pm on Tuesday, June 14th.  Join us for some fun in the sun, grab a Carnival of the Animals coloring book, and check out some of New York City's finest museums, all for free!  See you on Tuesday evening!

Musical Connections 2011

The Little Orchestra Society is wrapping up its Musical Connections program for the 2010-2011 school year.  Our budding musicians have been hard at work for the past year composing original works of music!   Click this link to hear professional musicians performing an original piece written by our Musical Connections students from Grade 3 at PS 122Q in New York City:

The Lion by Musical Connections

Maestro Dino Anagnost

The Little Orchestra Society is very proud to dedicate this weekend's performances of Peter and the Wolf to the memory of Maestro Dino Anagnost, Music Director and Conductor of The Little Orchestra Society for 32 years.

2011-2012 Lolli-Pops

5-Concert Subscriptions and 3-Concert Series are now on sale!  Call 212-971-9500 for more information or to purchase.  Online sales begin on April 11th. Click here for more information.

2011-2012 Happy Concerts

We are happy to announce that our 2011-2012 Happy Concerts season will include the heartwarming holiday tradition, Amahl and the Night Visitors, a brand new production celebrating the music of the Americas, including Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from  West Side Story,  and a revival of the spectacular puppet-production of Cinderella and the Prince who Slayed the Magic Dragon.

Tickets on sale soon!

Maestro Dino Anagnost - March 30, 2011

We regret to inform you that Maestro Dino Anagnost, Music Director and Conductor of The Little Orchestra Society, passed away on Wednesday, March 30, 2011. Maestro Anagnost is survived by his business partner of 45 years, John Kordel Juliano of New York City and Livingston, NY, a brother Dick Anagnost, a sister Debra Anagnost, a sister-in-law Demetria and three nephews Alexander, Stavros and Dimitri, all of Bedford, NH.

Dr. Anagnost was Music Director and Conductor of The Little Orchestra Society of New York for 32 years. During that time he touched the lives of thousands of children with his uniquely designed concerts. He also created innovative concerts for adults, including the well-known Vivaldi's Venice series.

In lieu of flowers, friends and supporters are encouraged to make contributions to The Little Orchestra Society as a tribute to Maestro Anagnost.

Please note that the Orchestra will perform as scheduled on April 2-3 and May 7.

InterSchool Orchestras of New York (ISO) Honors The Little Orchestra Society

On Tuesday Evening, March 8, 2011, The Little Orchestra Society and Music Director Dino Anagnost were honored by the InterSchool Orchestras of New York (ISO) for Distinguished Achievement in Music Education. Citing the "impeccable scholarship, meticulous planning, rare creativity and an adventurous spirit combined with spectacular showmanship," the ISO bestowed its Education Award on Maestro Anagnost and the LOS. The event was held at the Prince George Hotel Ballroom in New York City. Also honored for his Distinguished Achievement in Music Performance and receiving the ISO Founders Award was violinist/composer Mark O'Connor, a recent soloist with The Little Orchestra Society. The awards were presented by Classical 105.9FM WQXR host Elliott Forrest.

The Little Orchestra Society's Board Co-chairman William S. Ohlemeyer and Executive Director Joanne Bernstein-Cohen said: 

"With music, there is the hard work of practicing alone, or in a classroom, creating something new- either composing or improvising. There is also the moment of stepping out to take a risk as a soloist, experiencing the thrill of playing in an ensemble and hearing all the parts come together as a whole for the very first time, and of course the amazing thrill of being in the audience for a live performance." 

"Whether we are on stage performing a concert or in a classroom teaching young children how to compose their own music, we all share a passion for creativity and innovation, a focus on the importance of music education and a deep understanding of how music can and does change lives. I believe that our work goes even further in promoting cultural understanding in New York City and beyond."

Photo of Mark O'Connor by Jim McGuire.
Photo of Joanne Bernstein-Cohen by Lyn Hughes.
Photo of Elliott Forrest by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.

Up Up and Away Guest Jugglers

We are happy to announce that jugglers from Hey Ya Brothers Physical Comedy will be joining The Little Orchestra Society on stage for Up Up and Away with the Woodwinds on April 2-3. Click here for more information about Hey-Ya Brothers Physical Comedy.

Joan of Arc at the Stake to be Postponed

The Little Orchestra Society's performance of Arthur Honegger's Joan of Arc at the Stake , originally scheduled for March 21, 2011, at Alice Tully Hall, must be postponed until this fall (date to be announced), as Music Director and Conductor Dino Anagnost is suffering from an upper respiratory infection. 

The Little Orchestra Society to present a Concert Rarity

Witness the moving story of Joan of Arc in Arthur Honegger's Jeanne d'Arc au Bucher on Monday, March 21, 2011 at Alice Tully Hall. This rarely performed work for multiple choruses, orchestra, soloists and narrators promises to emerse your senses in a contemporary version of this historical event. Click here to order.

Forbes Review

Take a look at Forbes on Film & Footlights review of our recent Victor Herbert 150th Birthday Celebration concert!

Online Review of the Arts

See what Aristos Online Review of the Arts had to say about the Orchestra. Click here to read review.

Discussion

Ready, Set, GO! Music Director Dino Anagnost and Executive Director Joanne Bernstein-Cohen discuss how to prepare your children for the experience of live performance. Read article.