Rochester Oratorio Society Inc

The Rochester Oratorio Society, Inc., (est. 1945) presents choral music of the highest quality that engages, challenges, and delights members and audiences alike. From its beginnings as a traditional community chorus, ROS now supports five main endeavors:The 140-voice Symphonic Choir presents 2-4 concerts per season and collaborates with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Humanistic, collaborative, often multi-media performances are our new tradition, with an ever-increasing diversity of repertoire, from the 17th-21st centuries and representing across gender and race/ethnicity.(Continued on Schedule O)Resonanz, a 24-voice community outreach ensemble offering educational, entertaining concerts in classrooms, libraries, civic events, corporate events and private parties, and historical programs at venues such as The National Women's Rights Historical Park.Education: after-school instruction for urban youth in partnership with ROCmusic Collaborative, reaching about 40 students per academic year; Choral Scholar and Fellow programs which facilitate participation in our choirs by high school-aged vocalists and university vocal performance interns; 4-10 in-school performances per academic year for RCSD classes and assemblies.Our annual Rochester International Vocal Competition, which fosters the careers of professional vocal performing artists, attracting 236 applicants from 10 countries and 29 US states in 2023. Starting as a local event in 2007, RIVC has grown to become an essential career step for aspiring solo vocalists of international stature. The competition now includes an Emerging Artist prize as well as prizes in the Professional category.Arts Connexions, a new series of concerts exploring the intersection of diverse cultures/ethnicities with classical music. 2-3 performances per season, ticketed events. Every production includes an educational program at a local school or library. The program is primarily supported by contributions.