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New central New York orchestra debuts

Musical Associates of Central New York

Friday night a new symphony orchestra is unwrapped for central New York, as the orchestra that replaces the bankrupt Syracuse Symphony Orchestra takes the stage for its official debut.
Holding the conductor's baton at tonight's "Holiday Symphonic Spectacular," will be a Syracuse area native who's known for arranging and conducting orchestras for pop stars across the country. Sean O'Loughlin says the plight of Syracuse's symphonic music is being watched by musicians across the country. Many orchestras nationwide have also had financial problems.
 
"We're not just a bubble here in central New York.  This is an overall picture and an overall status of what the symphony world is right now," said O'Loughlin. "We're all on the same team.  It's not just us against them. Because when the symphony world survives then the community thrives and it's a barometer to how we're all doing."
 
O'Loughlin believes that the new co-op approach taken by Musical Associates of Central New York, which is running the new symphony, will work. The idea is the musicians will be more involved in the business side of the operation.
 
"They're gonna listen to the audience more of what the community wants to hear, whether it's Broadway pops or old favorite classics of the classical world; it's gonna be a sprinkling of all that," said O'Loughlin. "And it's not going to be a weekly thing, so when the symphony plays, it's going to be an event."
 
The name of the new orchestra will also be officially unveiled at the first concert Friday evening. O'Loughlin will conduct the holiday concert in several venues across central New York in the coming weeks. The symphony's schedule can be found on their website, www.symphonysyracuse.org

Ellen produces news reports and features related to events that occur in the greater Syracuse area and throughout Onondaga County. Her reports are heard regularly in regional updates in Morning Edition and All Things Considered.