named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
Arts Connexions
Concert series exploring intersections of diverse cultures and ethnicities with classical music.
Education & Outreach
Programs including school visits, masterclasses, and partnerships with youth choirs to promote music education.
Resonanz
24-voice community outreach ensemble presenting educational and entertaining concerts in schools and libraries.
Symphonic Choir
150-voice ensemble performing choral masterworks and modern classics with full orchestra.
Vocal Competition
International competition supporting professional and emerging vocal artists.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Live Music Performances & Concerts 2 activities
- Engage in international and collaborative performancesConducts international concert tours and collaborative performances with regional and global arts organizations, including past tours to Eastern Europe, Beijing, Shanghai, France, and Switzerland, and joint concerts with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and other ensembles.
- Operate Resonanz performing ensembleOperates Resonanz, a 24-voice community outreach ensemble that performs pop, jazz, Americana, holiday, and thematic music at public and private events, including concert series such as Resonanz Holiday Happenings and Freedom’s Journey in Song.
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Arts Education Scholarships 2 activities
- Fund youth music readiness programsFunds teacher salaries and classroom supplies for two youth music readiness classes through the ROCMusic Collaborative, supporting early music education access.
- Support early-career musicians through scholarships and fellowshipsProvides paid performance scholarships to high school and college students and hosts choral scholars and a choral fellow for professional development and performance opportunities.
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Commissioning New Musical Works 1 activity
- Commission and premiere new choral worksCommissions and premieres major new choral works, including collaborations with diverse artists and ensembles, and presents world premieres as part of its performance programming.
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Community Music Performances & Education 1 activity
- Deliver educational outreach programsConducts educational outreach by presenting choral programs of social and historical significance in schools and libraries, delivering master classes, and collaborating with student choruses from high schools and universities across the region.
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Music Awards and Honors Programs 1 activity
- Host annual vocal competitionsOrganizes two annual vocal competitions—the Rochester International Vocal Competition and the Joseph Eduardo Emerging Artist Competition—offering cash prizes, public performance opportunities, and professional exposure to emerging and early-career vocalists.
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Traditional & Cultural Performing Arts 1 activity
- Present diverse concert programmingProduces a concert series that explores intersections between classical music and diverse cultural, ethnic, and storytelling traditions, including gospel, jazz, Asian, Hispanic, Persian, African-American, and Indigenous musical voices, and presents performances such as Freedom Song: When Gospel Came to the Empire and Water Ceremony.
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Classical and Chamber Music Performances 1 activity
- Produce high-quality choral-orchestral performancesProduces two to four annual performances of choral-orchestral masterworks from the 18th to 20th centuries, including local premieres of monumental works such as the Berlioz Requiem and Britten’s War Requiem, performed by a 150-voice symphonic choir with full orchestra.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$198K
Contributions & grants$136K69%
Program service revenue$50K25%
Investment income$20%
Other revenue$12K
expenses
Total expenses$287K
Program expenses52%
Admin / overhead48%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$109K
Grants paid out$2K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$399K
Cash$37K
Investments$362K
Liabilities$9K
Net assets$390K
Liquid reserves16.7 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -29.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 10
- Ben Wilmott — Vice-President
- Jeff Moran — President
- Jenny Horn — Board Member
- Kara Dwyer — Treasurer
- Katherine Clark-Walter — Board Member
- Luanne Crosby — Board Member
- Nicole Prahler — Secretary
- Peter Gaess — Board Member
- Phil Burke — Board Member
- Stanley Jones — Board Member
relationships · 39
Who they work with
- 13 WHAM Partner — Covered the Arts Connexions Festival in local news programming.
- Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester Network — Rochester Oratorio Society representative serves on the Board of the Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester.
- Avon High School Partner — Hosted a Resonanz ensemble performance for its high school chorus on September 27, 2024.
- BIODANCE Partner — Collaborated on interdisciplinary performances integrating dance and choral music.
- Borinquen Dance Theatre Partner — Collaborated on performances integrating dance and choral music.
- Camerata New Jersey Partner — Ben Byung-Hyung Rhee, Music Director of Camerata New Jersey, serves as an external reviewer for competition finalists
- Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra Partner — Collaborates with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra for performances.
- East High School Partner — Co-presented a choral program on March 28, 2025, in celebration of Music in Our Schools Day.
- Eastman School of Music Partner — Joshua Conyers, Assistant Professor of Voice at Eastman School of Music, serves as an external reviewer for competition finalists
- Finger Lakes Choral Festival Partner — Eric Townell directs the Finger Lakes Choral Festival concurrently with his role at ROS.
- Finger Lakes Opera Partner — Collaborates with Rochester Oratorio Society through shared performances.
- Finger Lakes Opera Partner — Stephanie Havey, Artistic Director of Finger Lakes Opera, serves as a judge and external reviewer for competition finalists
- Harwood Management Group Partner — James C. Harwood of Harwood Management Group listens to finalists for potential professional engagements
- Hochstein Youth Singers Partner — Collaborates with the Rochester Oratorio Society on performances.
- Lyric Opera Partner — Collaborates with Rochester Oratorio Society through shared performances.
- MAJOR GRANTORS Funder — Provides major grant funding to support the organization's activities
- Nathaniel Dett Chorale of Toronto Partner — Brainerd Blyden-Taylor, Founding Artistic Director of the Nathaniel Dett Chorale of Toronto, serves as an external reviewer for competition finalists
- New Classical Artist Management Partner — Daniel Welch, Opera Division Manager at New Classical Artist Management, listens to finalists for potential professional engagements
- PRESENTING PARTNERS Partner — Collaborates with ROS in presenting choral events and performances
- RIT’s NTID Dance Partner — Interdisciplinary arts collaboration with the Rochester Oratorio Society.
- ROCMusic Collaborative Partner — Collaborates to deliver youth music readiness classes for children in grades 1–5, supported financially by ROS.
- Resonanz Network — ROS maintains a relationship with Resonanz, its small chamber choir, in which multiple board members participate.
- Roberts Wesleyan Chorale Partner — Collaborates with the Rochester Oratorio Society on performances.
- Roberts Wesleyan University Partner — Hosted masterclasses, solo recitals, and collaborative performances with ROS, including joint participation in the March 2026 concert.
- Rochester First Partner — Featured coverage of the Rochester Oratorio Society's Niña de Cultura Tercera event.
- Rochester Latino Theatre League Partner — Interdisciplinary arts collaboration with the Rochester Oratorio Society.
- Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Partner — Co-presents performances, including Ode to Joy.
- Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Partner — Collaborates with the Rochester Oratorio Society on performances.
- Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Partner — Collaborates with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for performances.
- Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Partner — External reviewer James Barry from the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra listens to finalists for potential professional engagements
+ 9 more
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Arts-Based Community Engagement Through Choral Musicmethodology: arts-based_community_engagementBy producing high-quality live choral performances, the organization engages, educates, and inspires the community because shared musical experiences foster reflection, emotional connection, and collective identity. This approach also supports volunteer singers' artistic development, strengthening community bonds through mutual participation.
- Expanding Access and Representation in Classical Musicmethodology: arts-education-and-outreachBy combining performance, education, and outreach with intentional support for emerging vocal artists and diverse programming, the organization broadens access and representation in classical music because inclusive artistic platforms increase community relevance and inspire broader participation.
- Storytelling Through Music to Foster Reflection and Connectionmethodology: storytelling-in-songBy using music as a narrative device in concert programming, the organization invites audiences into emotional and reflective experiences because storytelling in song transcends linguistic barriers and deepens communal resonance, enhancing both engagement and meaning-making.