RPO PRESENTS FIRST-EVER SENSORY FRIENDLY CONCERT
RPO PRESENTS FIRST-EVER SENSORY FRIENDLY CONCERT
Music Director Andreas Delfs conducts FREE Care & Wellness performance
For music lovers of all ages and abilities on May 21 at Hochstein
ROCHESTER, NY –Your Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) presents its first-ever Sensory Friendly Concert on Sunday, May 21 at 2 p.m. at Hochstein Performance Hall (50 N. Plymouth Ave.). Admission is FREE, but tickets are required and available online anytime at rpo.org, by phone at 585-454-2100, or in person at RPO Patron Services at 225 East Avenue (Monday-Friday, 10 AM-5 PM) and one hour prior to curtain at Hochstein Performance Hall.
Designed to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for those with sensory sensitivities, this concert offers an experience tailor-made for music lovers of all ages and abilities. Friendly staff will be available to guide and assist audience members through the concert experience, with accommodations that include a quiet room, noise-reduction headphones, a therapy dog, and a social narrative (a step-by-step, pictorial guide that prepares audience members for what they will experience). A relaxed atmosphere will encourage movement and interaction, allowing all to engage with the music in a way that feels comfortable.
“We are thrilled to offer this special program as part of the RPO’s ongoing Care and Wellness Initiative as well as our Centennial 100 Acts of Giving Back program,” explains RPO Lisk Morris Foundation VP of Education Chair Barbara Brown. “Thanks to our generous funders, it will allow families and those with sensory sensitivities to come together and enjoy the magic of live music in a welcoming and inclusive environment at no cost.”
The free event is made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy C. Hochul and the New York State Legislature. Additional support is provided by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, Feinbloom Supporting Foundation, and the Kathleen Brenneman Fund at the Rochester Area Community Foundation.
RPO Music Director Andreas Delfs will lead the orchestra in performing both classical and contemporary pieces programmed for everyone’s enjoyment and accessibility, including a Disney Magic medley, Sousa’s Mother Goose March, and Strauss’s Blue Danube Waltz as well as his Pizzicato Polka.
“I’m very much looking forward to conducting this program and connecting with a new audience,” adds Maestro Delfs. “Making this wonderful orchestra accessible to everyone is an important part of our commitment to community engagement.”
ABOUT THE RPO: The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) has been committed to enriching and inspiring our community through the art of music since its origins in 1922. The RPO presents approximately 150 concerts and broadcasts a year, serving up to 170,000 through ticketed events, education and community engagement activities, and concerts in schools and community centers throughout the region. Maestro Andreas Delfs was named music director in 2020, following notable RPO Music Directors Erich Leinsdorf, David Zinman, Mark Elder and Conductor Laureate Christopher Seaman. Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik, now in his 29th season, has earned a national reputation for excellence in pops programming during his tenure with the RPO. The RPO reaches more than 15,000 young people annually through its education programs.
Media please note: High-resolution images and other media assets for the 2022-23 Season can be found at https://bit.ly/3Rki4CL. Interviews and photo/footage opportunities are also available.
