ROCHESTER PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA RETURNS TO ROCHESTER FRINGE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 14, 2026

ROCHESTER PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA RETURNS TO ROCHESTER FRINGE
Contemporary Works + “Queen of the Theremin” Carolina Eyck

ROCHESTER, NY – The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra returns to the 2026 ESL Rochester Fringe Festival on Saturday, September 19 at 7:30 pm at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Tickets will go on sale with the rest of the RPO’s 26/27 season Friday, July 17 through rochesterfringe.com and rpo.org, and will also be available through the RPO Patron Services Center, 255 East Avenue, 585-454-2100 Monday through Friday 10 am-5 pm.

This one-night-only program explores the evolving possibilities of orchestral sound, opening with Mason Bates’ Mothership, a high-energy fusion of electronic influences and symphonic power. “Queen of the Theremin” and international virtuoso Carolina Eyck joins the orchestra for Régis Campo’s Dancefloor with Pulsing highlighting the theremin in a dazzling mix of whimsy and groove. The program ends with John Adams’ Grand Pianola Music, a genre-bending favorite with irresistible momentum.

“Fringe is the perfect setting to celebrate music that challenges expectations and invites audiences to hear the orchestra in new ways,” said RPO VP of Artistic Planning and Operations James Barry. “This program unites innovation, imagination, and extraordinary performers, representing the adventurous spirit that has always been at the heart of the RPO.”

The RPO last appeared at Rochester Fringe in 2017 with AcELLAbration: The Music of Ella and More.

ABOUT THE RPO

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra 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 as part of our RPO For All initiative sponsored by M&T Bank. Andreas Delfs was named music director in 2021, following notable RPO music directors Erich Leinsdorf, David Zinman, Mark Elder, and Conductor Laureate Christopher Seaman. Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik, now in his 33rd season, has earned a national reputation for excellence in Pops programming during his tenure with the RPO. The RPO reaches more than 30,000 through its specific education programs. The 2026-2027 season is sponsored by Kimbo Coffee, the official coffee of the RPO.

ABOUT THE ESL ROCHESTER FRINGE FESTIVAL: Rochester Fringe is one of the nation’s largest fringe festivals and has been recognized by the New York Times as “one of the country’s more prominent multidisciplinary events.” It is also New York State’s largest performing arts festival and the current winner, three years running, of CITY Magazine’s Best of Rochester Award for Best Arts Event. Nearly a million people have attended more than 6,500 performances and events at the Fringe since its inception in 2012. The non-profit organization’s mission is to offer platforms for artists, new audiences for venues, and unparalleled public access to incredible art. It strives to be diverse and inclusive, as well as stimulate downtown Rochester culturally and economically. The Fringe showcases the work of regional, national, and international artists from emerging to superstar. Audiences at Fringe also have the rare opportunity to attend a performance at the Spiegeltent, which is one of the most unique performing arts venues in the world.