League Advisory Board Member Connie Kaminski on Volunteering
When I retired in 2015, I decided to occupy my time doing things in my areas of interest. Music was one area that I really liked. I have two favorite composers: one is Beethoven, and the second is Jeff Tyzik. My favorite instrument is the trumpet. It is great for both classical music and jazz. When I went to a Holiday Pops Concert and started talking to an usher who told me she was a volunteer, I knew volunteering at the RPO was for me. I signed up and attended the training, and got to work in a beautiful theater, listening to great music and meeting some wonderful people who were also ushers.
Shortly after starting as an usher, I joined the Rochester Philharmonic League and got involved in the Children’s Education Concerts. WOW! That was the absolute best in volunteer opportunities. I joined the RPL Board and became Co-Chair of the Education Concerts along with Brenda Murphy-Pough. The Education Concerts take many hours of work to put together, but when you see the looks on the children’s faces when they see the theater and listen to the orchestra, it makes me very happy that we do this work. By “we,” I mean the RPO musicians, staff, and especially the volunteers who give their time. We are giving the children a memory that lasts a lifetime, and hopefully an interest in pursuing music.
I have the opportunity to work with the RPO Development Committee, OrKIDStra arts & crafts events, RPO to the Max, Young Artist Auditions, and welcoming donors to the Open Rehearsals. As you can tell, I enjoy working with the many volunteers that give their time and energy to the RPO.
Volunteer Spotlight – Marina Smith
By Anita Hawkins
Let’s meet up with Marina Smith, one of our newest volunteers.
Marina is a native of Chili and is a 2023 graduate of Penn Stage. At Penn State, her major was Forensic Biology and her minors were Biological Chemistry and Molecular Biology. Marina is currently in the process of applying to medical school. She is working at a family medical clinic as a medical scribe; she also finds itme to study for the MCAT with the goal of becoming a medical examiner.
As a student in the Chili school district, she played alto sax. Marina was also in band, chorus, and musicals. Her favorite sports are tennis and pickle ball. She is also active in the Greek Orthodox community and is proud of her Greek heritage.
Marina has been volunteering as an usher for the RPO since September. Marina found a way to combine her love of music and volunteerism. She believes that volunteering at the concerts broadens her horizons. She enjoys listening to the pre-concert chats as well as assisting guests to their seats. Marina and I met while working at the Intermediate school concerts in March. Being with Marina reminds me of the quote “volunteers do not necessarily have time, they just have the heart,” and she is a volunteer with a pure heart.
2024 Young Artist Auditions
Congratulations to all of the winners of the 2024 Young Artist Auditions!
Above are the winners of the final round – Aaron Joseph Blancaflor, Lina Yang, and Weijun Wang.
For a complete list of winners, visit www.rpo.org/yaa. (Be on the lookout for a concert celebrating the YAA winners!)
Thank you to all of our volunteers who helped make this year so successful!
School Concerts
Aliyah: School #19 at Primary Concert:
One of the many thank you letters sent to the RPO by students who attended the Primary and Intermediate concerts! Included in this letter, sent in by Aliyah, a student at RCSD School #19, is her favorite moment of the concert, which was when conductor Jherrard Hardeman made a very important announcement (if you volunteered at the concert, you may remember that his announcement was that he loves pizza!)
Maiya: Attica Elementary School at Intermediate Concert:
A drawing sent in by Maiya, a student at Attica Elementary School, who attended the intermediate concert with her class. Maiya also shared that she was glad she came to the concert – “it was so cool.” We’re glad you came too, Maiya! Thank you to all of our volunteers who helped with the Primary and Intermediate concerts! If you’re interested in helping with the Tiny Tots concerts in May, contact Rachel for more information!
