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OUR MISSION:
The Astoria Music Society is a
Queens-based organization dedicated to
the musical enrichment of western
Queens. It celebrates the cultural
diversity of this area by presenting
concerts of music from around the world,
providing ensembles for the residents of
Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside and
the surrounding area to play in,
offering concerts of orchestral,
chamber, and modern music, and
representing Astoria, Queens, in other
New York boroughs. |
The Astoria Music Society
was founded
in 2002 by an enterprising group of
musicians in Astoria, Queens, who recognized
that their neighborhood was neglected in the
realm of orchestral music.
The Astoria Music
Society, Inc. is
a 501c3 qualified non-profit organization
dedicated to the musical enrichment of
western Queens. In its first six years, the
Society presented over 100 concerts of
orchestral, opera, chamber, jazz, and
contemporary music. The Society consists of
the Astoria Symphony and the Lost Dog New
Music Ensemble.
MORE INFORMATION:
Astoria Symphony
Lost
Dog New Music Ensemble
Music Director: Silas Nathaniel Huff
Musicians
Staff &
Board of Directors

The Astoria Symphony
Silas
Nathaniel Huff, Music Director


The
ASTORIA SYMPHONY, the flagship ensemble
of the Astoria Music Society, performs
programs of traditional classical
repertoire, new music, and concerts for
children and special occasions. The
musicians of the Astoria Symphony are
professional and promising young musicians
from the New York City area - the players
come from all five boroughs and as far as
New Jersey, Connecticut, and Long Island.
The Astoria Symphony has performed works
such as Mozart's Requiem, Beethoven's
Symphony No. 9, Brahms' Symphony No.
1, Mendelssohn's Elijah,
Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf,
J. S. Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 2,
Handel's Messiah, and Stravinsky's
Firebird, among others. The Astoria
Symphony also champions modern American
music, regularly commissioning and
premiering new works. The orchestra has
given over a dozen symphonic works their
world premiere since its founding in 2002.
The Astoria Symphony is conducted by its
Music Director
Silas Nathaniel Huff,
and Resident Conductor
Grant Gilman
and assistant/cover conductor
Brent Chancellor.
At this time the Astoria
Symphony is not accepting new members.

The Lost Dog New Music Ensemble
Garth
Sunderland, Artistic Director

The LOST
DOG NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE is a quintet that
performs outstanding music of our time.
Performances are notable for imaginative
programming, cross-discipline
collaborations, and an extremely high level
of artistry on the part of the players. Lost
Dog has presented many world, U.S., and
east-coast premieres, and regularly
commissions new music from the most talented
and promising members of the next generation
of composers.
Lost Dog New Music
Ensemble
Garth Edwin Sunderland, Artistic Director
Laura Barger, piano
Emily Brausa, 'cello
Miranda Cuckson, violin
Christine Perea, flute
Thomas Piercy, clarinet

Music Director: Silas Nathaniel
Huff

SILAS
NATHANIEL HUFF has conducted outstanding orchestral, choral,
opera, ballet, and new music performances
for more than a dozen years. In the United States Maestro
Huff has conducted youth, university, and
professional ensembles across the United
States and Europe. A native Texan, Maestro Huff studied classical guitar
at Texas State University, music theory and
composition at UCLA, and conducting at
California State University in Long Beach.
Mr. Huff also spent one year in residence at
the Trossingen Hochschule fuer Musik (southwest Germany),
six months studying privately in Berlin, and two summers at L'Institut Musical Provence-Aubagne
(Aix-en-Provence, France). Maestro Huff has
studied under some of the world's finest maestros,
including Maestros Kirk Trevor, Gustav Meier, Mariusz
Smolij, Rossen Milanov, Michael Tilson
Thomas, Carl St. Clair, Harold Farberman,
Barbara Yahr, Chris Wilkins, Yves Cohen, and others
To see Maestro Huff's detailed bio,
please visit his website:
www.SilasHuff.com

MUSICIANS

The
musicians of AMS include professional
players, students at the top conservatories
in New York City, and professional music
educators. The ensembles are per-service,
paid ensembles.
Members of the Astoria
Symphony
Silas Nathaniel Huff,
Music Director
Grant Gilman,
Resident Conductor
Brent Chancellor, Cover/Assistant
Conductor
Violin
Claire Smith **
Marina Fragoulis *
Jennifer Axelson
Ann Marie Bermont
Chern Hwei Fung
Djeina Haruta
Agnes Kwasniewska
Siona Loughnane
Saskia Otto
Svetlana Tsoneva
Benita Beneitez Vega
Allen Weakland
Christina Wedberg
Viola
Sam Marchan *
Brian Thompson
Alfrida Tozieva
Elizabeth Weinfield |
Cello
Peter Mole *
Aminda Asher
Isaiah Gage
Peri Mauer
Meredith McCook
Anne-Marie Tranchida
Contrabass
David Perrott *
Maurice Belle
Rebekah Griffin Greene
Flute
Chrissy Fong *
Alan Berquist
Oboe
Dana Frobig *
Nick Abel |
Clarinet
Eileen Kelly *
Nicole Cotton
Bassoon
Daniel Liao *
Dirk Wels
Horn
Alex Mastrando *
Audrey Flores
Pattricia Schmidt
Lori Taylor
Trumpet
Peter Kuan *
Joe Drew
Jacob Varmus
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Trombone
Greg Briggler *
Terry Greene
Bass Trombone
Benjamin Oatmen
Tuba
Joe Exley
Timpani/Percussion
Britton Matthews *
** Concertmaster
*Principal player
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At this time the Astoria
Symphony is not accepting new members.
Lost Dog New Music Ensemble
Garth Edwin Sunderland, Artistic Director
Laura Barger, piano
Emily Brausa, 'cello
Miranda Cuckson, violin
Christine Perea, flute
Thomas Piercy, clarinet

Astoria Music Society Staff, Board, & Musicians

AMS STAFF:
Executive Director -
Allen Schulz
Music Director -
Silas Nathaniel Huff
Resident Conductor, Astoria Symphony -
Grant Gilman
Artistic Director, Lost Dog New Music
Ensemble -
Garth Edwin Sunderland
Director of Development -
TBA
Education Director - TBA
Personnel Director - TBA
Librarian - TBA
AMS Board of Directors:
President - Andrea
McArdle
Vice-President -
Erin Rogers
Secretary - Eileen Kelly
Treasurer -
Silas Nathaniel Huff
Member-at-large - Rebecca Bratspies
Member-at-large - William A. Verdone
Member-at-large -
Allen Schulz,
ex officio

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Copyright 2009 The Astoria Music
Society. All rights reserved.
38-11 Ditmars Boulevard, Box 102A | Astoria, NY, 11105 | Phone:
(917) 460-4289
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