Astoria Music Society

ABOUT the ASTORIA MUSIC SOCIETY

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

Trombone
Greg Briggler *
Terry Greene

Bass Trombone
Benjamin Oatmen

Tuba
Joe Exley

Timpani/Percussion
Britton Matthews *

** Concertmaster
*Principal player

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