History

The Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra gave its first concert on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 1935, sponsored by the Schenectady Chamber of Commerce. It was conducted by Kenneth G. Kelley, Supervisor of Music in the Schenectady public schools. The concertmaster was Anthony Stefan, who later became its conductor. In a pioneering broadcast on May 7, the second concert was beamed to South America on General Electric stations W2XAF and W2XAD, making it one of the first American orchestras to be heard overseas via short-wave radio.

Kenneth G. Kelly

Seasons: 1-6 (1935-40)

Kenneth G. Kelley organized the Schenectady Symphony Orchestra in 1934 and was its conductor for the first six seasons. Mr. Kelley was then the supervisor of music in the Schenectady Public Schools. When he left for Boston University in 1940 he had established a firm foundation upon which the future of the Symphony could be built with confidence and success.

Anthony Stefan

Seasons: 7-29 (1940-63)

The Schenectady Symphony flowered under the leadership of Anthony Stefan for 22 seasons. Mr. Stefan was a charter member of the Symphony and was its concertmaster for the first six seasons. Mr. Stefan was a music teacher in the Schenectady Public Schools.

Anthony Pezzano

Seasons: 30-48 (1964-82)

For 18 seasons, Anthony Pezzano conducted the SSSO, developing its capability and extending its repertoire to include the symphonies of Brahms and demanding contemporary works. A native of Schenectady, Mr. Pezzano attended local schools and earned a B.A. degree in Music from Ithaca College. Until his retirement in 1983, he taught music in the Schenectady Public Schools.

Charles Schneider

Seasons: 49-85 (1983-18)

Charles Schneider recently retired at his 35th season with the SSSO. A native of Albert Lea, Minnesota, his extensive credits include conducting the National Orchestra of Monaco, Bernstein’s “Westside Story” at Lincoln Center and the National Orchestra of Bulgaria. In addition to the SSSO, he was also the Music Director of the Catskill Symphony Orchestra.

Glen Cortese

Seasons: 86 to present (2019 to present)

Glen Cortese was named Artistic Director of the SSSO beginning with the 2019-20 season. He has been music director of the Western NY Chamber Orchestra since 2005 and was music director of the Greeley Philharmonic for 12 seasons and the Oregon Mozart Players for nine seasons. Read more about Cortese.

Broadcast to South America

The SSSO’s first concert in 1935 included paid and volunteer community musicians, under conductor Kenneth Kelley. The second concert was beamed to South America on GE stations W2XAF and W2XAD, making it one of the first American orchestras to be heard overseas via short-wave radio. The Chamber of Commerce received many letters from people all over the Americas, offering their congratulations and thanks for the broadcast.

Now, with the opportunity to stream music over the internet, such a broadcast might seem a minor feat-but we are proud of the role we’ve played in creating a space for people to hear live classical music, both here in Schenectady and around the world.

We are still composed of a mixture of paid and volunteer musicians and our news page for information about upcoming auditions for both paid and volunteer members.