[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 2731]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                HONORING THE SYRACUSE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES T. WALSH

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 1, 2001

  Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 40th Anniversary Season 
of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, a fully professional residential 
orchestra of national acclaim, which serves the entire central and 
northern New York State region. The Orchestra includes 6 professional 
musicians and a conducting staff of international caliber and performs 
over 100 full-orchestra concerts throughout Central and Northern New 
York, reaching more than 200,000 audience members during its 38-week 
season.

  Now the 45th largest orchestra in the United States, the Syracuse 
Symphony Orchestra performs a vast array of programs including 
classics, pops, family, chamber orchestra, educational youth programs 
and free summer parks concerts. In addition, the Syracuse Symphony 
Orchestra presents The Nutcracker with a visiting ballet company each 
December and also plays for Syracuse Opera performances. Syracuse 
Symphony concerts are broadcast twice weekly on WCNYFM and the 
Orchestra proudly operates two youth ensembles--the Syracuse Symphony 
Youth Orchestra and Syracuse Symphony Youth String Orchestra.

  Beyond its Syracuse-based activities, the Orchestra performs a heavy 
schedule of concerts in under-served regional communities. In addition 
to subscription series in Watertown, Rome and Cortland, the Orchestra 
frequently tours New York State and, in recent years, Pennsylvania, New 
Hampshire, and Connecticut. The Orchestra has made four trips to 
Carnegie Hall and produced several recordings, including the most 
recent compact disc release under the direction of Daniel Hege. The 
Orchestra collaborates with dozens of local organizations each year, 
including the Syracuse Stage, Syracuse University Oratorio Society, 
Syracuse Children's Chorus, Syracuse School of Dance, and the Center of 
Ballet and Dance Arts. In 1999, their excellence in the arts was 
recognized when The Orchestra received the prestigious New York State 
Governor's Arts Award.

  I would like to take this opportunity to commend the Syracuse 
Symphony Orchestra for its many accomplishments throughout the past 
forty years and recognize its service to Central New York and 
surrounding communities. We wish its members and patrons every success 
in all future endeavors.

                          ____________________