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Celebrating our 40th Anniversary Season!
Howard Cinnamon, Music Director
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Howard Cinnamon, Music Director
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The Island Symphony Orchestra is a non-profit, all-volunteer, Long Island-wide orchestra whose talented members have ranged in age from their 30's...to their 90's!
The group was originally founded in 1971 by Paul Rudoff as the Island Senior Symphony, with the original mission to provide a way for retired teachers and other senior amateur and professional musicians to maintain their musical skills in an orchestral setting.
Today the ISO has evolved beyond its original Senior focus, growing to approximately 70 members with varying ages, backgrounds and musical abilities. Each has different reasons for playing in the orchestra, However all have a love of the standard classical repertoire.
Please watch our historical documentary video which presents the story of the illustrious early days of the Island Symphony Orchestra.
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The ISO Mission Today The Island Symphony Orchestra serves our community through music in a variety of ways: FREE CONCERTS THROUGHOUT LONG ISLAND  The ISO performs two public concerts each year, in November and May, at the acclaimed Van Nostrand Theatre at Suffolk Community College. These performances are offered at no charge to our patrons, and are underwritten in part through the generous donations of audiences and supporters of the ISO.Our musicians believe it is important to make classical music more accessible to our community, particularly our youth. Our mission is to perform for a wide audience of music lovers, among them children, seniors in assisted living centers, and those who cannot afford tickets to professional concerts--segments of the community often neglected by other performing groups. ANNUAL "YOUNG PERFORMERS COMPETITION"  Each year the ISO sponsors a "Young Performers Competition" in which music students across Long Island vie for the opportunity to perform a full classical concerto as a soloist with the orchestra. This competition provides these young musicians with much needed experience that prepares them for the challenges of a future career in music. Since this program began, the ISO has granted more than 25 performance opportunities to our First and Second Prize winners. In addition, competition winners are awarded a special monetary prize to assist in their musical development. Photo: Finalists in our 2012 Young Performers Competition
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MUSIC SCHOLARSHIPS
 The ISO offers financial support to aspiring music students through a variety of scholarships and awards. The Beverly Sills Honorary Scholarship Award, launched in 2010 and funded by ISO musician Patricia O'Hara, is presented to notable young musicians in the Brentwood School district. The Dr. Charles F. Gouse Award, funded by ISO musician Peter Horvath, is awarded to the First Prize winner of our Young Performers Competition. The Paul Rudoff Award is similarly granted to our Second Prize competition winner. Over the past 18 years, the ISO has distributed over $20,000 in music scholarships to deserving local students. Inquiries about these scholarships may be made by contacting the ISO at Info@IslandSymphony.org
MUSIC EDUCATION AND APPRECIATION
The ISO actively supports the development of music education in our schools. We perform a series of annual concerts with the music students of the Brentwood school district, under the direction of Dr. Joel Ratner. This gives young musicians their first opportunity to experience the thrill of performing with a professional-caliber orchestra.  Each December, the ISO performs classical masterworks in an inter-generational concert with the talented String Orchestras of Brentwood High School. Here, young and old musicians perform together and learn from each other, each experiencing the joy of performing no matter what their age!  Photo: Young musicians eagerly perform with the ISO, 2009 In February, local elementary school students are treated to a concert of light classical music from the ISO. For many, it's their first such exposure to classical music, an experience that can influence them for a lifetime. The young people never fail to show their enthusiastic appreciation! Students then perform for the audience accompanied by the ISO...treating everyone to a classical recorder piece that shows off their budding music skills. Photo: Brentwood students perform a stirring Bach arrangement COMMUNITY SUPPORT and DEVELOPMENT  Originally organized as the "Island Senior Citizen's Symphony Orchestra," for nearly forty years the ISO has supported local senior musicians by offering them a professional environment in which to continue to sharpen their skills and interact with fellow music lovers in their community. Maintaining these vital connections often gives special meaning and purpose to the lives of those enjoying their silver years. We encourage Seniors with musical training and an interest to rehearse and perform to visit us and consider becoming another one of our lifelong members!
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