Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra
The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American summer orchestra of the Chautauqua Institution in the US state of New York , which was founded in 1929 and gives a nine-week guest performance in the amusement park of the same name every summer, mostly Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The orchestra is composed exclusively of musicians from professional orchestras from the USA, whereby practically all violinists are the concert masters of their own orchestras and thus vouch for the high quality of the CSO. Some of the musicians have been members of the orchestra for more than 45 years. In addition to the standard concerts, it also supports the Chautauqua Ballet Company and Chautauqua Opera Young Artists musically.
Albert Stoessel was the orchestra's first music director from 1929 until his death in 1949. Rossen Milanov has been music director since 2015 , with a five-year contract.
Music directors
- Albert Stoessel (1929–1943)
- Franco Autori (1943–1953)
- Walter Hendl (1953–1972)
- Sergiu Comissiona (1977-1980)
- Varujan Kojian (1980-1984)
- Joseph Silverstein (1986–1990)
- Uri Segal (1990-2007)
- Stefan Sanderling (2007-2010)
- Rossen Milanov (2015–)