About BCCO

The Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra is a division of the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music, which has been serving the New York musical community for over a century.

Founded in 2002, the Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra has generated excitement with its community involvement, bold programming, and exciting music making. Led by conductor Dorothy Savitch, membership has grown from a modest group of 35 to a dynamic ensemble of over 70.

The BCCO’s innovative programming often highlights Brooklyn as an artistic and historical nexus. A year ago the orchestra performed Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait and Dvorak’s New World Symphony at Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims (one of the homes of the underground railroad, and where President Lincoln once attended service). Joining the orchestra as narrator was TONY award winning actor, and Brooklyn resident Jeffrey Wright.

The orchestra has brought live orchestra performances into several local public schools, such as P.S. 29, P.S. 321, M.S. 51, and John Jay High School. One of the highlights of these performances was a collaboration with the acclaimed theatre program of M.S. 51 in a Romeo and Juliet themed program. On that program the orchestra performed Romeo and Juliet inspired music by Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Bernstein. Between musical selections, actors from M.S. 51 performed scenes from Shakespeare's masterpiece.

Perhaps the greatest part of the excitement generated by the BCCO is due to the enthusiastic and dedicated membership of the orchestra. The BCCO’s players are a mixture of musical amateurs and professionals living and working in and near Park Slope. Noted concert artists such as Christine Moore, Junie Cho, Richard Thompson, Steve Solook, Brittney Sklar, and many others have collaborated as soloists with the orchestra.

When not playing as a full orchestra, many of the musicians have organized themselves to play chamber music together, and have performed at neighborhood schools, Barnes and Noble Bookstore, churches, and even the local subway stop!

Selected programs from past seasons

June 2008
John Jay High School
Raff: Wind Symphony
R. Strauss: Horn Concerto (Eric Davis, Horn)
Brahms: Symphony #1

March 2008
Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims
Schuman: New England Triptych
Rosauro: Marimba Concerto (Steve Solook, marimba)
Gershwin: American in Paris

December 2007
John Jay High School Auditorium
Felix Mendelssohn: Hebrides Overture
brooklyn composer Howard Lew: Second Rhapsody (Kathryn Favazza, soprano)
Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony #4

March 2007
Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims
Ellington: Three Black Kings
Copland: A Lincoln Portrait (Jeffrey Wright, narrator)
Dvorak: Symphony #9 from the New World

December 2006
M.S. 51 Auditorium
with members of the M.S. 51 drama program (John McEneny, director)
Tchaikovsky: Overture-Fantasy to Romeo and Juliet
Prokofiev: 5 movements from the Ballet "Romeo and Juliet"
Bernstein: Selections from "West Side Story"

June 2006
Old First Reformed Church
Mozart: Overture to "Don Giovanni"
Brahms: Violin Concerto (Brittney Sklar, violin)
Tchaikovksky: Suite form the Ballet "Swan Lake"

December 2005
M.S. 51 Auditorium
Family Program - "Myth and Magic"
Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Mozart: Selections from "The Magic Flute"
Williams: Film music from "Harry Potter"
Wagner: Die Meistersinger Overture

June 2005
Old First Reformed Church
Hermann: Suite from "Marnie"
Griffes: Poem for flute and orchestra (Helen Richmond, flute)
Schubert: Symphony # 8: the Unfinished
Schubert: Overture to Rosamunde

April 2005
Old First Reformed Church
Cowell: Old American Country Set
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (Richard Thompson, piano)
Thompson: Voices
Dvorak: Slavonic Dances 2 & 5

December 2004
P.S. 29 Auditorium
with the Bella Voce Singers, Jessica Corbin director
Bach: Orchestral Suite #3
choral selections by Rutter, Schultz, Hatfiled, and Williams
Beethoven: Symphony #5

Design by Andreas Viklun