Astoria Symphony

The Astoria Symphony is a professional orchestra based in Astoria, New York, in the borough of Queens. The orchestra performs at least six programs annually, and each program includes a performance in their home turf in Queens, and a performance in Manhattan. The official home of the Astoria Symphony is the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, Queens, NY. The Astoria Symphony is the only orchestra that regularly serves western Queens.

The orchestra was founded by conductor Silas Nathaniel Huff in 2002, and performed fifteen concerts in its inaugural season. The Astoria Symphony's first performan in September 2003 under Maestro Huff's baton included Felix Mendelssohn's "Die Hebriden", the Mozart "Flute Concerto", and Haydn's "Symphony No. 103" ("Drumroll"). Since then, the orchestra has performed a wide range of repertoire including Vivaldi's "Gloria", Schubert's "Unfinished Symphony", Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun", Brahms' "German Requiem", Beethoven's "Choral Fantasy", "Symphonies No. 8 & 9", "Piano Concertos 3 & 5", and "Egmont Overture", Stravinsky's "Firebird", Ives' "Unanswered Question", Lukas Foss' "Elegy for Anne Frank", and many more, including a number of world premieres. These performances have taken place in Symphony Space (Upper West Side), Riverside Church, Central Park's Naumberg Bandshell, and the Manhattan Jewish Community Center, among others.

The Astoria Symphony is a branch of the Astoria Music Society, which also includes the Lost Dog New Music Ensemble, the Astoria Jazz Nights jazz series, and Random Access Music, a consortium of New York City-based composers.

Astoria Symphony's website: http://www.astoriamusic.org