What's Happening at the Phil
A Westchester PhilharMini
June 08, 2020
“A Wreath for Emmett Till” from Dialogues on Race, by Gregg August.
Click here to learn more.
May 14, 2020
New Board Leadership
August 19, 2019
White Plains, NY…The Westchester Philharmonic’s Board of Directors elected Numa Rousseve to be its next Chairman, and Christina Maurillo as Treasurer. Mr. Rousseve succeeds longtime Chair Millicent Kaufman, who was named Chair Emerita. Vice Chairs Mary D. Neumann and Murray Stahl continue in those roles.
Mr. Rousseve joined the Philharmonic board in 2017 and has served as Treasurer for the past year. Numa and his wife Kaaren attended the orchestra’s first performance in 1983, and have remained involved with the Westchester Philharmonic as donors, subscribers, and through volunteer work in the office. Numa has served as President of the Greenburgh Board of Education, as well as president of the Westchester-Putnam School Boards Association. An avocational singer, Mr. Rousseve has been a member of the Westchester Choral Society serving as its treasurer and president.
In his youth Rousseve was the first black Jesuit seminarian in the New Orleans Province, later teaching English and speech at Jesuit High School in Dallas, and earning a New York State Herbert Lehman fellowship at NYU. In 1970, he switched careers and entered the commercial bank lending industry with Bankers Trust Company. He ended his long and successful professional banking career at HSBC Bank in 2012.
“I am deeply honored to be named chair of this wonderful organization,” said Mr. Rousseve. “I look forward to continuing our efforts to grow our attendance among all age groups, and to expanding the financial support necessary to keep this incredible orchestra alive and well, for ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren.”
Ms. Maurillo, who also joined the board in 2017, is a Financial Planner at Barnum Financial Group. She earned her MBA in Finance from Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business and completed an Executive Program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She is active with the Etchells Class Association and belongs to the Oakcliff Sailing Center where she competes in national and international sailing competitions.
“As with all not-for-profit performing arts organizations,” said Ms. Maurillo, “the Westchester Philharmonic is challenged to ensure it has sufficient resources to serve its community with the integrity and excellence for which it has become known. I am delighted to join the leadership team and to helping this deserving orchestra any way I can.”
Ms. Kaufman, who attended the Westchester Philharmonic’s very first concert in 1983, joined the board in 1990 and presided as chair through two separate tenures. She will remain on the board with the newly conferred title of Chair Emerita. At its meeting, the board unanimously adopted the following resolution: “In recognition of her years of dedicated work as president and chair of the Westchester Philharmonic Board of Directors, it is hereby resolved that we create the position of Chair Emerita to be held by Millicent Kaufman so long as she is a director, with the great appreciation of her fellow board members.”
A “note”-worthy anniversary, a fresh new season, and a new/old partnership
September 19, 2017
Watch for the downbeat to our 35th anniversary season of superb music-making and unforgettable moments. Led by Principal Conductors Jaime Laredo and Ted Sperling, and joined by brilliant soloists who define our legacy of introducing bright, young talent and established stars, we highlight iconic classics, beloved pops, and fascinating collaborations to delight the ears, lift the heart, and invigorate the soul.
We are also proud to embark on a new partnership with an old friend: the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College. As we each celebrate a meaningful anniversary (the PAC turns 40 this year), we are “renewing our vows” by teaming up to co-present the Phil’s main stage concerts.
A casual observer might have assumed this to be the case all along. In fact, for the first 34 years, the Phil rented the Concert Hall for its concerts, which will now be replaced with a cost-sharing and revenue-sharing model. In this era of challenging arithmetic for not-for-profit performing arts organizations, this new way of working together streamlines many of the tasks you never saw, strengthens our respective infrastructures, and, critically, grows the audience for classical music in Westchester County.
As simple an idea as it sounds, in practice there are myriad complexities to be tackled, coordinating box office functions, data base management, and all manner of minutiae we never thought twice about until now. We are looking after every detail to ensure a seamless experience for you.
The business arrangement is new, but the Westchester Philharmonic proudly remains a separate and independent not-for-profit organization that relies on your support as critical to the partnership’s success!
As a friend of the Philharmonic you can be pleased that two of Westchester’s pre-eminent arts organizations are teaming up. Get started by joining us after the concert on October 15th for the 35th Anniversary Benefit Party or by taking the Art$WChallenge today!
Friends of the Phil Are Feted
May 11, 2017
On Wednesday, May 10 the Philharmonic honored its donors with the annual Friends of the Phil Dinner at The Mansion on Broadway in White Plains. The dinner is a tribute to the passion, vision, and dedication of like-minded individuals, in whom the power and beauty of music stir a personal desire to help sustain it. In its fifth year, supporters of the Phil enjoyed a discussion on the arts and print media with writers Phillip Lutz, Susan Hodara, Andrea Kurtz and broadcaster and singer Pamela Kuhn. The discussion was preceded by a delightful performance by Phil violinist Deborah Wong and husband and cellist Chris Finckel. The 2017 Golden Baton Award was given to long-time orchestra supporter Stephen Ucko. Wine was selected by Aries Wines and Spirits of White Plains and flowers by Joseph Richard Florals in Armonk.
Bullock Wins Young Hearts
February 15, 2017
Julia Bullock’s young career is skyrocketing, and sandwiched between her starring appearances with the LA Phil and at Lincoln Center, February 12 audiences caught her on our stage, performing songs of Josephine Baker, Gershwin, Bernstein, and Mozart. Ted Sperling enlightened the music with a “guided tour” suitable for adults and children alike. The program opened with Glinka’s rousing Russlan & Ludmilla Overture, and culminated with Stravinsky’s monumental Firebird. Young attendees got their hands on some instruments too! Phil musicians were in the lobby before the concert to give some lessons on violins, cellos, and more.
Diversity in American Orchestras
July 01, 2016
The Westchester Philharmonic is setting a new standard for how mid-size regional symphony orchestras can have an impact on the face of classical music. According to Executive and Artistic Director Josh Worby “There’s a mythology surrounding classical music that we can no longer allow to continue, and that means taking concrete steps and sustaining the effort over time.”
Josh is part of a series of important round-table discussions on “Diversifying Orchestral Music in New York State: New Approaches and Strategies” at the New York State Council on the Arts. Key industry leaders from the Mellon Foundation, Juilliard, League of American Orchestras and New York Philharmonic, to name a few, met to attempt to better understand how classical music organizations can affect change and to identify approaches to addressing diversity needs within our industry.
Concrete action steps across the industry are slowly developing but the Philharmonic is proud that it has exemplified some of the solutions for many years, and is honored to be part of this important discussion. In fact, in December 2016 Josh Worby was nominated as one of 40 exceptional "Diversity Champions" by the Westchester & Fairfiled County Business Journal. Nominees were chosen based on their unique accomplishments, community involvement and diversity advocacy.