NewWSO Year in Review 2025-26

Concerts performed

across three Westchester venues

In-person listeners

340+

across the season

Livestream viewers

15 → 20 → 43, more than doubling by June

Raised for Ukraine relief

$900

via UCCA, supporting a displaced family

The Season

Four concerts, four stories

This year showed once again what makes NewWSO special: we are a community-led orchestra, run by its players and powered by volunteers who give their time out of love for the arts and for each other.

October 25, 2025 · CUUC, White Plains

Classical Cartoons

A family-friendly afternoon of music and imagination, pairing classics with the cartoons that made them famous: the Overture to The Barber of Seville (Bugs Bunny), Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (Tom and Jerry), and Carmen Suite No. 2 (Pixar's Up). The centerpiece was the U.S. premiere of Thomas Gregory's The Anxious Dragon, narrated by Eileen Oddo of Musical Munchkins with an animated video that delighted the young folks (and the young at heart) in the crowd.

120+ in person

15 on the livestream

U.S. premiere

A full house for the season opener at CUUC.

December 13, 2025 · South Salem Presbyterian Church

Messiah Sing-Along

Our annual tradition returned to South Salem for a second year, a partnership made possible by Susan Kang's introduction to her church community. Guest conductor Richard Slade and his ensemble of singers joined us for an afternoon of Handel, Mendelssohn, and Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. December also brought the launch of our first community newsletter and a $5,000 matching gift challenge that helped make this our best fundraising season yet.

~100 in person

20 on the livestream

Newsletter launched

Messiah Sing-Along at South Salem Presbyterian Church

Voices and strings filling the church in South Salem.

March 8, 2026 · Ukrainian Youth Center, Yonkers

Music for Hope

A chamber group from the orchestra performed a benefit of Ukrainian music alongside violinist Solomiya Ivakhiv. The concert raised $900 through the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, directly supporting a family displaced by the war in Ukraine, and drew coverage from Nova Gazeta. Using something we love to help others is what this orchestra is all about.

$900 raised

Featured in Nova Gazeta

Music for Hope performers at the Ukrainian Youth Center

On stage with Solomiya Ivakhiv at the Ukrainian Youth Center.

June 6, 2026 · CUUC, White Plains

An American Rhapsody

Our most ambitious program yet closed the season, celebrating America's 250th anniversary and NewWSO's 15th. Guest pianist Victoria Schwartzman joined us for Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, alongside An American in Paris, selections from West Side Story, and the Largo from Dvořák's New World Symphony. Our livestream audience more than doubled, our biggest virtual crowd to date.

~120 in person

43 on the livestream

15th anniversary

An American Rhapsody at CUUC with Victoria Schwartzman at the piano

Victoria Schwartzman and the full orchestra at CUUC, from the concert video.

Off the Stage

A community-led year

We launched the NewWSO community newsletter, which Jewelle Yamada has run with beautifully, connecting our wider community to our concerts, fundraising, and stories. After many years of service as President, Dan Schiavetta passed the baton and continues as Secretary, while Joanna Luo stepped into the presidency and is doing a fantastic job. We welcomed Barbara Galic to the board and thanked departing board members Ayman Elgamal and Liz Klippert for their years of dedication.

This was Steven Huang's sixth season leading the orchestra as Music Director and Conductor, and everyone is so happy with how he continues to shape this organization. Our membership kept growing too: the viola section got noticeably larger, new players joined nearly every section, and it all added up to one of our best fundraising years ever.

NewWSO Board