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About

OUR MISSION

We bring great music to life.

Our History

A cornerstone of cultural arts in Southeast Minnesota

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The Rochester Symphony was founded in 1919 as a professional performing arts organization called the Rochester Orchestra. Its earliest ensemble — the Lawler-Dodge Orchestra — was founded in 1912 as a volunteer orchestra motivated by their passion to play, driven by Daisy Plummer, wife of world famous Mayo Clinic physician, Dr. Henry Plummer and directed by Harold Cooke. In early years, the Orchestra appeared in the former Chateau Theatre where they performed background music for silent movies.

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Music Director

Chia-Hsuan Lin

After an extensive search for a new Music Director, Chia-Hsuan Lin begins her tenure at Rochester Symphony in our 2024-25 Season.

Hailed by the Virginia Gazette as “a rock solid” and “animated” conductor, Chia-Hsuan Lin (pronounced “jah-shwen”) believes in the transformational power of symphonic music. Associate Conductor of the Richmond Symphony, Lin also works extensively in the Twin Cities, with guest appearances including the Minnesota Orchestra and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

With broad experience in artistic leadership roles, and years of relationship building, programming, and guest conducting, she looks forward to how she might serve the Rochester community through the transformational power of symphonic music.

Auditions

Orchestra

Orchestra auditions are now complete for the 2022-23 season.

If you would like to be informed of future audition dates, please email info@rochestersymphony.org and include your name and instrument to be added to our notification list.

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CHORALE

Auditions are now open for the 2024-25 season.

If you would like to be notified should openings occur, please email info@rochestersymphony.org and include your name and voice range to be added to our notification list.

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Auditions

All auditions for orchestra and chorale are now complete for the 2022/23 season.

If you would like to be notified should openings occur, please email info@rochestersymphony.org and include your name and instrument or voice range to be added to our notification list.

Chorale director

Pat Anderson

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Chorale Director, Pat Anderson, received her Bachelor of Music degree in Church Music from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. She has been directing choirs of all ages for over 40 years. Anderson became Chorale Director of the Rochester Symphony in 2014. after serving as the Resident Director for a number of years, and has built the group from 50 to 98 singers.

During her career, Anderson has guided a graded choir school program for ages 4-12, led handbell choirs of three to five octaves of bells, and in addition to weekly participation in worship, has prepared church choirs in works including Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass, Brahms' Requiem, and Rutter's Magnificat and Requiem. Anderson has been Music Director or Vocal Director for community musical theatre productions, including Quilters, Mary Poppins, Bye Bye Birdie, Fiddler on the Roof, and Godspell. Currently, Anderson also teaches private voice lessons utilizing her decades of pedagogical experience.

 

Board of Directors

CHAIR

Jodi Melius

Executive Committee

Amy Lindstrom, President & CEO
Joseph Mish, Vice-Chair & Orchestra Representative
Matt Roisum, Treasurer
Mary Beth Sancomb-Moran, Secretary
 

Directors

Amy Andrews
Andrew Good
Rafael Jimenez
Mark Neville
Sarah Schaefer Meier, Chorale Representative