Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra

Founded in 1922 by George Eastman, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is dedicated to inspiring, educating, and engaging the Greater Rochester community through the art of music.

Now in its 90th season the RPO presents more than 130 concerts a year. The orchestra engages the public through ticketed events, education programs, and community concerts in schools, churches, parks, and community centers throughout the region. The RPO musicians strive to have a special level of connection with the community at large.

“Many people may not know that, in addition to the Pops and Philharmonics concerts we present in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, the RPO reaches more than 14,000 schoolchildren each season through its education concerts and tens of thousands more through our numerous community concerts and programs,” explained marketing coordinator Katy Judd.

The RPO feels they reach their core audience efficiently through WXXI underwriting. Judd commented that, “We are so glad to have the classical music programming of WXXI-FM here in Rochester and are proud to support it through our underwriting. For those considering a partnership the suggestion I would make would be to develop at least a year-long plan, so that WXXI listeners or viewers become familiar with you. “

According to Judd the partnership of the RPO and WXXI stemmed from the fact that many RPO concertgoers are avid listeners of WXXI’s radio stations -- as are many RPO orchestra members and staff! The RPO staff’s favorite programming includes the Exploring Music (Mon-Fri, 7-8p), New York Philharmonic (Sun, 3-5p), and Chicago Symphony (Thurs, 8-10p) broadcasts on Classical 91.5. “Local Classical hosts — Brenda, Julia, and Mona — are great,” Judd added, “and All Things Considered on AM 1370 (Mon-Fri, 4-6:30p) is also a favorite.”