About the Frederick Symphony Orchestra

"THIS IS WHAT I WANT IN HEAVEN: FOR WORDS TO BECOME NOTES AND CONVERSATIONS TO BE SYMPHONIES."

The Frederick Symphony Orchestra (FSO) is a community orchestra composed of professionally trained musicians. Founded in 1997, we perform a series of concerts each year which include classical masterworks, music by contemporary composers, pop concerts, and educational programs. Through our affiliation with Frederick Community College, we perform at Jack B Kussmaul Theater, and qualified musicians receive college credit for playing in the ensemble. The FSO is committed to enriching the cultural climate of Frederick, Maryland, and its surrounding communities by providing opportunities for local musicians to perform and further develop their talents. Our combination of education outreach, community involvement, and affordable entertainment has attracted support from many loyal patrons and arts programs, including the Maryland State Arts Council, Frederick Arts Council, local businesses, and generous private donors. The Orchestra is incorporated in the state of Maryland as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and is governed by its by-laws and the members of its Board of Directors.

MEET THE MUSICIANS

CHRISTINA L. MAY CONNELLY, PRESIDENT

Christina's journey with the FSO began when she auditioned to become a member at the age of sixteen. Almost twenty seasons later, Mrs. Connelly currently serves as a performing member in the second violin section and as President of the Board of Directors. This FSO veteran discovered the violin through FCPL's music exploratory program and continued her studies through graduation from Mount Saint Mary's University. In addition to performing with the FSO, Mrs. Connelly holds an MBA from MSMU and is the managing partner of Illumine8 Marketing & PR.

GLENN QUADER, MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR

A Washington, D.C. native, Glenn Quader has rapidly gained national recognition as a dynamic and versatile conductor. Equally adept in classical, jazz, and popular idioms, he appeared extensively as a conductor, performer, and session musician in the US and Europe, placing him in high demand on concert stages and in recording studios. Mr. Quader studied at the Peabody Institute of John Hopkins University and the universities of Indiana, Illinois, Miami, and Florida International. He holds a conducting diploma, awarded by Sicily's Catania International Conducting Institute.

ANDREW ROSENFELD, ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR

Noted for his excellence as an orchestra, opera, and choral conductor, as well as music educator, Andrew Rosenfeld was appointed in 2015 as associate music director or Maryland's Frederick Symphony Orchestra, following numerous guest appearances on the orchestra's podium. That same year he founded the FSO Camerata, a Chamber Orchestra offering innovative, admission-free outreach programming as a way to make great music even more accessible to the public. In 2016 Rosenfeld was invited to serve as conductor and music director for International Opera Project's production of Così fan Tutte in Berlin. From 2013 to 2016 he served as music director and conductor of Maryland's Hub Opera Ensemble, with productions of Donizetti's L'Elisir D'Amore, Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Puccini's La Bohème, and Britten's The Turn of the Screw to his credit. His work with Hub Opera was praised by DC Metro Theater Arts as “breathing new life” into classic works. Of the Britten in particular, he was noted for his ability to "artfully [blend] these wonderful young voices with a superb orchestral arrangement." Complementing and informing Rosenfeld's musical role is his experience as an educator. As Professor of Music and chair of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at , Rosenfeld, directs the university's vocal ensembles and teaches a wide array of courses in music history and theory and in the humanities. Additionally, he is Assistant Conductor of the Gettysburg Schola Cantorum, leading several collaborative performances with the Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra. Rosenfeld earned advanced degrees in conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and the University of Illinois, having studied under Elmer Thomas, Paul Vermel, Ian Hobson, Chester Alwes, and John Leman.

ALYSSA BOXHILL, CONCERTMASTER

Alyssa Boxhill has been a member of the FSO since 2004. Ms. Boxhill began her musical studies at the Manhattan School of Music's Preparatory Division in New York City at age four and continued at MSM under the instruction of Patinka Kopec beyond high school graduation. In 2001, she received a bachelor's in English literature from Barnard College.

ABOUT THE FSO