Astoria Symphony


The Astoria Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra of professional musicians based in Astoria, New York, in the borough of Queens. The orchestra performs at least six programs annually. The Astoria Symphony is the only semi-professional orchestra that regularly serves western Queens.
The orchestra was founded by conductor Silas Nathaniel Huff in 2002, and performed fifteen concerts in its inaugural season. The Astoria Symphony's first performance in September 2003 under Maestro Huff's baton included Felix Mendelssohn's Die Hebriden, the Mozart Flute Concerto, and Haydn's Symphony No. 103. Since then, the orchestra has performed a wide range of repertoire including Vivaldi's Gloria, Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, Brahms' A German Requiem, Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, Symphonies No. 8 and 9, Piano Concertos 3 and 5, and Egmont Overture, Stravinsky's Firebird, Ives' Unanswered Question, Lukas Foss' Elegy for Anne Frank, and many more, including a number of world premieres. These performances have taken place in LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Symphony Space, Riverside Church, Central Park's Naumburg Bandshell, and the Manhattan Jewish Community Center, among others.
The Astoria Symphony is the flagship ensemble of the Astoria Music Society, which also includes the Lost Dog New Music Ensemble.