About BCCO

Photo by Jenna Salvagin

The Brooklyn Conservatory
Community Orchestra

The Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra is a division of the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, which just celebrated its 125th anniversary serving the New York musical community. Now in our 22st year, the members of the BCCO feel more keenly than ever the profound joys of playing and sharing some of the world's most beautiful music.

We opened our season with the world premiere of the Vicente Gomez Concierto Flamenco, with guitarist Virginia Luque. We were also delighted to present Mira Mandayam, Lou Couaillier, and Peter Corwin, three of the winners of last year's Suzuki Concerto Competition. On February 3, the BCCO changed its wardrobe to headline a night of swing dancing at the St Saviour High School Gym.

And on March 23, we're back at the Brooklyn Museum for an encore performance of 5 Magical Tales, a Family Concert. We're so proud that attending one of these concerts has become one of the traditions of growing up in the heart of Brooklyn. We're also proud that we're giving the impression to children that classical concerts can keep them not only on the edge of their seats but also might include clowns on unicycles, a trip to Mars, and violinists being shot with bow and arrows.

We'll close our season on June 1 at St Ann's in Brooklyn Heights for a performance of Brahms's Symphony no. 1, Lili Boulanger's "D'un Matin de Printemps," and Mozart's Piano Concerto no 21, with young virtuoso Alex Liu.


Who are the members of the BCCO? One of us may be your child's middle school art teacher, another may be your law professor, and another may be a New York Times food critic. At your local cafe, one of us may be on stage playing bluegrass, while another one of us serves you your coffee. We're your neighbors and friends. We're the BCCO.

Selected programs from past seasons:

June 2022
Gipps: "Seascape" for Double Wind Quintet
Mendelssohn: Hebrides Overture
Brahms: Double concerto for violin and cello, Luis Casal, violin and Isaac Casal, cello
December 2021
Butterworth: The Banks of Green Willow
Chevalier de St. Georges: Sinfonie Concertante, with members of the BKCM Suzuki Advanced String Ensemble
Still: Afro-American Symphony
March 2018
Plymouth Church
Mendelssohn: Overture to Fair Melusina
Jacob: Trombone concerto, Will Lang, trombone
Brahms: Symphony no. 4

March 2017
Plymouth Church
Vaughan Williams: Norfolk Rhapsody
Mozart: arias from the Magic Flute, Victor Starsky, tenor
Lew: Third Rhapsody: "Song of Wandering Aengus", Victor Starsky, tenor
Beethoven: Symphony no. 6

June 2016
Congregation Beth Elohim
Mozart: Overture to "Cosi fan tutte"
Debussy: Nocturnes, with members of the Conservatory Chorale
Franck: Symphony in d minor

March 2015
Plymouth Church
Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture
Mendelssohn: Violin concerto in E minor, Kako Miura, violin
Dvorak: Symphony no. 7

June 2014
Congregation Beth Elohim
Mahler Symphony No. 1

March 2013
Plymouth Church
Sibelius: Karelia Overture
Haydn: Cello Concerto in D Major (Brian Snow, cello)
Brahms: Symphony #3

March 2012
Plymouth Church
Beethoven: Symphony #7
Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar and orchestra (Christoph Denoth, guitar)
Gershwin: Cuban Overture

June 2011
St Ann and the Holy Trinity and Old First Reformed Church
Brahms: A German Requiem, with the Brooklyn Conservatory Chorale, Nelly Vuksic, director

December 2010
St. Saviour High School
Turina: Danzas Fantasticas
Puccini: Arias from La Boheme (Mariana Aslan, soprano)
Stravinsky: Firebird Suite

June 2008
John Jay High School
Raff: Wind Symphony
R. Strauss: Horn Concerto (Eric Davis, Horn)
Brahms: Symphony #1

March 2008
Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims
Schuman: New England Triptych
Rosauro: Marimba Concerto (Steve Solook, marimba)
Gershwin: American in Paris

December 2007
John Jay High School Auditorium
Felix Mendelssohn: Hebrides Overture
brooklyn composer Howard Lew: Second Rhapsody (Kathryn Favazza, soprano)
Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony #4

March 2007
Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims
Ellington: Three Black Kings
Copland: A Lincoln Portrait (Jeffrey Wright, narrator)
Dvorak: Symphony #9 from the New World

December 2006
M.S. 51 Auditorium
with members of the M.S. 51 drama program (John McEneny, director)
Tchaikovsky: Overture-Fantasy to Romeo and Juliet
Prokofiev: 5 movements from the Ballet "Romeo and Juliet"
Bernstein: Selections from "West Side Story"

June 2006
Old First Reformed Church
Mozart: Overture to "Don Giovanni"
Brahms: Violin Concerto (Brittney Sklar, violin)
Tchaikovksky: Suite from the Ballet "Swan Lake"

December 2005
M.S. 51 Auditorium
Family Program - "Myth and Magic"
Dukas: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Mozart: Selections from "The Magic Flute"
Williams: Film music from "Harry Potter"
Wagner: Die Meistersinger Overture

June 2005
Old First Reformed Church
Hermann: Suite from "Marnie"
Griffes: Poem for flute and orchestra (Helen Richmond, flute)
Schubert: Symphony # 8: the Unfinished
Schubert: Overture to Rosamunde

April 2005
Old First Reformed Church
Cowell: Old American Country Set
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue (Richard Thompson, piano)
Thompson: Voices
Dvorak: Slavonic Dances 2 & 5

December 2004
P.S. 29 Auditorium
with the Bella Voce Singers, Jessica Corbin director
Bach: Orchestral Suite #3
choral selections by Rutter, Schultz, Hatfiled, and Williams
Beethoven: Symphony #5

© 2005-2013 Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra.

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