News
May 22, 2024Albany Symphony to Honor Longtime Board Member, Community Philanthropist and Business Leader, Steve Lobel, at Summer Soiree
The two-time GRAMMY Award-winning Albany Symphony is proud to announce that longtime board member and philanthropist, Steve Lobel, will be honored at the end of season Summer Soiree on June 27, 2024, at Loft 433 at 6:00pm.
“Steve Lobel is one of the Albany Symphony’s longest-serving board members and one of our greatest champions.” said Music Director David Alan Miller. “His endlessly generous contribution of time, wisdom, and resources to the orchestra and to our Capital Region community have made a profound impact on the Capital Region for more than four decades. Steve is one of the most loving, kind, thoughtful, giving human beings on the planet, and we’re so excited to have an opportunity to honor him, and to thank him for all the wonderful things he does.”
Steve Lobel’s involvement with the Albany Symphony started all the way back in 1981, after he had opened The Cheese Connection in Stuyvesant Plaza and caught the attention of Peter Kermani, who was Chairman of the Board of ASO at that time. Peter invited him to be on the board, which stimulated fond memories of Steve’s early experience with live orchestral music, and he happily accepted.
“I was hooked from an early age, though my only experience with live orchestral music was the holiday concerts in the schools I attended,” said Steve Lobel. “I always looked forward to hearing them and it left an indelible impression in my mind because it made me feel joyful, even though the musicians were in the very early stages of learning.”
Throughout his tenure, Steve watched the orchestra grow from a volunteer amateur organization to a small professional orchestra with a full-time conductor. Through Peter Kermani’s influence the ASO began to feature, in addition to the classics, orchestral music created by living American composers. Although this new music was alien to many of our patrons, it was the start of a journey being recognized as a unique and important orchestra in Albany and beyond.
“My board membership is now in its 43rd year and I’m in awe of what we have accomplished over the years,” said Steve. “A major factor in our success was the arrival of David Alan Miller who really put us on the map with his talent and personality and has led us to many accolades, two GRAMMY awards among them, and a growing audience of loyal patrons. The music we play has an added benefit of attracting highly talented musicians due to the complexity that living compositions require. It’s been an amazing trip and I’m looking forward to a promising future.”
In addition to being an ASO board member, Steve Lobel is an accomplished businessman and was the Vice President at Anchor Agency, Inc., assistant Vice President for Alumni Affairs at the University at Albany, and Co-Founder of Cowan & Lobel. He is very active in community affairs and has been involved with The Community Foundation, Albany Center Galleries, Albany Senior Servies, Senior Services of Albany Foundation, United Jewish Federation, and Jewish Family Services of Northeastern NY (President, 1999-2001), just to name a few. Steve has published two books, Failing My Way to Success – Life Lessons of an Entrepreneur and Recognition Beyond Burned, Portraits of Survival, Rebirth & Hope and now spends his retirement as a third-generation craftsman in woodturning. He often donates his work to help the less fortunate.
Steve is being honored at ASO’s Summer Soiree, a celebration of another year of world premiere works, the best in contemporary compositions, and powerful masterworks. The Summer Soiree is set to be an urban garden party and will feature delectable food, exciting auction items, and a live performance by musicians of the Albany Symphony.
