News
September 10, 2015Empire State Youth Orchestras’ Appoints Leroy Bynum and Derek Delaney to Board of Directors and Robert Carreau Leads Officers as Board Chair
Leroy E. Bynum, Jr., joined the College of St. Rose as Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities in 2014. Dr. Bynum comes to Saint Rose from Albany State University in Albany, Georgia, where he served as professor of voice and opera for 22 years, Chair of the Fine Arts Department from 1996 to 2006, and from 2006 until June of 2014 as Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. Bynum holds degrees from the University of Georgia, the University of South Florida and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and has received performance certificates from the Mozart Conservatory in Salzburg, Austria and the Berlin Conservatory in Berlin, Germany, having been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship for vocal study in Germany from 1990-92.
Throughout his professional career Leroy has remained active as a performing artist, appearing in operatic roles, as featured soloist, and in solo recitals throughout the United States, Europe, and South America. Also during this time Leroy has maintained a vibrant voice studio from which numerous students have gone on to launch successful careers as performers and pedagogues. As a respected member of Georgia’s community of voice teachers, in 2013 Bynum was elected president of the State’s chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Leroy is also a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Pi Kappa Lambda, and the Blue Key National Honor Societies.
An arts administrator for over fifteen years, Derek Delaney was appointed Artistic Director of the Union College Concert Series in June 2012. He previously served for six years as Executive Director of the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, where he led all aspects of the prominent 12-concert summer festival on the East End of Long Island. Among his many achievements was the creation of the festival’s self-published record label – BCMF Records – distributed through Naxos. Delaney came to Bridgehampton having spent the previous eight years as Assistant Manager of the renowned Marlboro Music Festival (a festival founded by famed pianist Rudolf Serkin and now led by pianist Mitsuko Uchida) and as Development Director of the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society (one of the largest chamber music presenters in the nation) – two diverse organizations working symbiotically toward serving music at the highest level. At both organizations, he worked with the management team and board in all aspects artistic and operational, collaborating and working with some of the leading musicians of our generation.
Mr. Delaney began his administrative career at Arts Management Group with William Capone, a respected arts manager for over 30 years. Possessing a deep commitment to chamber music, he often consults with other presenting organizations and artists in furthering their institutional and performance goals. Mr. Delaney is a former horn player, having received his bachelor’s degree from The Juilliard School and his master’s degree from Yale University, studying with James Chambers, Rainier DeIntinis and Paul Ingraham.
“We are excited to add two exceptional individuals to our board,” said Robert Carreau, chair of ESYO’s board of directors. “Derek and Leroy bring tremendous experience in education, music and the arts. We’ll continue to strengthen our board with their presence, talents and commitment.”
The Board also announced new officers for 2015-16, ESYO’s 37th season:
Robert A. Carreau, Chair
Nancy Burton, Vice-Chair
John Spinelli, Vice-Chair
Kevin O’Bryan, Treasurer
Michelle Woodley, Secretary
Mr. Carreau has been a member of ESYO’s board since 2011 and is the Executive Director of The Schenectady Foundation. Ms. Burton joined the board in 2014; she currently serves as Artist’s Representative for Peter Leue, Craftsman, after a long career in local and state government. Dr. Spinelli has served ESYO since 2011 and is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science at Union College. Mr. O’Bryan joined ESYO in 2013; he retired from First Niagara Financial Group as Senior Vice President and Chief Credit Officer in 2013. Ms. Woodley, an ESYO alumna, joined the board in 2007and currently is the Assistant Director of HR for The Housing Trust Fund Corporation – Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery.
About Empire State Youth Orchestras: 300+ talented youth from the Capital Region of New York and western New England are selected by audition each year for positions in ESYO’s program of high-level music education and performance opportunities for young musicians. Well known for its Youth Orchestra’s participation in CBS 6’s Melodies of Christmas (benefit concerts for the pediatric cancer program at Albany Medical Center), ESYO actually has a total of nine performing ensembles that collectively give approximately 30 public performances a year. ESYO reaches out to the community with an annual free concert for senior citizens, concerts for young people, and ESYO’s CHIME™, a free music education program for inner-city, low-income youth in Albany and Schenectady. Founded in 1979, ESYO has been recognized as a premier music education/performance program for youth and has received three prestigious ASCAP awards. A not-for-profit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors, ESYO was named Tech Valley Nonprofit Business Council’s Nonprofit Organization of 2013 (for organizations of fewer than 75 employees) in recognition of ESYO’s positive contributions to the vitality of the region. For more information, visit www.esyo.org.
