News
September 23, 2015ESYO Hires Program Director from England to Head CHIME™ Outreach Program
Empire State Youth Orchestras (ESYO) announced the appointment of John Connolly as the Program Director for CHIME™, ESYO’s outreach music education program and Lee Russo as Conductor of ESYO’s Repertory Jazz Ensemble.
Hailing from Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England, John Connolly earned his trombone degree at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formally the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama) and has taught at Ayr College, Kings Priory School and The Sage Gateshead. He has studied with some of the world’s most respected teachers including Kristian Steenstrup, Alison Balsom, Chris Holding, Ian Bousfield, Mark Nightingale, Hakan Bjorkmann and Jonas Bylund. A passionate advocate of the Sistema movement, Mr. Connolly served for three years as lead teacher for England’s Sistema-inspired In Harmony program. During that time, he was selected to tour Venezuela with the directors of the six English-based Sistema programs and in 2014, was chosen as the lower brass teacher for Sistema Europe at its annual summer music camp in Istanbul. Mr. Connolly has enjoyed an active performance schedule and has played with some of England’s leading orchestras including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Connolly will head ESYO’s CHIME™ program, a free, music education program inspired by the El Sistema movement, that serves middle- and elementary-school students in Albany and Schenectady. CHIIME™ is an expansion of ESYO’s 18 year old outreach program that has provided free music lessons for underserved students at Albany and Schenectady middle schools; this fall, CHIME™ will provide an intensive, ensemble-based program for elementary students at Yates Arts In Education Magnet School in Schenectady.
Lee Russo is currently the Director of Guilderland High School’s Jazz Ensemble and Concert Band and teaches woodwind lessons and music technology. An active performer, he leads his own trio/quartet, and plays with groups led by Joe Barna, Keith Pray, Michael Benedict, Pete Sweeney and Teresa Broadwell. He has released two CD’s as a band leader: “Trading Off” (2006) and “The Abenaki” (2007). Mr. Russo studied with Paul Evoskevich and Jack Fragomeni at The College of Saint Rose and completed his studies at the Crane School of Music where he studied with Bob Faub and Brett Zvacek. At both schools he worked under the direction of many guest artists/clinicians, including Bob Mintzer, Bill Cunliffe, Rufus Reid, Donald Sinta, The New York Hardbop Quintet, Ralph Lalama and Dave Demsey. Mr. Russo will lead ESYO’s Repertory Jazz Ensemble, formed in 2006 as a starting group for less experienced jazz musicians. The group routinely performs with ESYO’s more experienced jazz ensemble, Youth Jazz, directed by Paul Evoskevich. For several years Repertory Jazz also played at the SaratogaArtsFest (SAF). In 2014, with an SAF grant, the ensemble premiered Walk Like the Guv, which ESYO commissioned from jazz trombonist Michael Davis.
“We are thrilled to have these two music educators join our staff this coming season. They bring strong skill sets and experience to their respective positions and we look forward to seeing the positive impact we know they will have upon our musicians,” said Rebecca Calos, ESYO’s Executive Director.
