Our History

  • The Little Orchestra Society (L.O.S.) is celebrating its 76th Anniversary season as both a community music education organization and a premier performing arts ensemble for all children and families across the greater New York City area. We empower young people by engaging them with music composition and we celebrate their creativity along a continuum of programming. Core offerings are found in public elementary school classrooms, and L.O.S. connects this learning with live performances by professional musicians in the concert hall and in community spaces. All of these innovative programs inspire a new generation of children with the power of musical expression.

  • The Little Orchestra Society continues to be unique in that it focuses on the process of music composition, collaboration, the power of creativity, and the incredible potential of the arts to shape the developing mind. Community engagement programs meet students and young people in their own classrooms. The public enjoys L.O.S. concerts, and the intersection of work by living composers from diverse backgrounds—young and old—and the music of famous composers from the orchestral canon. We endeavor to expand our participants through thoughtful and sensitive engagement.

  • Collaborative process and creative freedom are more important than the product, and young people learn through doing to express their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences—all while developing a deeper appreciation of music and a multitude of skills that will last a lifetime. L.O.S. has a legacy of meaningful programming; multiple generations of music-lovers who have become a part of our family continue to return to the concert hall with a shared sense of tradition and appreciation for the arts. Every time someone experiences what L.O.S. has to offer, they share it with their friends, their kids and grandkids, and with their own community.

  • At the heart of The Little Orchestra Society’s work is collaboration and inclusiveness, because creativity is for everyone. Our motto is to be “An Orchestra for All New Yorkers,” and L.O.S. places a special emphasis on under-resourced neighborhoods that may not have access our type of programming. L.O.S. values a diverse array of experiences and talents, from the young people who enjoy our programs, to parents and families in our communities, to staff and teachers, to Board members, and especially to performers on our stages. L.O.S. will continue the work of broadening our family to be representative of the people in our audiences and the residents of New York City.

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The Little Orchestra Society/Orpheon, Inc. (L.O.S.), now in its 76th year, is dedicated to presenting groundbreaking classical music performances for all New Yorkers, as well as dynamic music education and community engagement programs in New York City public schools and communities.

Founded in 1947 by Thomas K. Scherman, L.O.S. has remained a pioneer of innovative music from its founding days to its 32 years under the direction of Dino Anagnost. World-renowned conductor James Judd was Music Director from 2013 through 2019. As of May 2019, David Alan Miller--also the Music Director of the Albany Symphony--began his tenure as Artistic Advisor.

The Orchestra has had many important American and World premieres that have launched and celebrated the careers of major musical talents. Past American premieres include: Intermezzo, Daphne and Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-Flat Major by Richard Strauss; L’enfance du Christ and Béatrice et Bénédict by Hector Berlioz; Sir Michael Tippett’s Concerto for Piano; and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Concerto for Bass Tuba in F-Minor. World premieres have showcased the talents of composers Morton Gould, Alan Hovhaness and David Diamond, among others. Our professional recordings include Dvorak’s Legends Op. 59; William Mayer and Susan Otto’s Hello World, narrated by Eleanor Roosevelt; and Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, narrated by Dom DeLuise and nominated for a Grammy Award in 1991.

The Orchestra’s highly regarded Lolli-Pops ™ series for children ages 3 to 5, and the Peabody Award-winning Happy Concerts for Young People for children ages 6 to 12 have entertained generations of New York families. The common thread running through all L.O.S. concerts, whether for adults or children, is a special focus on creating memorable music experiences, often complemented by other artistic disciplines, including dance, animation, narration, and puppetry. For example, this season L.O.S. presented acclaimed performances of Stravinsky’s Firebird that featured masterful puppetry by director/designer Chris Green, choreography by David Neumann and lighting design by Clifton Taylor. 

Our repertoire has included works from the early Baroque to commissions by American, Latin American and European composers, as well as jazz, blues, folk and other music that has inspired our audiences.

Guest artists have played an important role in the history of the Orchestra, including jazz aficionado Benny Goodman, contralto Marian Anderson, violinist Isaac Stern, baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and bluegrass legend, composer, and violinist Mark O’Connor.

Recent guest artists have ranged from the iconic rock legend Patti Smith who narrated Tubby The Tuba and Academy-Award nominated actress Sigourney Weaver who narrated Music Takes Flight, to violinist and composer Daniel Roumain who gave the New York premiere of his Woodbox Violin Concerto in Music Under the Big Top, the Orchestra’s first concert in the ring at the Big Apple Circus at Lincoln Center. The 2013-14 season marked the start of James Judd’s role as Music Director of the Orchestra. Mr. Judd is an internationally acclaimed conductor and educator—an artist of outstanding versatility. In his premiere season, L.O.S. presented, among other works, Music Under the Big Top at the Big Apple Circus tent at Lincoln Center and The Composer is Dead, with music by Nathaniel Stookey and book by Lemony Snicket. In 2011, Daniel Handler, the author, and creator of the popular book series, chose L.O.S. to debut this important work for New York audiences, and he narrated this premiere performance himself.

In its eighth season of the hit series for children and families, L.O.S. will present L.O.S. KIDS at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, which will introduce children to the music and lives of famous composers in a fun and educational way. Once again L.O.S. will present its Musical Connections program in New York City public schools. Expertly led by experienced educators/teaching artists, this unique program will be further enhanced by the addition of David Alan Miller’s passion and commitment to music education. In addition, L.O.S. will continue its Live In Concert! program which guarantees inspiring and engaging music experiences for everyone—including those in underserved communities.