Blog – Page 2 – Venice Community Orchestra

The Holidays Were Very Happy!

2019’s Holiday Season added a new concert to VCO’s traditional line up of charitable concert performances!

In addition to performing at The Salvation Army of Venice’s Thanksgiving community luncheon November 28th (our 7th consecutive year!) and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church’s Holiday Community Dinner December 16th (our 5th consecutive year!), we added a benefit concert at VCO’s “home venue”, Trinity Presbyterian Church of Venice.

The concert, on December 11th, partnered VCO with TPC’s Chancel Choir, to present a program that included; Good Christian Men Rejoice, a specially arranged version of Silver Bells, Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart and traditional holiday carols & sign-a-long.

We are proud to announce that the concert donations raised over $750 for TPC’s ministries program! Thank you all for your wonderful support during the Holidays!

The Holidays Were Very Happy!VCOsuperadmin2020-01-21T16:26:09+00:00

Upcoming Performance Dates

The Venice Community Orchestra is pleased to share some upcoming performance dates for Fall 2019 and Spring 2020.

November 11th: Trinity Presbyterian Church, Venice; Several musical selection at the 10:30 am service.
November 24th: Trinity Presbyterian Church, Venice; Several musical selection at the 10:30 am service.
November 28th (Thanksgiving): Salvation Army Church Community Luncheon, Venice; Holiday musical selections 11:30am-1pm.
December 11th: Trinity Presbyterian Church Community Holiday Concert, Venice; Holiday chorale & musical selections by the TPC choir & VCO, 7pm.
December 16th: St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Community Dinner, Venice; Holiday musical selections 4:30pm-6pm
February 21st: Good Shepherd Episcopal Community Concert Series, Venice; Musical selections from VCO’s 2019-2020 repertoire, 7pm.
April 8th: VCO’s 2020 Spring Benefit Concert, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Venice; Full performance of 2019-2020 repertoire, 7pm.

Please plan to join us for one or more of our performances in support of our community!

Upcoming Performance DatesVCOsuperadmin2020-01-21T16:27:17+00:00

Our New Home

For many years the VCO has rehearsed Saturday mornings at the Venice campus of the State College of Florida, and our schedule of rehearsals has been structured like a class, with thirteen meetings in the fall and spring semesters.

Starting summer 2019, we have the great good fortune of having a new home at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Venice.

This allows us to schedule our weekly rehearsals from September through April at a time that works best for our musicians, to join forces with the church’s own musicians for some Sunday services, and to schedule our own concerts in the church’s sanctuary, a space that is visually and acoustically beautiful.

Our New HomeVCOsuperadmin2019-09-19T21:37:41+00:00

Successful 2019 Spring Benefit Concert

Venice, Florida, May 2019 – The Venice Community Orchestra (VCO) performed its annual spring concert Wednesday April 10th at Venice Presbyterian Church.

This year’s concert raised $2,161 for Family Promise of South Sarasota County. In the last 5 years, The VCO has raised almost $10,000 for charities in our community.

All of this year’s selections were original arrangements by the group’s director, Bob Delfausse, or by Dave O’Fallon, a violist in the group.

This year’s featured soloists were extraordinary! Venice Presbyterian’s own Karen Romig played the final movement of Saverio Mercadente’s Concerto for Flute in E minor. Trumpeter Luca Stine, a local high school senior who is exceptional on violin as well as trumpet, played a jazz arrangement of two standards, “Willow, Weep for Me” and “What Is This Thing Called Love”.

The concert had a mix of great classical music (Purcell’s “Dido’s Lament,” Haydn’s Symphony No. 104, first mvt, four pieces from Schumann’s Songs Without Words, Mascagni’s famous Intermezzo) and great popular music (Leroy Anderson’s Blue Tango, Henry Mancini’s Lujon, Richard Rodgers’ Carousel).

View the concert in two parts via the YouTube links below;
Part 1: https://youtu.be/v_MSG8Z_Prg
Part 2: https://youtu.be/m0PhJnbZQxA

For more info call 518-523-3937 and speak with either Bob Delfausse or Ann Alton, or email them at altondelfausse@hotmail.com.

Successful 2019 Spring Benefit ConcertVCOsuperadmin2019-06-17T23:08:13+00:00

2019 Spring Benefit Concert

Venice, Florida, March 2019 – The Venice Community Orchestra (VCO) will be performing its annual spring concert at 7:00pm, Wednesday April 10th at Venice Presbyterian Church (825 The Rialto, Venice). Freewill donations will go to support the Family Promise of South Sarasota County ( www.familypromisessc.org ).

All of this year’s selections are original arrangements by the the group’s director, Bob Delfausse, or by Dave O’Fallon, a violist in the group.

Two soloists will be featured. Venice Presbyterian’s own Karen Romig will play the final movement of Saverio Mercadente’s Concerto for Flute in E minor. Trumpeter Luca Stine will play a jazz arrangement of two standards, “Willow, Weep for Me” and “What Is This Thing Called Love.” Luca is a local high school student who wins awards both on trumpet and violin.

The concert will be a mix of great classical music (Purcell’s “Dido’s Lament,” Haydn’s Symphony No. 104, first mvt, four pieces from Schumann’s Songs Without Words, Mascagni’s famous Intermezzo) and great popular music (Leroy Anderson’s Blue Tango, Henry Mancini’s Lujon, Richard Rodgers’ Carousel).

For more info call 518-523-3937 and speak with either Bob Delfausse or Ann Alton, or email them at altondelfausse@hotmail.com.

2019 Spring Benefit ConcertJohn Mabardi2019-06-17T22:52:59+00:00

2018 Spring Benefit Concert Complete Success!

Venice, Florida, August 6, 2018 – Message from Scot Deagan, Vice President & Events Coordinator -A heartfelt “thank you” to all of the audience members attending our 3rd annual Spring benefit concert on Wednesday, April 18th. Again this year, your “freewill” donations raised enough money to fund the St. Mark’s Outreach Ministry & Interfaith Outreach’s “Lunch Program”, for SIX months!

With this year’s total donations of $2,221, we have raised almost $7,500 for this worthy outreach program.

With performance pieces ranging from Arioso to Scailiana, from Jamaican Rumba to The King and I, there was much to enjoy!

Our guest soloists, Jack Gallahan (Concerto for Cello) and Luca Strine (Czardas, violin) were magnificent. Truly talented young gentleman.

As always, thank you to our VCO members and very talented professional “friends” who joined us. A special thanks to Bob Delfausse, Ann Alton and Dave O’Fallon, for the endless dedication to conducting, coaching and arranging music for us.

And finally, a debt of gratitude to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church (performance venue) and Interfaith Outreach, Inc., for the opportunity to achieve our mission: “Practicing and playing music for our enjoyment, the enjoyment of others and in support of our community.”

2018 Spring Benefit Concert Complete Success!John Mabardi2019-06-17T22:53:07+00:00

Luca Stine – Youth Soloist – Violin

Venice, Florida, March 2018 – Venice Community Orchestras 2018 Spring Benefit Concert will be held Wednesday, April 18th at 6:30pm, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 508 Riviera St., on Venice Island.

Violinist Luca Stine will be a featured youth soloist, performing Vittorio Monti’s Czardas.

Luca Stine – Youth Soloist – ViolinJohn Mabardi2019-06-17T22:53:34+00:00

Jack Gallahan – Youth Soloist – Cello

Venice, Florida, March 2018 – Venice Community Orchestras 2018 Spring Benefit Concert will be held Wednesday, April 18th at 6:30pm, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 508 Riviera St., on Venice Island.

Jack Gallahan will be a featured youth soloists, performing Luigi Boccherini’s Concerto for Cello.

Jack Gallahan – Youth Soloist – CelloJohn Mabardi2019-06-17T22:53:49+00:00

2018 Spring Benefit Concert

Venice, Florida, March 2018 – Venice Community Orchestras 2018 Spring Benefit Concert will be held Wednesday, April 18th at 6:30pm, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 508 Riviera St., on Venice Island.

For the 3rd straight year, the VCO will have its end-of-season concert at 6:30 Wednesday, April 18 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Venice Island. Free will donations will go to the bag lunch program at the Center of Hope in Venice.

The program will include music by J.S. Bach, Robert Schumann, Ottorino Respighi, the Beatles, Boccherini, Arthur Benjamin, Leonard Bernstein, Vittorio Monti, and Riccardo Drigo.

Featured youth soloists will be Jack Gallahan, performing Luigi Boccherini’s Concerto for Cello and violinist Luca Stine, performing Vittorio Monti’s Czardas.

If you are interested in joining the VCO, no auditions are required. Just join us at one of our rehearsals or contact us via the website. We rehearse Saturday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 at the Venice campus of the State College of Florida, Bldg 800 (Sarah H. Pappas Professional Development Center), 8000 Tamiami Tr., Venice, FL 34293.

2018 Spring Benefit ConcertJohn Mabardi2019-03-26T23:02:59+00:00

Venice Community Orchestra Looking to Grow

Venice, Florida, March 2018 – (Published in Venice Gondolier, Sarasota & North Port Herald Tribunes, March 2018)

The VCO was started in 2011 by a group of string players who simply wanted to get together to make music. Since then the orchestra has maintained this “amateur” motivation (to do for love), and it now includes an increasing number of professional musicians who also enjoy playing just for the love of it. The VCO is basically a string orchestra (violin 1 &2, viola, cello, double bass), and includes a pianist and a single flute. For the last three years the group has been led by Ann Alton (principal cellist of the Charlotte Symphony) and her husband, Bob Delfausse, who conducts and writes most of the arrangements. Bob takes music from both the classical and popular repertoires (J.S. Bach to the Beatles), and rewrites it to suit the VCO’s instrumentation.

Looking ahead to next year (Fall 2018), the group would like to grow in numbers while keeping its character as a friendly and noncompetitive chamber orchestra. We are playing and enjoying a gradually more challenging repertoire, and thus are hoping that more intermediate to advanced players will be able to join us. We suspect that there are many string players in the community who, given the right group with the right musical and interpersonal atmosphere, might want to join us. The aim is not to become a full symphony orchestra, but to achieve a large enough string sound so that we could add single winds to the group (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, trombone). We rehearse Saturday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 at the Venice campus of the State College of Florida.

The VCO will have its end-of-season concert at 6:30 Wednesday, April 18 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Venice Island. Good will donations go to the bag lunch program at the Center of Hope in Venice. The program will include music by J.S. Bach, Robert Schumann, Ottorino Respighi, the Beatles, Boccherini, Arthur Benjamin, Leonard Bernstein, Vittorio Monti, and Riccardo Drigo. We hope that any and all string players who think they might want to join us next year will come and hear us.

Venice Community Orchestra Looking to GrowJohn Mabardi2019-09-19T21:34:22+00:00