Orchestra 914

In 1958, Boris Koutzen created The Chappaqua Orchestra (TCO) in an effort to bring high-quality classical music to Northern Westchester. Over the years, TCO has had many incarnations, from a mix of professional and local amateurs, to what is now a fully professional orchestra. We have had several conductors, many of whom have gone on to national recognition. We want to sincerely thank the hamlet o

f Chappaqua for sharing its name and giving us a home for over 60 years. TCO has performed countless live concerts for residents of the community, and it has been an honor and a privilege to perform here. After careful consideration, we have made the decision to move our home base to Pleasantville and change our name to Orchestra 914 (O914). We are also thrilled to begin working with Russell Ger as our new Music Director. Our decision for this historical change is primarily based on the need to reach a wider audience, expand our base, and find a community that is dedicated to and thriving in the Arts. We feel Pleasantville has proven itself as a town committed to cultural organizations such as The Jacob Burns Film Center, ARC Stages, the Pleasantville Music Festival and the Pleasantville Farmers Market. The mayor of Pleasantville, Peter Scherer, is very excited to bring Orchestra 914 to his residents and complete the cultural picture of Pleasantville. We have already begun developing the important relationships with many of these organizations and look forward to working with them all. Not being able to perform since March 2020, we have spent the pandemic year rebranding and developing our plan for the future. This effort has been in the works for many years, but we feel the timing is right. This way we can continue to bring relevant and exciting instrumental music programs to an expanded audience. Our long-standing history with the town of Chappaqua is very important to us and will always be a part of our identity. However, the orchestra's goal is to widen the geographical scope in order to build a community of music lovers which will allow to bring a collaborative approach to an inclusive and unexpected array of classical music, with the highest level of artistic integrity in mind. We are very excited about the changes and hope to continue building on the rich heritage of our roots in Chappaqua, while moving forward with this amazing opportunity.