WHO WE ARE
The Music Company Orchestra, incorporated in 1974, is a 60-piece volunteer community orchestra. Its members come from all walks of life and many different backgrounds. Conducted by Dr. Gerald Lanoue, the orchestra plays a wide range of classical and pops repertoire. The MCO is dedicated to bringing the excitement of live orchestral music to audiences of all ages and economic backgrounds, and enthusiastically plays venues throughout the greater Capital Region, ranging from traditional concert halls to public parks, community events, schools, retirement centers, and churches. The MCO performs most concerts free to the public, and also offers scholarships to musically-inclined students at three regional high schools. The MCO is a not-for-profit organization.
WHAT WE DO
Cabaret
Each Spring the Music Company Orchestra presents a Cabaret evening with dinner, an orchestra concert and dancing to raise funds for Orchestra. Past venues for our annual Cabaret have included the Canfield Casino, Hall of Springs in Saratoga Springs, Michael’s Banquet House in Latham, and the Holiday Inn, Saratoga Springs.
Benefit Concerts
In addition, the MCO has performed benefit concerts in the community for the Friends of the Mayfield Library, the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Education Foundation, the FOCUS Churches of Albany, Alzheimer’s Association, CAPTAIN, Universal Preservation Hall, and Schenectady Community Ministries (SiCM).
Free Concerts for the Community
As part of our mission of bringing the excitement of live concerts to those who would not ordinarily attend them, the MCO has given concerts at the Crossings in Colonie, the Kingsway Community Center in Schenectady, Coburg Village in Clifton Park, Prestwick Chase in Saratoga Springs, Avila Retirement Community in Albany, Freedom Park in Scotia, Clifton Park Library, Proctor’s Theatre and several area churches. The MCO performs annual holiday concerts at Niskayuna Reformed Church and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake High School sponsored by the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Rotary, in conjunction with the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony.
CONDUCTOR
Gerald Lanoue D.M.A., a Bennington, Vermont native, is an active conductor and bassoonist in the Upstate New York and Southern Vermont area. Dr. Lanoue is privileged to be the music director for the Music Company Orchestra and is currently the principal bassoonist with the Sage City Symphony. He received an undergraduate education at the Crane School of Music in Potsdam New York and a masters and doctorate at the University of Southern California. He studied conducting with Douglas Lowry, past Dean and conductor at the Eastman School of Music, as well as John Barnett, the associate conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Dr. Lanoue has served on the faculties of Riverside Community College and Santa Monica College. While in California he was an active orchestral and chamber musician serving as Principal Bassoon for the Bakersfield Symphony, Los Angeles Classical Ballet, Redlands Symphony, and the American Youth Symphony. He has performed most notably with Daniel Lewis, Yehuda Gilad, Jerry Goldsmith, Michael Kamien and Zubin Mehta.