Greenwich Village Orchestra

The Greenwich Village Orchestra (GVO) is a semi-professional orchestra based in the heart of Greenwich Village. It is made up of volunteer musicians and performs six scheduled concerts per season from September to June. Concerts are usually held in the auditorium of the Washington Irving High School.

Organization

The Greenwich Village Orchestra (GVO) has a roster of nearly 60 musicians. The GVO is governed by a board of directors and is run by an all-volunteer staff.

History

The Greenwich Village Orchestra (GVO) was founded in 1986 by Robert Grehan and a group of musicians from the New York Metropolitan area. Its membership is very diverse with members hailing from all walks of life, geographic locations and cultural backgrounds.

The Orchestra has had three music directors; Robert Grehan (1986-1995), Scott Jackson Wiley (1997-2001) Barbara Yahr (2002-present). The GVO has also enjoyed the musical insights brought by several guest conductors including David Amram, Michael Gilbert, Alejandro Guzman, David Leibowitz, Mark Mandorano, Gregory Ortega, Ki-Sun Sung, Peter Szep, and Sybille Werner.

The GVO has performed a wide repertoire ranging from Bach to Beethoven to Bruckner and beyond. Over its history, the orchestra has commissioned new music, provided composer contests, and performed world premieres such as the 1990 premiere of Bruce Wolosoff's When Fire Flows like Water. In 2005 the GVO was a commission partner with orchestras in all 50 states and performed the New...
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