Dear NYTOS Members & Friends,

 

Thanks to your ongoing support, we have survived the impacts of COVID and had several great accomplishments at NYTOS this year!  Successes for this year include many in-person events that brought organs to the forefront of many appreciative attendees for the first time.  Our society is resilient, we continue ever on with our mission to further the appreciation, preservation, and use of the theatre organ!

 

This year’s silent film series just finished up with a performance by Peter Krasinski playing the 1927 version of Metropolis to a nearly sold-out audience at The Bardavon 1869 Opera House.  Our NYTOS silent film series lineup also included very well-attended showings of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera.  Additionally, NYTOS helped the United Palace with a successful fundraiser to help restore that theatre’s 92-year-old, one-of-a-kind Robert-Morton Wonder Organ.  They had a huge turnout for Nosferatu, with Brett Miller playing on our traveling Allen organ.

 

Other 2022 highlights for NYTOS include playing a silent film at Vassar College for their Film Studies group and partnering with Bard College to present a Lifelong Learning experience at The Bardavon to develop a new audience for theatre organ music.  We also made a recording at The Stissing Center for an upcoming NYTOS CD release featuring some of our professional organists.

 

Notably, audiences to all these programs include youth who are likely being exposed to theater organs (and silent films) for the first time.  As more events happen, this exposure to new audiences continues.  That portends a good future for our mission as the New York Theatre Organ Society.

 

In other big news, NYTOS was invited back to the Poughkeepsie Galleria to play 60 hours of holiday music for shoppers beginning December 18 with four organists collaborating with other artists.  This event is great community involvement and PR and has resulted in generous donations each year from passersby.  We will also participate in The Stissing Christmas special event at The Stissing Center on December 10.

 

Additional 2022 accomplishments include our quarterly releases of The Horseshoe newsletter, a benefit to NYTOS members, several organ installations at different locations seeking new or upgraded instruments, and continued work on preservation activities for our pipe organs.  Finally, a new drive to obtain grants to help fund activities resulted in a grant award for the FDR High School music education program restart and an endowment grant to help with the restoration of the Wonder Morton organ at United Palace.

 

Yes, we have been busy this year!  However, all the forgoing would not be possible without the interest and donations of our NYTOS members, which we continue to count on to help achieve our mission.  Your support keeps your NYTOS Board and our many dedicated volunteers enthusiastically engaged as we plan activities for 2023.  We are making a difference in promoting, using, and building appreciation of theater organs.  This 2022 Year-End Appeal is our major fundraiser.  We ask you to join other members in giving your financial support for the important activities planned for the coming year.

 

Thank you,

 

Your NYTOS Board of Directors

 

Note:  Did you know that many corporations provide matching fund grants for employee donations to not-for-profit organizations?  Please check with your management or human resources department to find out if this program is available, which can increase the size and power of your donation.