Greetings from the President

My love affair with the historic Rochester Opera House began in 1995, when Mayor Harvey Bernier gave me a tour of the top two floors in Rochester City Hall.  This theatre had been forgotten for over twenty years and was badly in need of restoration.  Yet as we crawled under the balcony floor and viewed the unique auditorium floor raising and leveling mechanism, I knew instantly that Rochester had something very special indeed!  Mayor Bernier assembled a group of dedicated volunteers, guided by George Allen, to restore this gem.

Fast forward to 2012...since restoration, this region has been enjoying live theatre, music and dance for twelve years at the Rochester Opera House.  This vibrant cultural arts center brings joy to thousands of residents and visitors.  Our goal is to strengthen the foundation of theare operations in order to sustain the Rochester Opera House for generations of our children. This was the vision of our forefathers over a century ago, when they commissioned George Gilman Adams, Rochester native and architect, to build a grand city hall/opera house complex for their community.

I am honored to be the president of this unique, century-old theatre.  I thank the many people, who continue to contribute their valuable time and resources to this fine organization.  I urge you to support the Rochester Opera House in any way that you see fit...become a Friend, sponsor a show, attend a performance or become a volunteer.  I can assure you that you, too, will fall in love as I did over a decade ago.

Hope to see you at a show at the historic Rochester Opera House, the only theatre of its kind remaining in the world today!

Catherine Taylor,
ROH Board President