Leading the next act at the RPO
After a nine-year tenure with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO), president and CEO Curt Long stepped down this year.
His tenure was marked by a 2020 Grammy award, a celebration of the centennial season of the orchestra, navigating uncertainty during the COVID pandemic, and more.
In March of this year, the RPO announced a national search for his replacement, aided by an executive-level talent advisory firm. Tonya McBride Robles was identified and accepted the position as the organization’s new president and CEO, a role she stepped into in August.
McBride Robles has two decades of senior executive experience leading professional orchestras, including roles as COO of the Baltimore and Nashville Symphonies. Most recently, she oversaw the community and digital learning divisions at the New England Conservatory in Boston.
“I’m honored to join the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra at such an exciting moment in its history,” McBride Robles said in a recent statement. “The RPO’s commitment to artistic excellence, education, and community engagement is deeply inspiring.”
The incoming president and CEO is a classically trained singer with a bachelor of music in music education from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and a master of public administration from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
The RPO is currently in the middle of a $50 million fundraising campaign to grow the orchestra’s endowment and expand its community programs. McBride Robles will be responsible for growing revenues for the orchestra and overseeing about forty staff members.
The president and CEO will manage a local institution that presents 150 concerts and broadcasts a year, reaching 170,000 patrons through a variety of events, activities, and educational opportunities.
The orchestra was founded more than 100 years ago by George Eastman, and it is the resident orchestra of Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.
Farming for all
Nonprofit community farm Homesteads for Hope is celebrating ten years of operation this year.
The farm, located on fifty-five acres on Manitou Road in Rochester, features a U-Pick flower garden, a farm market, concerts and seasonal events, community clubs and activities, and more. The organization has focused on developing work-based learning opportunities for students, adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and families.
And yet, after ten years, there are still community members who don’t know much about Homesteads for Hope or if they are welcome, says Jennyrae Brongo, founder and CEO of the farm.
So she’s implementing a new initiative, Farm for All, to encourage more of the community to visit the property with free classes, workshops, and more.
“We want to open our doors, share our mission, and show the whole community how a farm can be a place where everyone grows—their skills, their confidence, and their sense of belonging,” says the founder in a recent statement.
Classes will be led by Homesteads for Hope staff and knowledgeable community members in topics to include culinary arts, homesteading skills, woodworking, and more. Programming will run through the end of September.
To support the Farm for All initiative, the organization has launched a campaign to raise an additional $200,000 in funds. Contributions will help support facility improvements, staffing costs, program supplies, and more.
In addition to Farm for All’s hands-on learning experiences, Homesteads for Hope also hosts Thursdays at the Farm through October 15, where community members can explore the property, throw a fishing line in the pond, listen to live music, and visit local vendors and food trucks. Pony rides for kids are also available.
Local festivals and events
A number of festivals in the area will celebrate the fall season and bring the community together this year.
The Shakesbeer Steampunk Festival will celebrate craft beer, Shakespearean culture, and the steampunk sub-genre—which blends Victorian aesthetics with a bit of science fiction and fantasy—on October 17 at the Orleans County Fairgrounds.
There will be live music and performances, as well as interactive activities and costume competitions. Ladies’ costumes will likely include a bit of lace, bustles, and corsets with heavy leather accessories, and the men may come out- fitted in waistcoats, a top hat or bowler hat, and/or a pair of goggles.
There will be a vendor market set up, and food and drinks will be available. The Shakesbeer Steampunk Festival will also feature tea dueling—where opponents sit opposite each other, dunk cookies into hot tea, and aim to finish their cookie last, without any crumbs.
In Geneseo on October 2, scarecrows will take over Main Street during the Scarecrow Festival. Community members and businesses will display scarecrows they’ve created, and ribbons and prizes will be awarded for the best creations.
Craft vendors and food trucks will be set up onsite, and craft beverages will be available as well. Free horse-drawn carriage rides will take off from St. Michael’s Church, and a street dance will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Chestnut Street. Rochester-based indie-folk/Americana act the Neil Van Dorn Band will perform.
Due north of Geneseo is the town of Hilton, which organizes the Hilton Apple Fest each year with the help of about 200 volunteers. The event will host approximately 100 craft booths and 20 food vendors this year, and it will donate a portion of its proceeds to a community organization. On average, the event raises about $5,000 each year for organizations like Hilton Parma Emergency Food Shelf, Hilton Parma Fire District, and more.
Live music will play on two different stages, with a variety of genres featured, including rock, jazz, and country music. A Kids Korner stage will offer entertainment for kids, and there will be an apple pie contest onsite.
A shuttle bus running to the local community center will be available for attendees.
This article originally appeared in the September/October 2026 issue of (585).
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