Orchestra Finds Harmony at MCH
- Admin
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
The Rochester Medical Orchestra has found new life inside the halls of Monroe Community Hospital, helping to highlight the facility’s long-standing commitment to its residents and the greater Rochester community.
Founded in 2007, the orchestra had been on hiatus for several years until a third-year medical student who completed a rotation at MCH connected her passion for music and an opportunity.
“I remember passing by the grand auditorium and thinking, ‘Gosh, all that’s missing in there is an orchestra,’” said Isabella Cantor, a violinist and third-year medical student at the University of Rochester. “This seemed like just the place that would value something that blends medicine, history and culture.”
STRIKING A NEW CHORD
The orchestra is composed of about 60 musicians who live and work in the Rochester area, with members originally from points across the country and around the world. The group includes health care workers, students and faculty affiliated with the area’s largest employers such as the University of Rochester, Rochester Regional Health, the VA Finger Lakes Health Care System and others.
The orchestra began rehearsing at MCH in 2025 and has held two concerts in its historic auditorium. The most recent performance in December featured works by Modest Mussorgsky, Aaron Copland and Alexander Borodin.
Having this rehearsal and performance space allows us to gather together and have fun expressing the musical sides of ourselves,” Cantor said. “It was also important to us to not just be a group of medical musicians who get together and play. We wanted to give back to our community of fellow medical professionals and patients.”
Rehearsals are open to MCH residents, families and staff, while concerts draw a broader audience of community members, medical students and health care professionals to MCH. About 200 people attended the December concert.
“We see MCH as a vital part of the community and believe life is richer when it’s shared,” said Alyssa Tallo, executive health director of MCH. “These events bring joy, connection and a sense of belonging, helping our residents and our facility stay engaged, active, and a part of the broader community.”
COMMUNITY HUB
Welcoming the orchestra is one example of MCH’s efforts to enhance programming for residents, showcase the facility’s vibrancy and reinforce its role as a trusted community partner, a legacy that now spans two centuries.
In 2025, MCH hosted more than 30 community events, welcoming more than 60,000 visitors to its East Henrietta Road campus.
About 350 community members attended the hospital’s Halloween Spooktacular, in
addition to the hundreds more visiting for the MCH Auxiliary’s Classic Car Night, the MCH Foundation’s Taste of the Community event, an annual fireworks night, and many other events.
MCH’s Resident Programs also schedules hundreds of events each month and books a diverse range of performances and activities for residents. In 2026, the department expects to host the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Off Monroe Players and the Happy Pirates, and many other groups.
Other events in 2026 will celebrate MCH’s bicentennial.
Also, MCH staff members join in seasonal performances and serve as contestants in activities such as Family Feud, a costume contest at Halloween, and an ugly sweater contest. High school and college musicians and dancers regularly perform at the facility.
“We try to have fun and spread that joy to residents,” said Mary McDowell, Director of Resident Programs. “Our MCH family is large, so bringing the community to us is really the best way to serve the greatest number of residents. If someone has a special talent they want to share, we’d love to give them that opportunity.”
Meanwhile, the Rochester Medical Orchestra plans to strengthen its partnership with MCH through future concerts and open rehearsals, a collaboration Cantor said has helped the group find new life after its hiatus.
“We are immensely grateful to MCH for allowing us into this beautiful space,” she said. “We’re especially thrilled when residents and staff hear us walking through the halls and stop in to listen for a while.”
EVENT BOOKINGS
MCH is constantly looking to bring in high school, college and volunteer groups in for concerts and performances. If your group is interested, please contact Mary McDowell, Director of Resident Programs, at (585) 760-6152 or marymcdowell@monroehosp.org. To rent space at MCH, call (585) 760-6500.
A photo of the Rochester Medical Orchestra at MCH provided by Ken Tryon.