We are an adult orchestra (others will need permission of the instructor). The music we play is suitable for intermediate players and advanced beginners. Learning by ear is encouraged, but sheet music will be available for download.
Fall 2026 Season
Season starts
Monday, September 21, 2026
6:30–8:30 pm
- Who: Musicians of skill levels from beginner to advanced.
- What: Ten weekly rehearsals under the direction of Tim Ball and Sophie Orzechowski, learning American, New England/Celtic/Canadian traditional tunes, with a recital at the end of the season.
- Instruments: Fiddle, Mandolin, Cello, Banjo, Guitar, Ukulele, Bass, Flutes, Whistles, Concertina, Accordion, and other traditional instruments.
- Why: To learn new tunes, learn new skills, meet fellow musicians and play together in a supportive, inclusive environment.
- When: Starting
Monday, September 21, 2026,
6:30–8:30 pm- Dates:
- September 21, September 28
- October 5*, October 12, October 19, October 26
- November 2*, November 9, November 16, November 23
- plus concert November 30*
- Where: Third Street Meeting House, 120 3rd Street, Ithaca, NY
(please use entrance ramp from parking lot, map and directions)- *Note we will meet on October 5, November 2, & November 30 at
the First Baptist Church, 309 North Cayuga Street, off DeWitt Park
- *Note we will meet on October 5, November 2, & November 30 at
- How much: Full session cost $125. First rehearsal is at no charge.
Sign up to learn more
- Please fill out this form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
- You can also copy & paste this link into your browser to access the sign-up form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfjGLt9p3Viv4GZ8fax99l1PR4nBE9f4P7-Hw1KJBDBNhtF2g/viewform
- Still have questions? you can call Dave at 607-351-1049.
Instruments we play
The orchestra includes a range of instruments beyond fiddles/violins. We welcome stringed instruments such as violas, cellos, basses, guitars, banjos, mandolins, ukuleles, as well as other instruments such as accordions, flutes, and penny whistles.
Membership cost
Membership costs for the season is $125 per person.
First rehearsal of the season open to all at no charge.
No one will be turned away for inability to pay membership fees. All are welcome!
FLFO is organized by volunteers. Membership costs are used for space rentals, instructor fees, and other operational expenses.
Staying healthy
Masks are optional. If you are feeling ill, please don’t come in-person. If you have any doubt, please take a COVID test.
Sheet Music and Recordings
We will be adding sheet music throughout the season for you to print.
We also post MP3 recordings to help learn the music.
We will also play some songs from previous seasons so you may want to print those too. Most of us use a three-ring binder to help us organize our sheet music.
https://fingerlakesfiddle.org/music/
Music Stands
Please bring your own music stand to hold your sheet music.
You do not need to bring your own chairs (they are provided).
“Essential” FLFO Tunes
In addition to new tunes each season, we are adding a group of “essential” FLFO tunes from past seasons that were the top vote-getters by orchestra members. Our intent is to have a shared set of tunes and new members joining the group can start by learning these songs. Please bring sheet music for these essential tunes with you in addition to the new tunes. The list of tunes is at the top of the Sheet Music and Recordings page.
Member email communication via a Google Group
We use a Google Group to communicate with our members.
- How to join the Google Group
- Please fill out this form, then one of our volunteer organizers can add your email to the Google Group
- Please fill out this form, then one of our volunteer organizers can add your email to the Google Group
- How to see Google Group email messages
- Once you have been added to the group, you should receive email messages sent to the group
- Once you have been added to the group, you can also see messages by going to the group “Finger Lakes Fiddle Orchestra” in https://groups.google.com
- Not receiving email messages?
- 1. Please check your spam folder, and then move the email from the spam folder (and mark the email as not spam)
- 2. Create a “rule”or “filter” in your email program to “never send to spam”
- 3. Add the sender Google Group email to your contacts
- 4. Try a different email address (some domains just don’t seem to play well with Google Groups and gmail.com addresses work well)
- 5. Still having trouble? Please contact one of our volunteer organizers to see what we can do to help
- How to leave the Google Group if you no longer wish to receive emails
- If you have joined the Google Group but no longer want to receive emails, you can leave any Google Group to which you belong:
- 1) Go to https://groups.google.com and click the group you wish to leave
- 2) Click My membership settings
- 3) Click Leave Group at the top of the page
- If this doesn’t work, please contact one of our volunteer organizers
- If you have joined the Google Group but no longer want to receive emails, you can leave any Google Group to which you belong:
Looking for other fiddle music events in the Ithaca area?
Please visit the Canaan Institute’s music calendar compiled by Michael Ludgate for Ithaca and Central New York:
https://canaaninstitute.org/mikesmusicblog/events/list/month/
