What Is Vanguard?

Since 1963, Vanguard has been a fundraising and support group for the Albany Symphony Orchestra. We usher at concerts, we provide homes for visiting artists, we help the ASO staff with office work and children’s programs, we prepare food for musicians and much more.

We organize stimulating, informative and enjoyable fundraising trips to various regional venues for members and the public. Recent destinations include the Culinary Institute of America, the Sagamore at Lake George and a stage play in Bennington, Vermont.

We enjoy creating our own fundraising events at local points of interest and beautiful private homes. A Victorian Tea, Troy’s Tiffany Windows and a unique Brunch at June Farms are some of our great opportunities for meeting old friends and making new ones planned this year.

One of our ongoing operations includes collecting gently used instruments to donate to local school music programs.  Here is the latest information about collection locations and times.

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Click on the link to meet the woman, Jill Rifkin, who is so dedicated to the program.

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/capital-region/news/2019/02/11/local-woman-collects-instruments-for-capital-region-students-?cid=share_clip

The instruments collected are donated to eight local school districts that lack sufficient instruments for hundreds of students whose families cannot afford expensive rental or purchase fees. These donations allow these eager children to study music in depth and play in their schools’ bands and orchestras. Donations are tax deductible. 429 have been collected to date.

For further information, contact Jill Rifkin, Chair, (518) 439-1843 Instruments for Students, Vanguard, Inc.

Maybe YOU can help us!  Write to our email or call the ASO office for more Vanguard information.