Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra

music through the years

BJSO Music Director & Conductor – Dr. Robert Tomaro

The History

The Beloit Janesville Symphony Orchestra (BJSO) is a professional symphony based in Rock County, Wisconsin. For over 70 years, it’s been a staple for the Beloit and Janesville communities. The BJSO not only brings people together through music but creates connections and memories for the audience, musicians, and organization as a whole.

Founded in 1953 by Maestro Lewis Dalvit as the Beloit Civic Orchestra, the BJSO has come a long way over the years. After Dalvit’s impressive tenure, Dr. Crawford Gates took leadership and conducted for 34 years. Today, Music Director Robert (Rob) Tomaro has been the star of the show, having joined in 1999. Reflecting on the orchestra’s legacy, Dr. Tomaro says, “I haven’t checked the Guinness Book of World Records, but I imagine that it would be difficult to find another professional orchestra that is entering its 72nd year and has only had three music directors throughout its history.”

Dr. Tomaro first joined the BJSO as both the orchestra’s Director and a music professor at Beloit College. As the orchestra evolved under his leadership, he eventually chose to retire from the college to dedicate more time to the BJSO and other professional musical endeavors. His commitment to the orchestra and its members has transformed it from a community ensemble with professional aspirations into a fully recognized professional orchestra. As Dr. Tomaro puts it, “Over the years, we have raised the standard of our performances and presented some of the most challenging works to the people of Rock County.” With great pride, he says that “being appointed to the directorship of this orchestra was and is one of the greatest honors that have been bestowed upon me in my life.”

The performances

With the BJSO being such a well-respected and professional organization, joining the orchestra as a musician is competitive. The orchestra has about 60 members, and new players are selected through auditions whenever an opening is available. The amount of practice before a performance varies depending on the concert type. For classical music concerts, musicians typically rehearse three times. However, only two rehearsals are needed to prepare for their popular Pops on the Rock concert, held every Fourth of July at the Harry C. Moore Pavilion at Riverside Park in Beloit.

One of Dr. Tomaro’s many responsibilities as Music Director is selecting the music the orchestra performs with the music selection committee. This is done carefully, as he says, “I am always looking for music that reflects the changing nature of public tastes and the times.” This ensures a fresh selection that enhances the connection with the audience to the performance. Once the music is chosen, the BJSO announces the concert, rehearses, and then takes the stage for the public to watch and listen.

Every performance holds a special place in the BJSO’s history, but a few stand out for Dr. Tomaro during his career as the Music Director. He shares that “for the past three years, we have performed The Nutcracker Ballet with a wonderful dance company, and the performances have sold out each year, meaning that about 2,400 people have come to these shows, with many audience members who may not have heard the BJSO before.”

The Community

Without the community impact and support of the BJSO, the organization would not be where it is today. One of Dr. Tomaro’s favorite moments is when an audience member attends a performance for the first time and is so impressed that they become a regular part of the BJSO family, by attending concerts consistently.

Although it’s not just the concerts that draw in the community, many things go on behind the scenes. The BJSO is involved with young students from all over Rock County, providing them opportunities to showcase their musical talents. The organization has also developed two successful educational programs for high school students: Composing Kids and Making Music with the Maestro. Dr. Tomaro says he “conducted these workshops with young students who composed an original score for a film and then heard the BJSO perform their music in a concert as the film was shown.” The organization also has a BJSO Young Conductors Program, which is unique as Dr. Tomaro holds conducting workshops in local schools and then hand-picks two student conductors to lead the orchestra during the Fourth of July concerts.

The future

The BJSO has a lot in store, as well as exciting upcoming performances. Dr. Tomaro explains that his goal for the next few years is for the organization to “look forward to expanding our audience and bringing everyone into the fold for the BJSO family”.