“The Musical Dossenbachs of Early Twentieth Century Rochester”

“The Musical Dossenbachs of Early Twentieth Century Rochester” will be speaker Lisa Kleman’s topic on Tuesday, March 20, at 7:00 pm at the Fairport Museum (18 Perrin St). In the early decades of the twentieth century, the Dossenbach brothers were famous and well-loved in the Rochester area. They founded and conducted the Rochester Orchestra and the Rochester Park Band and were also George Eastman’s favored musicians, playing for his twice-weekly musicales and parties from 1905 - 1919. Both the Park Band and Orchestra entertained for all types of local events in the city and also in surrounding towns. On July 25, 1907, when the Fairport Fire Department boarded a special train bound for Clyde for a huge Volunteer Fireman’s Convention, they were accompanied by Theodore Dossenbach’s Rochester Park Band. Earlier in the decade, Hermann Dossenbach’s Orchestra played for Fairport High School’s 1903 Commencement Exercises in Shaw’s Hall. Children of poor German immigrants who came to Rochester in the 1870s, Hermann and Theodore’s experiences seem to tell the story of the City of Rochester itself - its growth, its promise, and its burgeoning musical scene. Lisa Kleman, a retired college English professor and the great-granddaughter of Theodore Dossenbach, invites attendees to step into the past and imagine living in a time long gone but not forgotten.   All are welcome to attend this free program. Find more information at: www.perintonhistoricalsociety.org