Frances C. Roberts

Music Director, Long Island Masterworks

Frances C. Roberts is the founding conductor of Long Island Masterworks, the Long Island Philharmonic Chorus and the Long Island Choral Festival & Institute. In 2000, she was honored as "Woman Of The Year in the Arts" by Women On The Job, and in 2003 was selected as an "Everyday Hero" by Newsday. She was selected as an "Outstanding Secondary Educator of America" and has been listed in Who's Who of American Women and Who's Who in American Music.

Ms. Roberts received her B.S. at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, where she was awarded the prestigious Minerva Award for outstanding professional achievement. She studied piano with James Ball and choral music with Helen Hosmer, Carl Druba and Brock McElheran. She holds an M.M. degree from Boston University, where she studied with Bela Nagy, Abraham Kaplan and Allen Lannom, and accompanied for Roman Totenberg and Chloe Owen. Subsequently, she studied with Alton Jones in New York, and accompanied at the Metropolitan Opera Studio and for the Gregg Smith Singers.

In 1979, Ms. Roberts was asked by Christopher Keene, music director of the Long Island Philharmonic Orchestra, to found the Long Island Philharmonic Chorus. Subsequently she worked with Marin Alsop, David Lockington and David Wiley, preparing most of the major choral repertoire. In 1988, Ms. Roberts conducted the Carnegie Hall debut of the chorus, and was invited to conduct the Long Island Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus for the first time. She recently conducted that group in two performances of the Fauré Requiem.

In 1990, Ms. Roberts became the founding Artistic Director and conductor of Long Island Masterworks. With this organization she has commissioned and premiered two major choral works-one a benefit for breast cancer research, and the other a memorial to survivors and victims of the Holocaust. Her chorus has performed at Carnegie Hall on five occasions under distinguished guest conductors, and was honored to be the guest chorus for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra performance of the Beethoven Ninth Symphony, under the direction of Edo de Waart.

In 1999, Ms. Roberts founded the Long Island Choral Festival & Institute, now in residence at Adelphi University under the aegis of Long Island Masterworks. This unique festival has brought nationally known choral conductors and singers to Long Island for a week of study, singing and fun in the summer.

Ms. Roberts was recognized by the Suffolk County Office of Cultural Affairs and by the Long Island Philharmonic Orchestra for her years of service to the community.

Contact Ms. Roberts by e-mail: conductor@limasterworks.org

Mrs. Roberts' photo by Frank Chillemi.