Finger Lakes Symphony Orchestra - a Community Orchestra in the Finger Lakes region of New York State

Orchestra Personnel

Diego Garcia, Conductor / Music Director

Now in his fourth season as Music Director of the Eastman String Fellowship Orchestra, in Rochester New York, Diego Garcia has established the ensemble’s prestigious reputation for virtuosic string playing, artistic excellence, and consistently high caliber performances. Born in Cali, Colombia, Diego GarciaMr. Garcia began his musical career at the age of five, studying piano, cello performance, and later conducting, at the Antonio Maria Valencia Conservatory in Cali. At age fifteen, he won a cello position with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Valle, becoming the youngest member of one of Colombia’s premiere orchestras. At the same time, from age fourteen to eighteen, Mr. Garcia was the conducting assistant to his teacher, Alexander Korjenko, and he routinely conducted the String Chamber Orchestra at the conservatory. In 1993 Mr.Garcia came to the United States to study cello performance with Alan Stepansky at the Manhattan School of Music.

While pursuing his degree, he maintained an active professional life, touring Germany, Austria, France, Italy, and Central America as chamber musician, recording artist, orchestral player, and soloist.

In 1996, Mr. Garcia won a prize in his native country when he partook in the Carolina Oramas Competition, and returned to New York City to give several solo and chamber music performances in Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. In 1998, Mr. Garcia received his Bachelor’s Degree in performance from the Manhattan School of Music. In 2001 and 2003 he was invited by Phillipe Entremont to perform as Assistant Principal Cellist in the Santo Domingo Music Festival.

He has continued to pursue his study of conducting with Bill Weinert, since 2003, at the Eastman School of Music. In 2005 and 2006, Mr. Garcia received a conducting fellowship to the Conductor’s Institute at Bard College, where his mentors included Harold Farberman, Leon Bolstein, Marin Alsop, and Raymond Harvey. In 2004 Mr. Garcia was appointed Music Director of the Eastman String Fellowship Orchestra, and subsequently created an exchange program with the Hampton Roads Chamber Players, in Virginia, where he is a frequent guest conductor. Mr. Garcia is the Music Director of the Eastman’s New Horizons Orchestra and also the Co-Director of the Eastman Kaleidoscope Community Orchestra with his wife Karine Stone.

Mr. Garcia is currently on the cello faculty of the Eastman School of Music Pre-College division as well as Principal Cellist of the Rochester Oratorio Society. He is an active composer and arranger, most recently composing original music for the film “Heart of Tango”.

Betsy Turner Sprague, Concertmaster

Betsy Turner Sprague

FLSO Concertmaster, Betsy Turner Sprague began studying Suzuki violin at the age of 5 in her hometown of Penfield, NY. Former teachers include John Turner, Virginia Wensel, James Dumm, Anne Rylands, Linda Case, Pamela Gearhart, and Oliver Steiner.

Betsy is a graduate with certification from the Penfield Suzuki program and the Eastman School of Preparatory Studies. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance from the Ithaca College School of Music and a Master of Science degree in Counselor Education from SUNY Brockport.

She has performed with many orchestras, some of which include The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, The Binghamton Symphony and Pops Orchestras, The Elmira Symphony, The Skaneateles Festival Chamber Orchestra, The Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and The Buffalo Philharmonic and Pops Orchestras. In addition to the Finger Lakes Symphony, she frequently performs with The Syracuse Symphony, The Rochester Oratorio Society, and is an active freelance violinist in the Rochester and surrounding areas.

Alongside her love of performing, Betsy very much enjoys teaching her private violin students and directing the String and Chamber Music program at the Harley School in Rochester, NY. She also taught and coached strings part-time in the Penfield School District for 7 years. Betsy resides in Penfield, NY with her husband John and their two very busy children, Jaimie age 14 and John age 12.

Officers and Board