ATOS Convention at RTOS

Unlike many summers for RTOS, the summer of 2019 was exceptionally busy for the organization when they hosted the American Theatre Organ Society’s 2019 Annual Convention.

The ATOS 2019 Convention visited Rochester, Buffalo and Elmira as part of the Convention’s agenda.  The dates were June 30 to July 5, 2019. Featured instruments included the 4/23 Wurlitzer in the Auditorium Theatre, the 3/12 Wurlitzer at the Eisenhardt Auditorium at the Rochester Science Center and Hope-Jones 3/11 Opus #2 organ in the First Universalists Church in Rochester, NY.  Also included were visits to the Buffalo area’s Shea’s Buffalo Theatre’s 4/28 Wurlitzer and the Riviera Theatre’s 3/15 Wurlitzer organ and a trip to Elmira and the newly completed rebuild of the Clemens Center’s 4/32 Marr & Colton and Wurlitzer hybrid theatre organ.

On the right side of the list below are a series of buttons. Each button takes you to a page of photographs that review the events of that day’s activities.

Optional Pre-Glow

June 30 (Sunday morning)

George Eastman Museum – Mem. Art Gallery
St. Paul’s Church, Episcopal – Christ Church, Episcopal.
Artists – Joe Blackburn, David Higgs, Nathan Laube (Limited to 100)

Main Convention

June 30 (Sunday)
Evening Opening Concert: David Gray at the Auditorium Theatre (4/23 Wurlitzer)


July 1 (Monday)
Afternoon – Jerry Nagano at the Auditorium Theatre (4/23 Wurlitzer)
Evening – Young Theatre Organist Competition & 2018 winner
Eisenhart Auditorium (3/12 Wurlitzer)

July 2 (Tuesday)
Morning – Nathan Avakian at the Riviera Theatre
North Tonawanda (3/15 Wurlitzer)
Afternoon, Evening – Shea’s Buffalo Theatre
Mark Herman, Richard Hills (4/28 Wurlitzer)

July 3 (Wednesday)
Afternoon, Evening – Clemen’s PAC, Elmira
Simon Gledhill: David Peckham / Paragon Ragtime Orchestra
(4/23 Marr & Colton/Wurlitzer)

July 4 (Thursday)
Morning – Alex Jones at First Universalist Church, Rochester
Historic 3/11 Hope-Jones Opus #2
Afternoon – Dave Wickerham at the Auditorium Theatre (4/23 Wurlitzer)
Evening – Optional Banquet/Awards – Rochester Riverside Hotel


​Optional Afterglow

July 5 (Friday)
Niagara Falls Tour – Riviera Theatre with Clark Wilson
Herschel Carousel Museum
Daytime (Limited to 200)