Connor Patton is a local journalist on the South Shore of Long Island, covering community news for The Suffolk County News and its sister papers, The Islip Bulletin, and Long Island Advance.
Connor rejoined the BAFFA Symphony Orchestra in 2026 after covering concerts for the local
newspapers he works for.

 

Why did you join the BAFFA Symphony Orchestra?

I joined the BAFFA Symphony Orchestra in January 2017, when I was in eighth grade. Concertmaster Jenn Torre was my private cello teacher at Family Melody Center in Patchogue and encouraged me to join the orchestra when I reached level 6 for NYSSMA. I left the group in January 2020 due to heavy coursework during my junior year of high school, and when the group started back up after COVID, I was away studying at NYU. I returned to the group in January 2026 after graduating and covering the orchestra’s concerts throughout 2025 for the local newspaper, The Suffolk County News, where I am a reporter.

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What is your favorite part of being in the BAFFA Symphony Orchestra?

I love how diverse the group is in age, background, and experience level. Being able to practice and perform with music teachers, students, and other players like myself who have been returning to music makes for a productive learning environment, while making good friends along the way.

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What instrument(s) do you play and how long have you been playing?

I started playing the cello in 2012, back in fourth grade. Since 2013, I have played on the same full-sized cello!

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What is the most physically or mentally demanding piece you’ve ever had to play, and why?  What is your absolute favorite song to perform live, and why?

The most demanding piece I ever played has to be Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, the New World Symphony. I love all of its movements, but it was the first full-length symphony I ever played with BAFFA in spring 2017, and by the time the concert was over, I couldn’t feel my arms after trudging through the epic finale.

My favorite piece to perform live is Mendelssohn’s Hallelujah. Every year the band, orchestra, and chorus at my high school, Sachem North, comes together to perform the song during the holiday season. Alumni are also invited to hop on stage, dust off their instruments, and play with the group, which I did after graduating. Hearing each component of the chorus, band, and orchestra come together in such a way was always a fun and memorable time, even if I couldn’t hear myself playing!

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What is your top piece of orchestral playing advice you would give to developing orchestral players? If you could go back and give your younger self one piece of musical advice, what would it be?

The best piece of advice I have for developing orchestra players is to not be afraid to make mistakes. I oftentimes would “air bow” parts I was too hesitant to play, like if I felt it was too fast or high down my instrument. But playing on anyway only makes you learn where to improve, and you might just be better at performing that difficult section than you think you are.

If I could go back and give my younger self advice, I’d tell myself the same thing, since I shyly performed many times while in BAFFA in high school, figuring that I wouldn’t be heard anyway during a difficult section.

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Do you have a nickname for your instrument(s)? If yes, what is it / what are they?

I don’t have a nickname for my instrument, but given that I’ve used the same one for nearly 15 years now without any issues, and that it barely falls out of tune even in the warmest summers and coldest winters, I’d call it “Ol’ Reliable.”

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If you could collaborate with any musician, living or dead, whom would it be?

I feel like performing with Lana Del Rey in a New York City jazz club would be pretty cool.