Paragon Ragtime Orchestra

"The music is incomparably sweet and stirring. And Rick Benjamin, who founded and conducts the PRO, is a musician of wit and sensibility."  -  The Philadelphia Inquirer

"... protecting an important American treasure.... not just a pleasure to hear, but for many a true revelation."  -  The Wall Street Journal

Founded at The Juilliard School in 1986, the PARAGON RAGTIME ORCHESTRA (PRO) is the world's only full-time, professional ensemble dedicated to performance and preservation of American music from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Based in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, the Orchestra has appeared hundreds of critically acclaimed concerts across 7 countries and 49 states, including appearances at Lincoln Center, the Ravinia Festival, the Smithsonian Institution, Chautauqua, the Brucknerhaus (Austria), New York's 92nd Street Y and City Center, the American Dance Festival, and  The Kennedy Center.

In addition to its live appearances, the PRO has acquired a considerable following both here and abroad through its radio programs on the National Public Radio, New York Times’ WQXR, the BBC, the WWFM Classical and the Voice of America networks. Since 1989 the Walt Disney Company has relied on the Orchestra’s recordings for the outdoor theme music heard at Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland, Disney World, and Disneyland Paris; the PRO strengthened its international following during its extended engagement as a U.S. Ambassador of Goodwill at the 1992 World’s Universal Exposition in Seville, Spain.

Over the years the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra has been heard on the soundtracks of several motion pictures and television programs. The Orchestra’s audio and video recordings have been widely praised, and considered instrumental in rekindling interest in America’s rich traditions of theater, cinema, and dance orchestra music.

For 39 years and counting, all of this has been accomplished through the donations of kind and generous people. We hope you'll join us for the journey. Thank you!