Visual & Performing Arts Hall of Fame

The Canandaigua City School District will induct six members as the inaugural class of the Canandaigua Academy Visual and Performing Arts Hall of Fame as part of Homecoming 2022. The induction ceremony will be Thursday, September 29, 2022 at the Fort Hill Performing Arts Center at 6 pm. The 2022 inductees are Tom Davis, Gordon Estey, Terese Genecco, Michael Park, Scott Schauman, and Amy Story.

Tom Davis, Canandaigua Academy Instrumental Music Director & Curriculum Area Lead Teacher

Tom Davis was an instrumental Music Teacher for the District from 1992 to 2014, serving much of his career as the Curriculum Area Lead Teacher. Tom taught music lessons and IB Music, conducted the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, Parade Band, and the Academy Pep Band, The Sound! Tom was an integral part of the development and success of the Canandaigua Academy music program. Under his leadership, opportunities in music for students in the Canandaigua City School District expanded.

Gordon Estey, Canandaigua Academy Class of 1974 - Theatrical Lighting Designer, Educator, Community Volunteer

Gordon Estey has an extensive career in theatre lighting design and was hired by Canandaigua Academy in 1991 and worked on our award-winning productions for over 17 years. He has been the technical director for the Rochester City Ballet, Mercury Opera of Rochester, and the Rochester Broadway Theatre League. He has had an immense impact on the theatrical arts in Canandaigua and Rochester. Estey was also instrumental in the opening of the Fort Hill Performing Arts Center.

Terese Genecco, Canandaigua Academy Class of 1983 - Cabaret Performer, Vocalist, and Comedian

After graduating from the Academy, Terese Genecco spent the last forty years as a vocalist, bandleader, comedian, and emcee based first in San Francisco and then in New York City. Genecco and her Little Big Band focus on high energy, Cabaret performances. Genecco’s Cabaret accolades include Best Debut vocalist and Entertainer of the year from judges at the San Francisco/ Bay Area Cabaret Competition in 2003. She also has earned other awards, including a 2008 Best Recording award from the Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC) for her live disc “Drunk with Love: A Tribute to Frances Faye” and the 2009 MAC award for Outstanding Female Vocalist. While a student at the Academy, Genecco participated in both choir and band and earned a BFA from Syracuse University in musical theater in 1987.

Michael Park, Canandaigua Academy Class of 1986 - Stage & Screen Actor, Television Star

After graduating from Nazareth College, Michael Park has had an outstanding career as a lead and supporting actor in numerous regional, national, off-Broadway and Broadway productions. In 1997, he joined the cast of CBS-TV daytime drama As the World Turns and for 14-years he starred as Detective Jack Snyder. He earned a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Leader Actor in a Drama Series in 2010, 2011, and 2018. In 2016, Park starred in the Broadway show, Dear Evan Hansen, and for this show he earned a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. Park also appeared in season three of the Netflix hit series Stranger Things.

Scott Schauman - Canandaigua Academy English Teacher & Drama Director

For the past thirty-two years, Scott Schauman has directed the Canandaigua Academy Fall Play and Spring Musicals. Under Schauman’s direction, the Academy Players soared to new heights and set a standard of excellence in their productions. With more than three decades of productions involving thousands of students and support staff, Schauman’s favorite productions include the modern classic, “Les Misérables;” “Disaster!”, a spoof on the 1970s disaster movies; and the jukebox musical of Elvis Presley music, “All Shook Up.” From 1990 to his retirement this past June, Schauman taught English at the Academy, including courses on creative writing, Shakespeare, and Theatre and Drama.

Amy Story - Canandaigua Academy Vocal Music Director

Amy Story started teaching at Canandaigua Middle School in 1997 and then moved to Canandaigua Academy four years later and retired in 2015 as the vocal director at the Academy. While teaching at the Academy, Story was recognized by the American Choral Directors’ Association for her commitment to choral education and worked tirelessly to make the program nationally recognized. During her time at Canandaigua Academy, Story directed the Academy Choirs, Madrigal Choir, Jazz Choir, Mixed Choir, Women’s Choir, and was the musical director for the Academy Players from 2002-2014.

The Canandaigua City School District will host this inaugural induction of the visual and performing arts hall of fame class in partnership with the Fort Hill Performing Arts Center. The Fort Hill Performing Arts Center is located in the former Canandaigua Academy and Canandaigua Junior Academy on the corner of Main Street and Fort Hill Avenue. The theater functioned as the main stage and performance center for the Canandaigua City School District from 1928 until the closing of the school in 1992. A group of local residents worked tirelessly to renovate the auditorium which opened in January 2020 and now hosts a variety of community performances throughout the year.

Tickets to the event will be on sale in September at the District Office or by contacting Deb Sundlov at 585-396-3710. The Homecoming Football game will be held on Friday, September 30 at Braves Field at Canandaigua Academy. The three-time defending Section V Class A Champion Braves will kick off against Brockport at 7 pm and our inductees will also be recognized at halftime of the game.