Today Western New York is paying tribute to a fixture on the local arts scene.

JoAnn Falletta is celebrating 20 years as maestro of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

The orchestra has seen incredible success during Falletta's tenure as director and conductor.

Friday morning, she conducted the orchestra during a coffee concert at Kleinhans Music Hall.

When Falletta started the job in 1999, she was the first woman to lead a major American ensemble.

Since then, she's won three Grammy awards and taken the BPO on tour to Carnegie Hall and even Poland last year.

She’s also kept the orchestra accessible to everyone, playing in parks, at festivals and the yearly Independence Eve fireworks show at Sahlen Field.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown on Friday morning issued a proclamation in honor of Falletta's 20 years.