Tag: Allentown Symphony Orchestra

Diane Wittry will be stepping down as music director of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra in 2028. Wittry will have served in that capacity for 33 years – surpassing the tenure of the ensemble’s founding music director, Donald Vorhees, who led the orchestra from 1951 to 1983. In between, the position was held by William Smith, associate conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, whose engagements were curtailed by his final illness in 1993.

Wittry will conduct her last concert as music director in the fall of 2027. For further details and a broader sense of her accomplishments, see the organization’s press release, shared below.

For as often as I do it, I don’t really relish writing concert reviews, as they always become more involved than I anticipate. My thoughts begin to stampede, and it’s all I can do to get them into the corral. Later, I’ll go back and look at them, and I’m seldom satisfied – all I can see is the sweat – and then nobody reads them. If I post one, I’ll get maybe 5 or 6 likes. Facebook is not the forum for a “slog through the bog.”

Of course, you can always check out whatever I write at my website (ever under construction, but all my posts are there) at rossamico.com. That said, in my experience, lengthy reviews are so much more pleasurable to read in actual print.

I worked pretty hard at a review of Wittry conducting Vaughan Williams’ “Dona nobis pacem” last season, but never smoothed it out. Perhaps in tribute to her, I’ll search for it, brush it down, and feed it some sweet grass, with the intention of exhibiting this prize cow in the near future. Or maybe I’ll take one look at it and my soul will leave my body.

Either way, big thanks to Diane Wittry. It’s a solid orchestra she’s built, and I’ve enjoyed the programs I’ve been able to attend.

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DIANE WITTRY ANNOUNCES PLANS TO CONCLUDE TENURE AS MUSIC DIRECTOR AND CONDUCTOR IN 2028

ALLENTOWN, PA — (January 22, 2026) — The Allentown Symphony Association (ASA) announced today that Diane Wittry has decided to step down as Music Director and Conductor in 2028, which will conclude an extraordinary 33-year tenure leading the Allentown Symphony Orchestra. Wittry will conduct her final concert in the fall of 2027 but will continue to serve as Music Director through May 2028, working closely with the Board of Directors and staff to ensure a smooth and successful artistic leadership transition.

The ASA Board of Directors has begun forming a search committee to lead a national search for the orchestra’s next Music Director and Conductor.

Wittry’s tenure will be the longest in the orchestra’s history, surpassing that of Donald Voorhees, who served as Music Director and Conductor for 32 years from its founding in 1951 to 1983.

Wittry leaves a deep and enduring legacy of artistic excellence, innovation, and growth. Since the start of her tenure in 1995, she has championed adventurous programming that paired underperformed masterworks with new and contemporary compositions. From the outset, she raised artistic standards by challenging the orchestra musically and increasing rehearsal and preparation expectations, attracting highly accomplished musicians to audition from across the region, including New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware.

An early adopter of immersive concert experiences, Wittry expanded the orchestra’s creative reach by integrating lighting, visual design, video, actors, dancers, and vocalists into performances—broadening audience engagement while reimagining the orchestral concert experience.

In the 1996–97 season, following a major bequest from brothers Leigh and Edwin Schadt, Wittry helped establish the National Schadt String Competition, now widely recognized as one of the premier string competitions in the United States. Under her leadership, the orchestra experienced sustained expansion, including expanding the Classical concerts to double performances, the addition of Pops Concerts, Family Concerts, and a landmark partnership with the Repertory Dance Theatre to present The Nutcracker annually each December. Many of these performances were led by the Symphony’s Associate/Pops Conductor Emeritus Ronald Demkee who himself retired from the Orchestra in 2024.

Additional milestones during Wittry’s tenure include the formal re-establishment of the Allentown Symphony Chorus in 2014 and the launch of the Holiday Pops concert in 2021, which has virtually sold out every year since its inception.

A passionate advocate for new music, Wittry led the Orchestra in commissioning and performing more than 36 world premieres, including four of her own compositions. In 2020, she helped launch both the Composer-in-Residence program and the Composer Collaborative, further reinforcing the orchestra’s commitment to living composers and contemporary voices.

Education and community engagement have remained central to Wittry’s vision. She introduced the “Meet the Artist” luncheon series, launched the Conducting Fellows program in 2010, and spearheaded El Sistema Lehigh Valley in 2011—an intensive music education initiative that now serves approximately 150 students from more than 20 schools throughout the region. In 2024, the ASA formed its Latin Leadership Committee to deepen engagement with Allentown’s growing Latin community and hired its first Musician-in-Residence, who is required to be a bilingual in Spanish and English, in 2025.

Among the most ambitious and far-reaching projects of her tenure was a landmark Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony initiative that extended orchestral performance well beyond the concert hall. Beethoven’s Ninth was presented in two distinct performances at Miller Symphony Hall—one recorded for a regional broadcast in partnership with PBS39, and a second recorded to create Become a Musician: Beethoven’s Ninth Finale, an immersive interactive exhibit launched in January 2026 at the Da Vinci Science Center. Together, these performances transformed a single artistic vision into lasting public resources, introducing thousands of people to orchestral music through broadcast, education, and hands-on participation in a manner believed to be the first permanent orchestral exhibit of its kind in the United States.

Reflecting on her decision, Wittry said, “After many years of heartfelt music making, I have decided to retire from my position as Music Director and Conductor of the Allentown Symphony in the spring of 2028. Together, we have built an orchestra of exceptional professional quality, expanded our concert offerings, championed new music, and deepened our partnerships throughout the Lehigh Valley. I am profoundly proud of what we have accomplished and grateful for the unwavering support of the musicians, board, staff, and community. I remain fully committed to working closely with the Board during this transition, and I look forward to the inspiring music we will continue to make together in the seasons ahead.”

“Diane Wittry’s impact on the Allentown Symphony Orchestra is both profound and lasting,” said Jack Bury, President of the Allentown Symphony Association Board of Directors. “For more than three decades, she has led with extraordinary artistic vision, integrity, and commitment—raising the orchestra to the highest professional standards while expanding its reach through education, new music, and deep community engagement. With the formation of a search committee now underway, we are grateful for Diane’s partnership in ensuring a thoughtful transition and are confident the orchestra is well positioned for continued artistic excellence and growth.”

Al Jacobsen, Executive Director of the Allentown Symphony Association, added, “Working alongside Diane Wittry has been one of the great privileges of my professional life. Her artistic leadership has elevated the Allentown Symphony Orchestra in every dimension—from performance quality and innovative programming to education, community partnerships, and national recognition. Diane has built not only an exceptional orchestra, but a culture of excellence, collaboration, and service. We are deeply grateful for her leadership and for her continued partnership as we thoughtfully prepare for the orchestra’s next chapter.”

Today, Wittry is internationally respected as both a conductor and educator. She has conducted performances in more than eleven countries, including Russia, China, Japan, Bosnia, Slovakia, Italy, and Canada. She is the author of two award-winning books published by Oxford University Press—Beyond the Baton: What Every Conductor Needs to Know and Baton Basics: Communicating Music through Gesture—both considered foundational texts in the conducting profession. In 2015, she was named one of Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals in Music.

Under Diane Wittry’s leadership, the Allentown Symphony Orchestra has become one of the Lehigh Valley’s leading cultural institutions, recognized for artistic excellence, educational impact, and deep community connection. Her extended transition timeline allows the organization to honor her legacy while positioning the orchestra for continued success in its next chapter.