It’s a question Paul Chou, Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra’s music director, gets asked often.

“A chamber orchestra can be described as the sports car equivalent of a large symphonic orchestra,” he says. “It requires a nimble and highly skilled driver who also has also the flexibility to show off a bit to the audience.”

With smaller individual sections, chamber orchestras require principal and section players to be at their best. 

“There’s no place to hide in a chamber orchestra, which can range in size from 12 to 40 musicians, depending on the repertoire,” Chou says. “Everyone has to come prepared to shine and bring their best skills and energy. And that always happens with Sinfonia. Everyone comes to rehearsals and performances armed with a sense of joy, camaraderie, and willingness to present the best performance possible.”

For the audience, chamber orchestra instrumentation allows a more intimate experience. As the Sinfonia has demonstrated over the years, size doesn’t always mean a leaner sound.

“Over the years, we have programmed symphonies and concerti from the core orchestral repertoire for strings, winds, brass and percussion, and we always deliver a rich, full-bodied sound when it’s demanded,” Chou notes. “The advantage is that audience can more fully enjoy and discern the textures and nuances coming from the orchestra and hopefully come away feeling as if they’ve heard some of these great works for the first time.”

Chou says Sinfonia audiences enjoy experiencing a very personal dialogue that’s occurring between the orchestra and conductor.

“Our audiences can see and feel the conversation taking place during concerts,” he says. “That transparency sets us apart.”

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1. A Rich Legacy of Artistic Excellence Since 1982

Founded in 1982, the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra has become a premier ensemble known for delivering exceptional chamber orchestra performances. Under the visionary leadership of founding music director and conductor Allan Birney, the Sinfonia quickly distinguished itself through its refined interpretations and ambitious programming. The orchestra’s commitment to musical integrity and stylistic clarity has earned it widespread respect and loyal audiences across Pennsylvania and beyond.

With over four decades of uninterrupted performance history, the Sinfonia has cultivated a repertoire that spans Baroque masterpieces, Classical symphonies, Romantic works, and contemporary compositions, reflecting its devotion to both tradition and innovation.

2. Unique Focus on Chamber Orchestra Repertoire

Unlike larger symphonic ensembles, the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra specializes in chamber orchestra works, offering a distinct musical experience characterized by intimacy, precision, and transparency of sound. This smaller-scale ensemble allows for heightened communication among musicians and a more direct connection with the audience.

The Sinfonia’s programming often includes rarely performed gems, allowing listeners to explore overlooked or underappreciated works. This artistic direction has solidified the orchestra’s reputation as an ensemble that nurtures curiosity and deep musical exploration.

3. Deep Commitment to Community Engagement and Education

The Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra maintains a strong dedication to music education and outreach, reinforcing its role as a cultural steward within the community. Through programs such as “Youth Outreach Concerts”, the orchestra brings live classical performances directly to students, helping to foster appreciation for orchestral music at an early age.

In addition, the Sinfonia collaborates with local schools, universities, and arts organizations, offering educational workshops, side-by-side performance opportunities, and interactive programs designed to develop the next generation of musicians and music lovers. This consistent focus on accessibility and youth involvement has helped shape the cultural literacy of the region.

4. Intimate Venues Enhance the Musical Experience

One of the defining characteristics of the Sinfonia’s performances is their intimate venue settings, which include historically significant and acoustically superb spaces such as Allentown’s First Presbyterian Church and Christ Lutheran Church. These venues provide an immersive, close-range auditory experience, allowing the audience to hear subtle nuances in phrasing, articulation, and ensemble interaction.

Such venues are ideal for chamber orchestra performances, creating a setting where music is felt as well as heard, and fostering a deep emotional connection between performers and listeners. This attention to venue selection reinforces the orchestra’s commitment to delivering a personal and unforgettable concert experience.

5. Collaboration with World-Class Guest Artists

Throughout its history, the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra has performed with a wide array of renowned guest soloists and conductors, enriching its musical offerings and providing audiences with performances of exceptional distinction. Internationally celebrated musicians, both emerging and established, have graced the Sinfonia stage, including virtuoso violinists, pianists, vocalists, and woodwind players.

These collaborations bring fresh perspectives and elevate the artistic dialogue within each performance. The orchestra’s ability to attract and integrate such high-caliber talent reflects its prestige and growing national recognition.

6. Resilience and Innovation in the Face of Challenges

The Sinfonia has demonstrated unwavering resilience, especially during difficult periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The orchestra adapted by embracing digital performances, socially distanced concerts, and virtual outreach efforts to maintain a connection with its audience.

These initiatives included live-streamed chamber music events, educational video series, and remote musical collaborations—all aimed at keeping the spirit of live music alive during unprecedented times. This innovative spirit illustrates the Sinfonia’s adaptability and unshakable commitment to its mission even under pressure.

Conclusion

The Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra exemplifies what a regional ensemble can achieve through vision, dedication, and community involvement. From its early beginnings to its current status as a respected cultural institution, the Sinfonia continues to enrich lives through its passionate performances, educational outreach, and artistic innovation.

Its story is one of inspiration, leadership, and cultural transformation, firmly rooted in the belief that music is a vital and unifying force in society. As the orchestra moves into its next chapter, it remains a shining example of how the arts can uplift communities and transcend boundaries.

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But when she’s not fulfilling her multiple roles in her performing arts world, she pulls out colorful skeins of wool and kneads starter dough for her favorite pastimes—knitting and baking. Gleason-Mayrhofer recently took her knitting interests to new heights by attending Shetland Wool Week, a world-renowned celebration of Britain’s most northerly native sheep, the Shetland textile industry, and the rural farming community on these remote Scottish islands.
 
We caught up with her to talk about her many interests and her love of the PSO.
 
How did you get interested in knitting and baking bread?
 
I took knitting as a course in Oberlin’s Experimental College (“ExCo”) when I was an undergraduate student. Funny, we were allowed to take two ExCo courses for credit during our time in college, and I took knitting and Indian Cooking, which included making chapatis, naan and puri breads. I had always enjoyed cooking (and eating!), but this was my first exposure to “yeasted” doughs. I continued to experiment with bread from that time on—baking most of the bread we ate at home—but I really started to get serious around 2017 or so, I’m not sure why! Honestly, I think I sort of randomly joined a Facebook sourdough group and I was inspired by the photos of amazing breads people from around the world were baking—and since that time I’ve concentrated on naturally fermented doughs. 
 
Do you see them as complementary skills?
 
I think so. I’m not a particularly creative person. I don’t need to make “original” things, but I love experimenting with process. I like to understand how knitted garments are shaped and constructed and what kinds of techniques and ingredients are required to make different kinds of breads. And both are generally slow processes, which seems to appeal to me.
 
What’s the most complex item you’ve knitted and the most complex bread you’ve made?
 
Knitting: In my early years of knitting, I experimented with lots of complicated designs—delicate lace shawls, intricately cabled sweaters, and colorful ski sweaters. Now I find myself exploring the fine details of fit and finishing, while knitting plainer, classic designs. I fail miserably at rectangles. I have the worst time finishing scarves and blankets!
 
Bread: My bread-baking has followed a similar path. Occasionally I’ll step out and make something fancy, for example a wrapped semolina sourdough bread that looked like a sunflower with petals that opened up as the bread baked. I have gone through phases of experimenting with laminated doughs like croissants and Danishes that take lots of steps and more precise shaping. Lately, though, I find myself baking simpler breads, repeatedly looking for just the “right” texture and flavor; some favorites are a buttered multigrain porridge bread, red quinoa, and jalapeno-cheddar semolina. Oh, and I have the worst sweet tooth, so sometimes I cannot resist making frosted cinnamon rolls or filled donuts.
 
How do these activities help inform your work as a musician?
 
I think they’re all about processes that take time; everything is a practice, and certainly I see that as a musician. 
 
Do you wear any of your favorite knitted garments during PSO concerts?
 
Knitting black is an extreme challenge! I’ve actually been working on a black sweater for some time and it’s not finished—someday soon, I hope. But I do often wear my sweaters to rehearsals, and I always have some knitting to keep me occupied when I’m not playing.
 
What do you enjoy most about playing with the PSO?
 
I love the intimate experience of playing in a chamber orchestra. As a horn player, it’s entirely different from a large symphony orchestra—all about precision and matching tone color with winds and strings. And that lends itself to getting to know the other musicians in a more personal manner, I think. I really treasure the friendships I’ve made through the PSO, and I look forward to connecting with these folks at every concert!

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By high school, he grew fascinated by the flute, setting a goal to become the best flutist when he joined his high school wind ensemble.

“But I met a friend who was taking flute lessons with a college professor,” Kitagawa remembers. “Back then, in Japan, taking private lessons for high school students was very rare, especially for someone who had no ambition to go to music school. He was clearly better than I was, and I was very intimidated.”

But fate and circumstances soon conspired and changed his musical trajectory. “One day, the high school band director said, we just got ourselves a used oboe. Who wants to play it?” Kitagawa recalls. “So, I raised my hand immediately. All my life, I have loved doing things with my hands, making things and breaking things. Very quickly I realized that so much hand work is involved with the oboe. And it was just a perfect match for me.

“As far as I know, I was the very first oboe player in my hometown,” he adds. “I taught myself how to play and make reeds from books and records. I did eventually take lessons for preparing to go to music school. I had my first student (my sister) before I had my own teacher.”

He says his appreciation of the instrument’s vocal qualities developed over time. It took a leap forward when he heard a piece on an Eastman Wind Ensemble recording where the oboe and flute played a delicate melody an octave apart.

“It was a magical moment,” Kitagawa says. “That was the first time I thought, wow, this instrument has an amazing tone. It took me years to actually find a voice I really admired.”

A graduate of Tokyo University of Arts and a recipient of master of music and doctor of musical arts degrees from Yale University, he joined the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra when he moved to the Lehigh Valley 16 years ago.

“What I enjoy most about the Pennsylvania Sinfonia is the camaraderie,” he says. “It’s like a small family.”

Beyond his work as a performer, Kitagawa manages a YouTube channel, NK Music Lab, where he has posted more than 850 instructional videos, arrangements for wind instruments with piano accompaniment, and technical exercises for oboe. He also offers an online store.

He also occupies his creative time making modern editions of Baroque music, turning to the International Music Score Library Project, a storehouse of free public domain sheet music, for source material. In addition to several oboe concertos, he edited an orchestra suite by Telemann, which never had a modern edition.

“I find it fascinating because I have to create a keyboard part from scratch and that really forces me to dig deeper into the structure of the music,” says Kitagawa, whose most recent project was Marcello’s Oboe Concerto in D minor, which he premiered at this year’s June Valley Vivaldi series.

His recreational works can be heard here.

In his spare time, Kitagawa hosts two Zoom sessions per week for mostly Japanese people who wish to practice their English conversation skills. “It started as a COVID project and it kept going for over two years, with up to 12 people joining the conversation sessions,” he says. “I have made many new friends through this outreach.”

In addition to the PSO, Kitagawa maintains an active freelance career, also serving as principal oboe of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem Festival Orchestra. He teaches at Lafayette and Muhlenberg colleges and at the Kinhaven Adult Chamber Music Workshop.

Becoming a single father five years ago while managing a busy professional life as a musician, he has started taking his physical health seriously. He follows a strict three day regimen of strength training, rowing, and jogging.

“I have never been in better shape my whole life,” Kitagawa says, adding that his physical conditioning enhances and supports his oboe playing. “There’s so much work yet to be done. I wish to be at my best.”

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