History of the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra
As we take note of our PROUD HISTORY, LIVELY FUTURE, it’s interesting to recall some of the events that have shaped the character and growth of the organization.
1982: Noteworthy! The Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra presents its first subscription season at Allentown College (now DeSales University) in Center Valley. The group establishes its approachable attitude from the start: the entire audience was invited to receptions at Allan Birney’s house after the concerts.
1983: Valley Vivaldi, the Sinfonia’s summer Baroque chamber series begins. It has become a staple of the summer music scene ever since. Early concerts were held at Muhlenberg College Chapel, Williams Center at Lafayette College and Foy Hall at Moravian College. Cedar Crest College soon became a long-term venue. Recently, Valley Vivaldi has been heard at Wesley Church in Bethlehem and Christ Lutheran Church in Allentown.
1985: The Sinfonia performs Tchaikovsky’s stirring 1812 Overture at the Fourth of July Fireworks in Allentown’s J. Birney Crum Stadium, complete with cannon and church bells.
1986: Hundreds of area children see the Sinfonia’s production of the space-age comic opera Help, Help, the Globolinks! by Gian Carlo Menotti.
1988: Easton native Gary Schocker performs his newly orchestrated Regrets and Resolutions for Flute and Chamber Orchestra.
1991: Allan Birney receives the prestigious Arts Ovation Award from the City of Allentown, recognizing his many outstanding contributions to the performing arts in the Lehigh Valley.
1991: The Sinfonia holds its first Art Auction, which has become a festive annual event, and an important fundraiser for the organization. After several years at the Barristers’ Club (formerly the Women’s Club of Allentown), the Auction moved to more spacious accommodations at Brookside Country Club.
1992: In its gala concert “Mozart at the Movies,” the Sinfonia demonstrates how classic music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart translates seamlessly into contemporary film scores.
1994: Candlelight Music for Lovers, a Valentine’s Day dinner dance, makes its appearance as a signature Sinfonia fundraiser. The tradition continued for twelve years.
1995: Louisiana pianist Michael Gurt brings his 1,000 watt smile to Allentown, and wins the hearts of the Sinfonia audience. Michael has been a perennial soloist and good friend to the orchestra ever since.
1996: The Camerata Singers perform Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at an All-Beethoven Gala. This is just one of many collaborations over the years in which the Singers, trained by Allan Birney, join the Sinfonia for great choral works by Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Schonberg and others.
1998: Allan Birney and the Sinfonia present the Lehigh Valley premiere of concert opera to critical and audience acclaim. Professional, costumed soloists, along with the orchestra, perform Mozart’s Cosí Fan Tutte at the Zoellner Center for the Arts.
2000: The Sinfonia sponsors a monumental series, free to the public: Bach’s complete works for clavier, presented in fifteen concerts over five weeks. Benedictine monk Father Sean Duggan interprets the exuberant works on piano to enthusiastic audiences. In the ensuing years, Father Sean returns again and again to perform with the Sinfonia, with Valley Vivaldi, and in recital.
2001: Violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn joins the Sinfonia for Dvorak’s Concerto in A Minor. She performs on the outstanding 1720 Stradivarius Violin, the “Red Mendelssohn,” said to have inspired the film The Red Violin.
2002: Cellist Gavriel Lipkind tackles the technical difficulties of a Samuel Barber concerto with authority and musicality, interacting with the Sinfonia musicians with great sensitivity.
2003: Shadowcatcher is rich, descriptive piece by living composer Eric Ewazen that was inspired by Edwin Curtis’ photographs of the American West and Native Americans. While several of those photographs are projected above the stage, the Philadelphia Brass Quintet, together with the Sinfonia, create a memorable season opener.
2006: Conrad Tao, 12-year-old violinist, pianist and composer, dazzles the Sinfonia audience with his multi-faceted talents in a program that Allan Birney designed to showcase all aspects of the young musician’s virtuosity.
2007: Young and old alike spend a delightful Afternoon with the Animals. John Grogan, author of bestseller Marley and Me, narrates Camille Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals, in which each instrument portrays the personality and mannerisms of a different animal. Following the concert, a book signing and children’s activities round out the fun.
2007: The Sinfonia commands a large, appreciative crowd at an indoor concert at Musikfest with its popular Valley Vivaldi format.
2008: Paul McCartney sends best wishes when Camerata Singers and Sinfonia perform his piece Ecce Cor Meum (Behold My Heart).
2009- “The Prodigy and the Master” perform two benefit recitals for Sinfonia. The event pairs accomplished violinist Paul Chou and exceptional young pianist Vivian Wang.
2010: Guests enjoy chamber music, house and garden tours and gracious hospitality at a Sinfonia summer event held at a grand West End Allentown residence.
2012: Violinist Karina Canellakis plays one of the most exquisite renditions of Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending that listeners are likely to hear in their lifetime.
2013: Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra, together with Mock Turtle Marionette Theater, premieres the “Museum of Music,” an innovative puppet show presented in schools. The show reveals how great classical music has evolved from common music of cultures around the world. Sinfonia’s own musicians play and interact with the cast of large, colorfully-costumed instrument-playing puppets.
2013: Sinfonia celebrates its 30th anniversary season.
2014: Dynamic saxophonist Ashu thrills listeners with his pizzazz and panache, performing Piazzolla and Glazunov with the orchestra.
2015: Sinfonia's signature summer chamber series Valley Vivaldi is going strong, with four concerts during June, July and August. Among the delightful mix of music, Antonio Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" attracts an especially broad audience.
2016: Allan Birney introduces to the Lehigh Valley a pianist on the upswing of a soaring career. Months before his appearance here, George Li won the Silver Medal at the 2015 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.
2016: Sinfonia extends free admission for all concerts to students through college age.
2017: Infectious rhythms pervade each piece on the concert "Classics Take a Latin Beat," featuring Jordan Dodson, "One of the top young guitarists of his generation."
2018: Longtime Sinfonia principal cellist Deborah Davis, now a North Carolina resident, returns to the Lehigh Valley and performs a recital to benefit thePennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra.
2020: The worldwide coronavirus pandemic causes public gathering, including all scheduled Sinfonia concerts, to be cancelled out of concern for public health and safety.
2021: Still restricted from performing public concerts early in the year, Sinfonia produces several professionally-recorded videos of works by Bach, Vivaldi, Dvořák and Barber, and released them for viewing on the website and YouTube.
2021: Lehigh Valley listeners have the extraordinary opportunity to hear in recital pianist Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner. When Dr. Birney met this young musician, he instantly recognized his innate artistry and unequivocal potential, and invited him to perform in Allentown.
2022: In March 2022, Sinfonia Founder and Music Director Allan Birney announces that he will step down from conducting the orchestra at the end of the season. The Board introduces Paul Chou as the new Music Director. In April, both men conduct a celebratory transitional concert, at which Allan is honored with proclamations and tributes from elected officials and current and former board members and musicians.
2022: Paul Chou begins his inaugural Sinfonia season by offering engaging and educational pre-concert talks, and positions the orchestra closer to the audience for more intimate rapport.
2023: Sinfonia celebrates the culmination of its 40th anniversary season with a festive event at The Club at Twin Lakes, featuring lively music and a tango dancing set.
2024: Sinfonia presents a diverse lineup of performances, including Peter and the Wolf with Spanish narration by Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk; "No Strings Attached," a concert featuring all winds, brass and percussion; and a Celebration of Women's History Month, complete with a panel of notable women speakers.
There have been many memorable moments in Sinfonia history, and there are more to come. Stick around to hear “Sinfonia NOW!”
1982: Noteworthy! The Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra presents its first subscription season at Allentown College (now DeSales University) in Center Valley. The group establishes its approachable attitude from the start: the entire audience was invited to receptions at Allan Birney’s house after the concerts.
1983: Valley Vivaldi, the Sinfonia’s summer Baroque chamber series begins. It has become a staple of the summer music scene ever since. Early concerts were held at Muhlenberg College Chapel, Williams Center at Lafayette College and Foy Hall at Moravian College. Cedar Crest College soon became a long-term venue. Recently, Valley Vivaldi has been heard at Wesley Church in Bethlehem and Christ Lutheran Church in Allentown.
1985: The Sinfonia performs Tchaikovsky’s stirring 1812 Overture at the Fourth of July Fireworks in Allentown’s J. Birney Crum Stadium, complete with cannon and church bells.
1986: Hundreds of area children see the Sinfonia’s production of the space-age comic opera Help, Help, the Globolinks! by Gian Carlo Menotti.
1988: Easton native Gary Schocker performs his newly orchestrated Regrets and Resolutions for Flute and Chamber Orchestra.
1991: Allan Birney receives the prestigious Arts Ovation Award from the City of Allentown, recognizing his many outstanding contributions to the performing arts in the Lehigh Valley.
1991: The Sinfonia holds its first Art Auction, which has become a festive annual event, and an important fundraiser for the organization. After several years at the Barristers’ Club (formerly the Women’s Club of Allentown), the Auction moved to more spacious accommodations at Brookside Country Club.
1992: In its gala concert “Mozart at the Movies,” the Sinfonia demonstrates how classic music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart translates seamlessly into contemporary film scores.
1994: Candlelight Music for Lovers, a Valentine’s Day dinner dance, makes its appearance as a signature Sinfonia fundraiser. The tradition continued for twelve years.
1995: Louisiana pianist Michael Gurt brings his 1,000 watt smile to Allentown, and wins the hearts of the Sinfonia audience. Michael has been a perennial soloist and good friend to the orchestra ever since.
1996: The Camerata Singers perform Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at an All-Beethoven Gala. This is just one of many collaborations over the years in which the Singers, trained by Allan Birney, join the Sinfonia for great choral works by Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Schonberg and others.
1998: Allan Birney and the Sinfonia present the Lehigh Valley premiere of concert opera to critical and audience acclaim. Professional, costumed soloists, along with the orchestra, perform Mozart’s Cosí Fan Tutte at the Zoellner Center for the Arts.
2000: The Sinfonia sponsors a monumental series, free to the public: Bach’s complete works for clavier, presented in fifteen concerts over five weeks. Benedictine monk Father Sean Duggan interprets the exuberant works on piano to enthusiastic audiences. In the ensuing years, Father Sean returns again and again to perform with the Sinfonia, with Valley Vivaldi, and in recital.
2001: Violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn joins the Sinfonia for Dvorak’s Concerto in A Minor. She performs on the outstanding 1720 Stradivarius Violin, the “Red Mendelssohn,” said to have inspired the film The Red Violin.
2002: Cellist Gavriel Lipkind tackles the technical difficulties of a Samuel Barber concerto with authority and musicality, interacting with the Sinfonia musicians with great sensitivity.
2003: Shadowcatcher is rich, descriptive piece by living composer Eric Ewazen that was inspired by Edwin Curtis’ photographs of the American West and Native Americans. While several of those photographs are projected above the stage, the Philadelphia Brass Quintet, together with the Sinfonia, create a memorable season opener.
2006: Conrad Tao, 12-year-old violinist, pianist and composer, dazzles the Sinfonia audience with his multi-faceted talents in a program that Allan Birney designed to showcase all aspects of the young musician’s virtuosity.
2007: Young and old alike spend a delightful Afternoon with the Animals. John Grogan, author of bestseller Marley and Me, narrates Camille Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals, in which each instrument portrays the personality and mannerisms of a different animal. Following the concert, a book signing and children’s activities round out the fun.
2007: The Sinfonia commands a large, appreciative crowd at an indoor concert at Musikfest with its popular Valley Vivaldi format.
2008: Paul McCartney sends best wishes when Camerata Singers and Sinfonia perform his piece Ecce Cor Meum (Behold My Heart).
2009- “The Prodigy and the Master” perform two benefit recitals for Sinfonia. The event pairs accomplished violinist Paul Chou and exceptional young pianist Vivian Wang.
2010: Guests enjoy chamber music, house and garden tours and gracious hospitality at a Sinfonia summer event held at a grand West End Allentown residence.
2012: Violinist Karina Canellakis plays one of the most exquisite renditions of Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending that listeners are likely to hear in their lifetime.
2013: Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra, together with Mock Turtle Marionette Theater, premieres the “Museum of Music,” an innovative puppet show presented in schools. The show reveals how great classical music has evolved from common music of cultures around the world. Sinfonia’s own musicians play and interact with the cast of large, colorfully-costumed instrument-playing puppets.
2013: Sinfonia celebrates its 30th anniversary season.
2014: Dynamic saxophonist Ashu thrills listeners with his pizzazz and panache, performing Piazzolla and Glazunov with the orchestra.
2015: Sinfonia's signature summer chamber series Valley Vivaldi is going strong, with four concerts during June, July and August. Among the delightful mix of music, Antonio Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" attracts an especially broad audience.
2016: Allan Birney introduces to the Lehigh Valley a pianist on the upswing of a soaring career. Months before his appearance here, George Li won the Silver Medal at the 2015 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.
2016: Sinfonia extends free admission for all concerts to students through college age.
2017: Infectious rhythms pervade each piece on the concert "Classics Take a Latin Beat," featuring Jordan Dodson, "One of the top young guitarists of his generation."
2018: Longtime Sinfonia principal cellist Deborah Davis, now a North Carolina resident, returns to the Lehigh Valley and performs a recital to benefit thePennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra.
2020: The worldwide coronavirus pandemic causes public gathering, including all scheduled Sinfonia concerts, to be cancelled out of concern for public health and safety.
2021: Still restricted from performing public concerts early in the year, Sinfonia produces several professionally-recorded videos of works by Bach, Vivaldi, Dvořák and Barber, and released them for viewing on the website and YouTube.
2021: Lehigh Valley listeners have the extraordinary opportunity to hear in recital pianist Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner. When Dr. Birney met this young musician, he instantly recognized his innate artistry and unequivocal potential, and invited him to perform in Allentown.
2022: In March 2022, Sinfonia Founder and Music Director Allan Birney announces that he will step down from conducting the orchestra at the end of the season. The Board introduces Paul Chou as the new Music Director. In April, both men conduct a celebratory transitional concert, at which Allan is honored with proclamations and tributes from elected officials and current and former board members and musicians.
2022: Paul Chou begins his inaugural Sinfonia season by offering engaging and educational pre-concert talks, and positions the orchestra closer to the audience for more intimate rapport.
2023: Sinfonia celebrates the culmination of its 40th anniversary season with a festive event at The Club at Twin Lakes, featuring lively music and a tango dancing set.
2024: Sinfonia presents a diverse lineup of performances, including Peter and the Wolf with Spanish narration by Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk; "No Strings Attached," a concert featuring all winds, brass and percussion; and a Celebration of Women's History Month, complete with a panel of notable women speakers.
There have been many memorable moments in Sinfonia history, and there are more to come. Stick around to hear “Sinfonia NOW!”
