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Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic
History
In the late 1960’s, the existence of separate Philharmonic groups in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton reflected the ideological separation between their namesakes. Though a few miles apart, there was little communication and few shared resources between the cities. For many local music supporters, one orchestra seemed like an impossible dream, but the visionary boards saw enormous possibil
History
In the late 1960’s, the existence of separate Philharmonic groups in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton reflected the ideological separation between their namesakes. Though a few miles apart, there was little communication and few shared resources between the cities. For many local music supporters, one orchestra seemed like an impossible dream, but the visionary boards saw enormous possibilities.
What started as a few casual conversations in 1969 slowly picked up steam, and soon an exploratory committee of the two organizations had defined a cooperative mission and the goal of a joint orchestra, offering four performances in each city for the 1970-71 season. A press conference in January, 1970, announced the formation of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic for a two year trial period and was cited as a milestone, not only in the development of the performing arts, but as the first real breakthrough between the two cities.
This new regional Philharmonic continued under the baton of two directors, Scranton’s Beatrice Brown, one of the few female conductors in the country, and Wilkes-Barre’s Ferdinand Liva. Brown’s resignation in 1971 led to a search for a new conductor, and Polish-born maestro and Pittsburgh Symphony conductor Thomas Michalak was hired as the first official Music Director after the Philharmonic’s incorporation. The first performances were held on October 21st and 22nd, 1972, at the Irem Temple, Wilkes-Barre, and the Masonic Temple, Scranton, with a program that included Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A Minor.
Under the direction of Michalak, the orchestra grew into a cohesive, professional unit, and in 1979, he was succeeded as Music Director by Harvard University and Peabody Institute of Music graduate, Hugh Wolff. The Philharmonic’s reputation soared under Wolff, highlighted by a statewide performance of the commissioned work “The River Flows” in 1982, a piece composed to celebrate the Commonwealth’s tri-centennial. The early 80’s also saw the rise of the Philharmonic’s ability to attract world-class guest artists, including Wolff’s mentor Mstislav Rostropovich, arguably one of the twentieth’s century’s greatest cellists.
In 1986, Wolff was named the Music Director for the New Jersey Symphony, and the board’s search for a music director led to the appointment of London-born Hugh Keelan, a Cambridge University graduate. Under Keelan’s direction for fourteen seasons, the NEPA Philharmonic became one of the country’s best regional orchestras with a remarkably broad repertoire. Clyde Mitchell followed Keelan as Music Director for two seasons.
Maestro Lawrence Loh, a graduate of Yale University, former Associate Conductor of Dallas Symphony Orchestra, former Resident Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, current Music Director of Symphoria, Syracuse, N.Y., lead the orchestra for twelve spectacular seasons before he resigned in 2017. Maestro Loh’s final performance as Music Director with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic was on October 7, 2017.
The only fully professional symphony orchestra in the region, the NEPA Philharmonic, performs Masterworks, Pops, Holiday, and Young Peoples concerts at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, Scranton Cultural Center, People’s Security Bank Theater at Lackawanna College, and The Kirby Center for Creative Arts at Wyoming Seminary. A series of chamber concerts is performed at WVIA’s Sordoni Theater, First Presbyterian Church (Clarks Summit and Wilkes-Barre), and Saint Luke’s Episcopal
Church, Scranton. Free July 3rd and 4th concerts in downtown Scranton and Kirby Park are the Philharmonic’s gift to our communities.
In August of 2017, our Board voted to suspend major operations for the remainder of the 2017-18 season to revamp the Philharmonic for today’s market and audience and to ensure decades more of excellent live music. It is with great pride that we recognize our Philharmonic has presented concerts on par with major urban centers for 50 years. And yet, we also recognize that major symphonies universally lack the financial support necessary to compete and thrive. Thus, while it was a difficult decision to suspend operations, it was necessary to take a proactive and positive direction for our future. This decision demonstrated our commitment to our youth and education programs, to our musicians, to our neighbors, friends and volunteers, and to our patrons. This decision, in essence, represented a commitment to our community.
In March of 2020, the Board of Directors appointed Maestro Mélisse Brunet as the NEPA Philharmonic’s Music Director. Shortly thereafter, all concerts were cancelled due to COVID 19 and the mandate for quarantines. We adapted to our new reality by providing online educational outreach programs, private lessons by zoom, videos of our orchestra musicians performing chamber music, and by collaborating with the Ballet Theatre of Scranton on video projects. In the 2021-2022 Season, which happened to be our 50th Anniversary, we were once again, able to launch live performances. Our Gala at Fox Hill Country Club was the perfect ending to a year-long celebration of our golden anniversary. Now we move forward, ready to continue our mission of providing outstanding, professional main stage and chamber concerts, as well as, excellent educational and outreach programs in Northeastern Pennsylvania.