A celebration of rising talent and musical imagination
Sunday, February 22, 2026, 3:00 p.m.
State College Area High School Performing Arts Center
650 Westerly Parkway, State College
FEATURING:
• Evan Zhang, Ann Keller Young Soloist
Carnival of the Animals withSide-by-SideCollaboration
Competition Winner
• Piano soloist Amy Gustafson
• Piano soloist Erin Chen
AdvancedStateHighOrchestra Strings
America at 250
Celebrating American music in its most iconic forms: jazz, film music, and the symphonic tradition.
Thursday, March 19, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Penn State Eisenhower Auditorium
The program will feature a range of American musical idioms including Jazz, Classical, Film and Musical Theatre that highlight how American music shaped the 20th century. Included on this program will be Bernstein’s On the Waterfront Suite and Overture to Candide in addition to William Grant Still’s Poem for Orchestra alongside works by Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and John Williams.
Hearts on Fire
Romantic tragedy, lyrical beauty, and the triumph of spirit.
Friday, May 1, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Bellefonte Area High School
Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich: Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
Böhme, Oskar: Trumpet Concerto in F Minor
George Carpten, IV, soloist
Sibelius, Jean: Symphony No. 2 in D Major
To see our full concert schedule or for more information about Nittany Valley Symphony, visit https://www.nvs.org/upcoming-events or scan the QR code to the right.
P.O. Box 1375
State College, PA 16804
Phone: 814-231-8224
www.nvs.org
Timothy Farrand Music Director and Conductor
Rebecca Richards Executive Director
Nittany Valley Symphony Board of Directors
Lisa A. Schroeder, President
Virginia Luehrsen, Vice President
Annemarie Mountz, Secretary
Roberta Strebel, Treasurer
Ellie Lewis, President Emerita
NVS Board Members
Pamela Aikey
Jill Campbell
Ann Deighton
Kate Domico
Dorie Evensen
Allen C. Jacobson
Tom Keiter
Anne Layng
Bev Molnar
Nancy VanLandingham
Patricia Weitzel
Cathy Herrera, Orchestra Representative
Marie Sorensen, Orchestra Personnel Manager
Sue Stephenson, Orchestra Librarian
Thank you for supporting Nittany Valley Symphony
THE MAESTRO’S CIRCLE
L. Peter Gold Memorial
($8,000+)
Eileen Christman
Happy Valley Adventure Bureau
Elinor C. Lewis
Martha Strebel
ENCORE CIRCLE
($4,000-$7,999)
Centre Foundation
Janette and Ned Deihl
Gay and James Dunne
Thomas E. Keiter
The Wolfgang and Ann Meyer NVS Fund of Centre Foundation
Nittany Valley Symphony Endowment Fund of Centre Foundation
Pieter and Lida Ouwehand
Dorothy and Paul Rigby Fund of Centre Foundation
U.S. Foundation (Donald A. Stanley Fund)
ORCHESTRA PARTNERS
($1,000-$3,999)
An Anonymous Fund of Centre Foundation
John Balogh and Annemarie Mountz
The Birthday Table
Jill Campbell
Sherry L. Farrall
Foxdale Village Geisinger
Music Fund of Centre Foundation
John and Carol Graham
Caterpillar Foundation
Avis and Al Jones
Elinor C. Lewis 2nd Violin Chair Fund of Centre Foundation
Jack Lewis Memorial
Tuba Fund of Centre Foundation
M&T Charitable Foundation
Herman Richey
Peter and Lynne Rigby
Henry D. Sahakian Fund
Gary Schell
Sylvia, Fran, Noah, and Sorijah
Inez “Snookie” Williams
Memorial Cello Chair Fund of Centre Foundation
Martin and Margaret Wyand Music Fund of Centre Foundation
HONORARY
CONDUCTOR
($750-$999)
Arthur Curtze
Stephen Quay and Eileen Dougherty Jamison Family Fund of the Pittsburgh Foundation
Lisa A. Schroeder
BENEFACTOR
($500-$749)
Dan and Eleanor Armstrong
Scott H. Deihl
Dorie and Carl Evensen
Buzz and Susan Graham
Roy Greenfield
Allen and Nancy Jacobson
Susan and Andrew
Stephenson
Rob and Meredith Veronesi
ASSOCIATE
($200-$499)
Pam Aikey
Joel Confer
Laura M. Deihl
Abigail Domico
Kate Domico
Joanne Zagst Feldman
Nancy and Charles Galgoci
Blake and Linda Gall
Joseph and Nan Geise, Doty and Hench
Mary Alice Graetzer
Kenneth and Irene Harpster
D. Harvey and Ruth Holter
Michael Jinbo Memorial Maestro Fund
Lawrence and Donna Kumjian
Diane Lindsey
Joe Maeder
Helen McDermid
Bev Molnar
John and Mary Margaret Nousek
Penn State Federal Credit Union
Bernard Shockowitz
Steven and Theresa Smith
Roberta Strebel
Nancy VanLandingham
PATRON
($100-$199)
Anonymous Donation of Centre Gives
Mary Lou Bennett
Wayne and Edna Bicehouse
Lynn Sidehamer Brown
Lisa Peters Brown and On Cho Ng
Brian Christian
John C. Collins and Mary A. Brown
Kim Cook and Peter Heaney
Heather Cowher
Terry Crissinger
Arthur Curtze
Leif Danfors
Ann Deighton
Jason and Anna Foytack
Pamela E. Friedman
Blake and Linda Gall Family Fund
Rich and Trina Gallup
Nancy Gamble
Sheila Goehring
Taylor Greer
Kathryn Grossman
Tom and Jennifer Hesketh
Carol and Janet Hill Family Fund of Centre Foundation
Milly Hopkins
Carla Jeremias
Gail Kamon
Jennifer Koberna
Nancy Krauss
Donald and Elaine Kunze
Anne Layng
Emily and Eric Long
Elizabeth Manlove
Cynthia Mazzant
Herbert and Susan McKinstry
Joyce McKinley
Margaret Moose
Marcia Patterson
Ken Plattner
Blanche Puffer
Judy and Bill Ray
Annette Rohrbeck
Robert and Peggy Schlegel
James and Roberta Scott
Dan and Julie Smith
Kate Tosto
John and Barbara Vandenbergh
Richard Waddington
Wetzler Funeral Service, Inc.
Sara Willoughby-Herb
Diane Wolf
Mary Woodring
FRIENDS OF NVS
Recognized for their generous in-kind support to the NVS, we truly appreciate the many volunteer players in our orchestra who are devoted to offering classical music to central PA.
Some of our musicians who do get small stipends donate them back to NVS.
Also recognized are those musicians who play for far less than their counterparts in larger orchestras. We appreciate those players who volunteer their time, talents and energy at various community functions for NVS.
We want to thank everyone who has contributed to NVS. You, too, are a FRIEND of the Symphony.
THANK YOU
The following people and businesses support NVS
through ongoing, in-kind donations.
Arize Federal Credit Union
Daniel Vaughn Designs
Thomas Herman Hesketh II
Annemarie Mountz
Packer Up Moving
Penn State School of Music
Penn State Percussion
Studio
Woskob Family Gallery
WPSU
CONTRIBUTORS
Thank you to all of our contributors for your generosity and selfless investment in our future programming. Please know that you play a crucial role in sustaining our mission and tradition of artistic excellence and community service.
Ticket revenue does not cover the cost of presenting either our concerts or our educational and community engagement programming, so we rely on generous supporters to meet our needs.
Nittany Valley Symphony receives partial funding from private foundations, businesses, individual donors, and grants. Special thanks goes to the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, and to all of our donors. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list. Please let us know of any errors by emailing info@nvs.org or calling us at 814-231-8224.
7group, Lura Faust
Acoustic Artifacts
Allen C. Jacobson, Notary Public
Athlon Financial Advisors
Blues Trainer
Cadabra Cleaning
Centre Smiles Dental
Changing Times Hair Designs
Christopher C. Carver, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Carver Law, LLC
Dave and Melissa Wasson, Wasson Insurance Agency
David Englehart, D.M.D. Family Dentistry
Eric Loop of Morgan Stanley, CFP
Fasta and Ravioli
Gallup Electric
George Stone, State Farm
Grove Printing Inc.
Happy Valley Vineyard and Winery
Important Story
J. Gordon Financial Services
Jim and Lori Valent, J. Valent Photography LLC
Kaleidoscope PA
Karin and John Souren, Souren Communications
Kerry Benninghoff, PA House of Representatives
Maine Bay & Berry
Mane-ly Hair
Nancy VanLandingham, RE/MAX Centre Realty
OverheaD
Portfolio Salon
Roy Sletson- Assistance for Seniors
Shay Landscaping & Home Services
Shirley Hsi: RE/MAX Centre Realty
Simpson Construction
Storyshop LLC, Stephanie Ayanian
Stuckey Automotive
Sue Ormsby Cleaning Services
Susan Rupert, KBB Realtors
The Derek Canova Team, KBB Realtors
The Frame Factory and Gallery
Tiretown
Treaster Kettle Farm
Vicki Wedler & Joe Herrle, KBB Realtors
About us
The Nittany Valley Symphony is a community orchestra that has performed in Centre County since 1967. Our mission is to inspire and enrich our diverse community through live concerts of the highest caliber symphonic music performed by professional and amateur musicians.
Our musicians come from all walks of life. While our “day jobs” may include everything from real estate agents to professors to small business owners to artists, we all share a love of creating beautiful music. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are longstanding fundamental values of the Nittany Valley Symphony. We strive to actively incorporate these values into our organization through our musicians, board, associated activities, music selections and our marketing efforts, which are focused on a variety of diverse audiences. We actively foster an environment of respect and belonging for musicians, board members, and members of the communities we serve.
The Nittany Valley Symphony was organized in 1967 by Ann Keller of State College, Pennsylvania, to perform at the first Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. The symphony has performed every year since then, with the exception of the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, which were canceled due to the COVID pandemic.
Tickets to our concerts may be purchased in advance at https://www.nvs.org/upcoming-events or by using the camera app on your smartphone to scan the QR code at right. Tickets also may be purchased at the door the day of the concert.
Pre-concert performance
As part of our collaboration with the State College Area School District, the Nittany Valley Symphony is pleased to present the State College Area High School Trombone Choir in a pre-concert performance. Directed by Paul Leskowicz, the Trombone Choir includes Levi Nicholas, Reagan Snavely, Henry Mathews, Connor Eltz, and Ricky Nargi, who also are members of the high school’s Symphonic Band.
We welcome your feedback
In order to plan for future Nittany Valley Symphony Family Concerts, it’s important to learn from our audiences, young and not-so-young.
We would appreciate it if you would scan the QR code to the right or navigate to https://bit.ly/NVS_survey_2026_02 online to take a brief survey, which is designed to take only a few minutes. By completing the survey and providing us with contact information, you will be entered for a chance to win a $25 gift card from local bookstore Acorn & Squirrel. Our drawing will take place on March 1.
Thank you in advance for your support and feedback.
Support the Symphony
The Nittany Valley Symphony is a nonprofit supported by foundations, businesses, government funding, and individual donors. There are several meaningful ways you can contribute to us.
• Gifts to the NVS Endowment Fund, held at Centre Foundation, provide annual investment income that supports operations and long-term stability, helping sustain high-quality programming for future generations.
• Legacy and planned giving allow donors to support NVS through bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable trusts or annuities, and gifts of appreciated assets. These gifts create lasting impact while aligning with personal or estate-planning goals. Donor-advised funds (DAFs) also offer a flexible, tax-efficient way to recommend grants to NVS over time through providers such as Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, and the National Philanthropic Trust.
• Memorial contributions honor loved ones through the NVS Endowment Fund or specific memorial funds. Annual cash gifts support current programming, including Centre Gives and sponsorship opportunities.
Learn more at https://www.nvs.org/support or contact Rebecca Richards at ed@nvs.org.
Family Concert: Carnival of the Animals
Timothy Farrand, Music Director and Conductor
Sunday, February 22, 2026, 3:00 p.m.
State College Area High School Performing Arts Center
Copland, Aaron An Outdoor Overture (1900-1990) Collaboration with State High Area Advanced Strings
Copland, Aaron Down a Country Lane (1900-1990) Collaboration with State High Area Advanced Strings
Saint-Saëns, Camille Violin Concerto No.3 in B Minor, op.61 (1835-1921)
I. Allegro non troppo
Evan Zhang, 2025 Ann Keller Young Soloist Competition Winner
Saint-Saëns, Camille Le carnaval des animaux (Carnival of the Animals) (1835-1921)
1. Intro et Marche royale du lion (Intro & Royal March of the Lion)
2. Poules et coqs (Hens and Roosters)
3. Hémiones — Animaux véloces (Wild Donkeys — Fleet Animals)
4. Tortues (Tortoises)
5. L’éléphant
6. Kangourous (Kangaroos)
7. Aquarium
8. Personnages à longues oreilles (People with Long Ears)
9. Le coucou au fond des bois (Cuckoo in the Depths of the Woods)
10. Volière (Aviary)
11. Pianistes (Pianists)
12. Fossiles (Fossils)
13. Le cygne (The Swan)
14. Final (Finale)
Amy Gustafson and Erin Chen, soloists
Thank you to the Penn State School of Music for providing the facilities for the 2025 Ann Keller Young Soloist Concerto Competition.
Nittany Valley Symphony Personnel
* denotes section principal vdenotes sponsorship availability
Violin
*vSally Williams Minnich
Concertmaster Chair
*Emily Long
Elinor C. Lewis/Centre
Foundation Principal Second
Violin Chair
Susanna Aung
Šárka Blahnik
Eileen Christman
Beth Cottrell
Graham Curtis
Leif DeForce-Petersen
Julie Dzikowski
Dorie Evensen
Joanne Zagst Feldman
Mary Alice Graetzer
Monica Kenney
Manuel Llinás
Emma Pyle-Lewis
Mira Quackenbush
Sophia Salisbury
Marie Sorensen
Grace Steele
Viola
*Matthew Kumjian
Jane Richey Memorial Viola Chair
Elizabeth Benkert
Kathryn Boeckel
Bhavya Jha
Avis Jones
Katherine Nugent
Violoncello
*Katie Van Varick
Inez“Snookie” Williams
Memorial Cello Chair Fund of Centre Foundation
Roger Christman
Tyler Dare
Robert Denby
Melanie Fisher
Susan Graham
Emma Van Allen
Double Bass
*vJordan Askew
Neal Holter
Sarah Saylor
Kyle Siskron-Leonard
Flute/piccolo
*Cathy Herrera
L. Peter Gold Memorial Flute Chair Music Fund of Center Foundation; Gold and Toulson Families
Susan Kroeker
Samantha Sutton
Oboe
*vBarry Kroeker
Ben Cossitor
Clarinet
*Brandy Davis
Avis and Al Jones Clarinet Chair
Cassidy Miao
Friends of Jean Balogh Second Clarinet Chair
Bassoon
*Trina Gallup
John & Carol Graham Caterpillar
Match Bassoon Chair
John Balogh
Horn
*Kathryn Beck
Richard J. Strebel Memorial Horn Chair
Helen Fleischer
Kelly Myers
Jessica Pearce
Ethan Ruble
Trumpet
*Herb McKinstry
Peter and Lynne Rigby Trumpet Chair
Kelly Howdyshell
Trombone
*vBob LaBarca
Tim Bortner
Susan Trolier-McKinstry
Tuba
Jack Lewis Memorial Tuba Fund of Centre Foundation Chair
Timpani
*vKyle Haust
Percussion
Carol Lindsay
Joe Lysiak
Paul “Mako” Robeson
Piano/Celeste
*Carolyn Barr
Sherry Farrall Keyboard Chair in Memory of grandmother, Nell M. Ashenfelter
For information about how to sponsor a section principal, contact Executive Director
Rebecca Richards at info@nvs.org or call 814-231-8224 during normal business hours.
Violin
Safa Ali
State College Area School District Symphony Personnel
Carmen Defelice
Gideon Elliot
Lia Fox
Micah James
Helen Kifer
Stephen Lee
Edmond Li
Ian Lee
Kevin Liu
Nathan Lu
Madison Mercogliano
Gaby Meredith
Emma Noss
Caitlyn Tan
Fiona Treece
Bryson VanScyoc
Jingyang Wan
Shannon Wang
Allison Warner
Xu Yan
Ella Yang
Evan Zhang
Isadora Zuo
Viola
Sydney Barshinger
Augustine Clement
Chloe Klinger
Natalie Kuwahara
Maya Stewart
Emma Van Allen
State College Area High School Orchestra Director
Emma Van Allen has taught orchestra for 11 years and currently serves as the orchestra director at State College Area High School. In addition to leading the high school orchestras, she teaches an introductory guitar course and seventh-grade general music.
Previously, Van Allen taught elementary orchestra at six schools within the State College Area School District and also has held orchestra teaching positions in the Central Bucks, Bellefonte Area, and Altoona Area School Districts.
Lizzy Stoner
Violet Welsch
Violoncello
Eric Chen
Margaret Choe
Graham Drew
Emme Loehr
Jasmine Lu
Sean Mally
Calleigh Torbert
Sophie Widga
Double Bass
James Lukehart
Ranya Ounaies Carpenter
Anthony Shue
Van Allen began her musical journey on Long Island, where she studied cello and piano from a young age. She holds two degrees from Penn State: a bachelor of music education as a Schreyer Honors Scholar with a professional performance certificate in cello; and a master of education in curriculum and instruction.
As a cellist, she has performed with the Altoona Symphony Orchestra, Nittany Valley Symphony, Williamsport Symphony Orchestra, and Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra, in addition to various chamber ensembles and quartets.
Van Allen resides in State College, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Austin Van Allen, a high school art teacher, and their one-year-old son, Zander.
Evan Zhang
2025 Ann Keller Young Soloist Competition Winner
Evan Zhang, a junior at State College Area High School, currently studies violin with James Lyon, violin professor at Penn State. Other notable teachers include Lois Durran, Louis Scaglione, and Aaron Picht.
An avid orchestral musician, Zhang has performed with various ensembles, including the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, Temple Music Prep’s Youth Chamber Orchestra, the Nittany Valley Symphony, the PMEA All-State Orchestra, and the Honors Performance Series.
As a violinist in the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, he was part of the orchestra’s lauded performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and Richard Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben. Zhang also plays chamber music with his quartet in the Center for Gifted Young Musicians Program at Temple University, and is concertmaster of State College Area High School’s Chamber Orchestra.
Zhang’s orchestral journey has led him to perform on national stages, including Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium and the Kimmel Center’s Marian Anderson Hall.
Outside of music, Zhang enjoys playing tennis, reading, and competing in math tournaments with his friends. At State College Area High School, Zhang is president of Quiz Bowl and the vice president of Science Bowl and Math Club.
About the Ann Keller Young Soloist Competition
The Ann Keller Young Soloist Competition is an opportunity for serious pianists and instrumentalists in grades 9-12 who live within the following counties: Centre, Blair, Clearfield, Clinton, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Snyder, Lycoming, or Union. Contestants play one movement of a concerto or concert piece with an existing orchestral part not exceeding 12 minutes in length. Memorization is required for pianists and strings, and is strongly recommended for other instruments.
Contestants compete for a first-place prize of $250, a performance of their contest piece with the Nittany Valley Symphony at the family concert, a professionally recorded CD of the concert, complimentary tickets for immediate family, and a framed certificate. The second-place prize is $100.
This competition is named in honor of the woman to whom we owe the birth of the Nittany Valley Symphony nearly 60 years ago, Ann Keller. Her tireless efforts organized the Symphony to perform in concerts and in schools to add to the musical growth of the community.
Amy E. Gustafson
Piano soloist
Arthur Curtze Soloist Sponsor
Praised for her “exquisite sensitivity” and a “style filled with class and elegance” by La Voz de Asturias (Asturias, Spain) and recognized as a “talented player who doesn’t fit the cookie-cutter mold” by Lucid Culture (New York City), American pianist Amy E. Gustafson has performed across the United States and in both Western and Eastern Europe. Her debut album, Reverie, consists of music by Claude Debussy and was released in June 2017. Her second album, From Darkness to Light, will be released this spring.
Notable performances include replacing the late legendary pianist Abbey Simon in Los Angeles at Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s series, Sundays Live; an appearance with the Sofia Sinfionetta in Sofia, Bulgaria; and a performance with Ensemble Tayada in Candas, Spain. Other engagements have taken her to Spain, China and Canada, and she also has performed New York City venues such as Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, Trinity Church Wall Street, Tenri Cultural Institute, CAMI Hall and the Kosciuszko Foundation.
Gustafson received much of her beginning piano instruction from her grandmother. By age 15, she won several competitions, including Music Teachers National Association’s Baldwin Competition, and her success led her to move to New York City to continue her studies. Since then, Gustafson has won numerous awards, including second prize in the International Young Artists Piano Competition, second prize in the Joyce Dutka Arts Foundation Competition, and the Special Presentation Award and the Alumni Award from Artists International Presentations Inc.
Gustafson studied at the Manhattan School of Music, New York University, and the University of Texas at Austin. Her teachers have included Julian Martin, Andre-Michel Schub, Anton Nel, Constance Keene, and Miyoko Lotto, and she has benefited from the advice of many renowned pedagogues, including Solomon Mikowsky, Arie Vardi, Veda Kaplinsky, Robert McDonald, Paul Badura-Skoda, Marc Durand, Martin Canin, Leslie Howard, and Luiz de Moura Castro.
Gustafson has served on the faculty of the Millersville University and Elizabethtown College and the Cynthia Sternberg Schein Chamber Music Institute in State College. She is executive director and faculty of the Gijón International Piano Festival in Gijón, Spain, as well as the director of the Palmetto International Piano Festival in South Carolina. Previously, Gustafson directed the Boal Mansion Museum Concert Series in Boalsburg, PA, and The Stony Brook International Piano Festival in Stony Brook, New York.
She is a Yamaha Artist.
Erin McCardle Chen
Piano soloist
Arthur Curtze Soloist Sponsor
American pianist Erin McCardle Chen is a native of Houston, Texas, where she began her musical studies at the age of 3. She first studied the violin, but just before turning 6 years old, she changed her instrument of choice to the piano.
She began her studies with her mother and with Bernard and Carolyn Shaak in Denver, Colorado, flying back and forth from Houston.
Later, she joined the studio of John Weems in Houston and also attended the prestigious High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston under the directorship of pianist Sylvia Strong.
Chen was active in the competition scene as a young pianist and won multiple competitions, including the Texas Music Teachers Association competition, solo division.
She also participated in the Texas Conservatory for Young Artists and played in masterclasses for renowned pedagogues such as Veda Kaplinsky, John Perry, Marc Andre-Hamelin, and Julian Martin.
Chen went on to earn her bachelor of music in piano performance from the University of Houston, studying with Nancy Weems and Ruth Tomfohrde.
During that time, she also took two years off to serve a mission to Taiwan for her church, where she became fluent in Mandarin Chinese.
Chen earned her master of music degree in piano performance from Manhattan School of Music (MSM) in New York City, where she studied with Jeffrey Cohen.
In 2006, as a winner of the Artists International auditions, she also performed her solo recital Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Recital Hall.
Upon graduation from MSM, Chen moved to Denver and started her own private teaching studio. While teaching, she became fascinated by the biomechanics behind proper piano technique and decided to pursue an additional master’s degree in medicine.
As an orthopedic physician associate, her goal was to be available to highlevel performers who needed a more advanced and detailed level of treatment and rehabilitation after injury to help them return to their art without lingering limitations.
She and her husband currently reside in Denver, with their three sons.
Timothy Farrand
Eileen Christman Maestro Chair
Conductor, pianist, and writer Timothy Farrand is the Music Director and Conductor of the Nittany Valley Symphony. Farrand has served as the Music Director of the Central Pennsylvania Youth Orchestra and the Penn State Campus Orchestra and worked for five years as the Assistant Conductor of the Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra (PCO) under Music Director Yaniv Attar. Additionally, Farrand has appeared as a Guest Conductor with the Altoona Symphony Orchestra and the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra (WSO).
He has held roles as the Assistant Conductor of the Penns Woods Musical Festival, Penn State University Orchestras, and spent five years as the conducting assistant to Maestra Teresa Cheung at the Altoona Symphony Orchestra.
In 2019, Farrand made his operatic debut as the Music Director for the world premiere of the opera Leavings which included performances at the Penns Woods Music Festival and Penn State Opera Theatre.
Starting his conducting studies at an early age, Farrand has participated in several workshops and festivals in the United States and abroad where he had the privilege of working with conductors Harold Farberman, Mark Gibson, Apo Hsu, Donald Portnoy, Maurice Peress, and Paul Vermel among many others. He spent two summers studying at the International Conducting Workshop and Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria where he was mentored by Larry Rachleff and Donald Schleicher.
In the Spring of 2021, Farrand founded Arts Undivided LLC which advocates for active “exploration of the arts fueled by curiosity.” Through Arts Undivided, he produces content pertaining to a variety of art forms and artists with a focus on finding the connections that transcend boundaries, advocating for the development of an open acceptance of ideas from across the spectrum of human experience.
Farrand received a Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from Penn State University under the mentorship of Gerardo Edelstein, as well as a Master of Arts degree in Music Theory and Music History. For the past six years, Farrand has been an adjunct instructor at the Penn State School of Music.
He currently resides with his wife Tara and son Miles in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and maintains an active performing schedule centered on the use of the arts to strengthen our communities.
Photo: Amanda Herrold
Symphony welcomes new executive director
The board of the Nittany Valley Symphony is pleased to welcome Rebecca Richards as its executive director. Richards earned her master of public administration with an emphasis in nonprofit management from Brigham Young University, and she has a bachelor of science degree in human resource management, also from Brigham Young.
“We are excited to begin working with Rebecca. She literally went to school to study how to be an executive director at a nonprofit organization such as ours,” said board President Lisa A. Schroeder. “She impressed the interview committee with her thorough knowledge of the fundraising process and relationship management, her experience working with nonprofit boards of various sizes, her organizational skills, and her savvy when it comes to marketing through social media and the website.”
Richards has experience as a development assistant for the Romney Institute of Public Service and Ethics, where she assisted in the development of a $16.5 million fundraising campaign, and supported the development team in closing a $250,000 gift. She also worked at Grantwell, a program that offers consulting services to nonprofit and philanthropic entities.
“I’m honored to join the Nittany Valley Symphony as its next executive director. As a harpist with 18 years of experience, I’ve had the privilege of performing with orchestras throughout my career and have developed a deep love and respect for classical music,” Richards said.
“In this new role, I look forward to building on the strong foundation laid by the symphony’s dedicated board and the exceptional musicians who make up our community. My goal is to expand the symphony’s presence, strengthen its resources, and broaden its artistic impact — so that even more people can experience the power and beauty of live music.”
Richards will work closely with Music Director and Conductor Timothy Farrand in the planning and preparation of each concert season.
“Rebecca brings a remarkable blend of energy, insight, and organizational skill to her new role,” Farrand said. “Her background and previous successes reflect a clear sense of care and dedication to her work, and I’m excited to collaborate with Rebecca as we continue to grow and strengthen the Nittany Valley Symphony. Her vision and enthusiasm will be an asset as we enter a new chapter of creative possibility.”
In addition, Richards plays the harp, and runs her own business providing elegant harp music for luxury weddings and events.
