Under the leadership of new Artistic Director and Conductor Jonathan Moser, the orchestra is poised and ready to enter an exciting new era of music making!
The Erie Junior Philharmonic has been an orchestra for young people since 1947, and is the third oldest youth orchestra in the United States. Graduates are now playing in orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Columbus Symphony, the Erie Philharmonic, and many other orchestras across the country.
The Erie Junior Philharmonic offers weekly rehearsals, sectional coaching, and advanced chamber ensembles for members of the string, brass, woodwind, and percussion sections of the orchestra. Performance opportunities include annual winter and spring concerts, a tour of schools, ensemble performances, an annual concerto competition, and a performance with the Erie Philharmonic.
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This performance will feature the talented students of our Chamber Ensembles, Chamber Orchestra, and String Academy. This show is free and open to the public.
Jonathan Moser
Artistic Director and Conductor
Jonathan Moser
Artistic Director and Conductor
Jonathan Moser – conductor, violinist, violist, vocalist and teacher – has loved music ever since childhood when he would sit under the family piano listening to his parents and grandmother playing Beethoven, Chopin, and Rachmaninoff. His formal musical education began at five years old as a violin student, an education he pursued through a Bachelor of Music in Performance degree from Shenandoah University and a Master of Music in Performance degree from Arizona State University, with additional Doctoral studies in performance. Mr. Moser has enjoyed working with many outstanding teachers including Dara Morales, Katie McLin, James Stern, Sergiu Schwartz, Linda Cerone, and Ronda Cole, and he has performed in master classes with Jaime Laredo, Claude Frank, Sylvia Rosenberg, Shlomo Mintz, and Sergiu Luca.
During his studies, Mr. Moser enjoyed minoring in voice, studying viola, and discovering his love of conducting. Now entering his second year as director of the Mercyhurst Civic Orchestra, he has already enjoyed leading the orchestra into new and exciting adventures. He has expanded the performance schedule to include three full symphonic concerts and is accompanying the opera as well. He instituted an annual concerto competition, led the ensemble through the shift from a chamber group to a full symphony, and has exponentially expanded the membership. Summers, he can be found working as the Orchestra Program and Adjudication Director for the Philadelphia International Music Festival where he organizes and oversees between 7-10 orchestras reaching four to five hundred students. Recent prior posts include Orchestra Director at Kutztown University and Music Director of the Wilmington Community Orchestra. Before moving to Philadelphia, he was the Director of Orchestras and Instructor of Music at Westminster College and served as Adjunct Faculty for Grove City College. He has also been the Director of Music at University Presbyterian Church, Providence Presbyterian Church, and Proclamation Presbyterian Church.
An active performer, Mr. Moser regularly concertizes with chamber ensembles, as a recitalist, and with orchestras. This year he begins his tenure as Principal Second Violin with the Erie Philharmonic. Mr. Moser also will be performing as Soloist with the Mercyhurst Civic Orchestra and the Bloomsburg Symphony Orchestra. This year he will also be performing at SUNY Fredonia and in Virginia. This past December 2016, Mr. Moser enjoyed the opportunity to participate in an expansive ten city orchestra tour of China. For two years he toured extensively with Sandip Burman – an internationally renowned tabla artist. Mr. Moser was also a member of the Wheeling Symphony, Music at Ethical: Concerts on the Square players and the Bay-Atlantic Symphony. Mr. Moser has served as concertmaster for Pittsburgh Opera Theater, Music on the Edge, the Erie Philharmonic, and Musica Nova, among others. He has served as Principal Second with the Bay-Atlantic Symphony and the Wheeling Symphony. Mr. Moser was winner of the Pittsburgh Concert Society Solo Competition, the Philadelphia College of Bible Solo Competition (2 years), the Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association Solo Competition, the Shenandoah University Concerto competition, and was a finalist in the National Symphony Orchestra's Young Soloists Competition. Mr. Moser was a founding member of the Arizona State University’s Katherine K. Herberger Graduate String Quartet.
Auditions
Auditions
A solo or piece of your choosing that fully demonstrates your finest playing, such as a piece you are working on in lessons or a piece you performed with your school
Major scales and arpeggios up to four flats and sharps
Melodic minor scales and arpeggios up to four sharps and flats
Sight-reading
You may choose to audition on snare drum, snare drum and timpani, or snare drum, timpani and marimba/xylophone.
Snare Drum
A solo or piece of your choosing that fully demonstrates your finest playing, such as a piece you are working on in lessons or a piece you performed with your school
Sight-reading
Timpani
A solo or piece of your choosing that fully demonstrates your finest playing, such as a piece you are working on in lessons or a piece you performed with your school
Sight-reading
Marimba/Xylophone
A solo or piece of your choosing that fully demonstrates your finest playing, such as a piece you are working on in lessons or a piece you performed with your school
Major scales and arpeggios up to four flats and sharps
Melodic minor scales and arpeggios up to four sharps and flats
Sight-reading
A solo or piece of your choosing that fully demonstrates your finest playing, such as a piece you are working on in lessons or a piece you performed with your school
Major scales (Two octaves; C, G, D, F, and B flat)
Sight-reading
A solo or piece of your choosing that fully demonstrates your finest playing, such as a piece you are working on in lessons or a piece you performed with your school
Major scales (One octave; C, G, D, F, and B flat)
Sight-reading
Auditions are not required for Prelude Strings. Call Maura Pelinsky at 814.474.9614 to register.
Schedule
Schedule
Ensembles
Ensembles
6:30-9:00pm
Comprised of the most advanced and experienced student musicians in the Northwest Pennsylvania, Northeast Ohio, and Western New York regions, the Symphony Orchestra is the premier ensemble of the Junior Philharmonic. They perform challenging orchestra repertoire in 3-4 performances each season. Artistic Director and Conductor Jonathan Moser conducts, and members of the Erie Philharmonic provide coaching.
6:45-8:45 PM
Preparing young musicians with the skills needed to join the Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra intensively trains players in the string, woodwind, brass, and percussion sections as distinct ensembles that are then joined together as a complete orchestra. The full orchestra performs twice a year with additional performances of each ensemble. Each section has its own coach, and Carolyn Borland conducts the full orchestra.
5:00-6:30 PM
The stepping stone to the Chamber Orchestra! Proficiency and technical abilities are refined through this small string ensemble that requires a minimum of 2-4 years of playing experience. The group perform twice each season, and Artistic Director Jonathan Moser coaches and conducts the ensemble.
5:15-6:30 PM
Our second level ensemble is for novice students with 1-3 years of experience. Beginning repertoire teaches practice, rehearsal technique, ensemble and performance skills. The group performs twice a season with Jennifer Jansen, Erie Philharmonic violinist, coaching and conducting the ensemble.
5:15-6:15 PM
No experience required! This teaching group provides new students that are just starting to become inspired on their violin, viola, cello or bass! Students learn basic playing technique and ensemble skills. Artistic Director Jonathan Moser oversees various coaches.
Contacts
Contacts
Mary Moser, Prelude Strings Instructor
Jennifer Jansen, Overture and Chamber Strings Instructor
Carolyn Borland, Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Winds Instructor
Bradley Amidon, Percussion Ensemble Instructor
Kent Tucker, Brass Ensemble Instructor
Howard Lyon, String Ensemble Instructor
Leanne Wistrom, Woodwind Ensemble Instructor
Matthew Drabant, Stage Manager
Gena Kuntz, Librarian
Jim Wertz, Erie Philharmonic Vice President, Education
Erin Wincek, Steering Committee Chair
Jonathan Moser, Artistic Director and Conductor
Maura Pelinsky, Business Manager
Megan Kelly, Erie Philharmonic Community Programs Manager
Lisa Herring, Erie Philharmonic Director of Marketing and Development
Joshua West, Parents Committee Representative
Noel Burgoyne, Steering Committee Chair Emeritus
Robert Dolwick, Artistic Director Emeritus
Janet Preston, Steering Committee Member
Julie Lewis, Steering Committee Member
Erie Junior Philharmonic Office
23 West 10th Street, Suite 3
Erie, PA 16501
(814) 455-1375 ext. 24 (phone)
(814) 455-1377 (fax)
Erie Philharmonic Community Programs Manager
Megan Kelly
megan@eriephil.org
Business Manager/Audition Information
Maura Pelinsky
fiddlemo@msn.com
The Erie Junior Philharmonic Orchestra relies on private and corporate donations to cover operating expenses.