Youth Concerts
Youth Concerts
The Erie Philharmonic presented three youth concerts over the course of two days this past November, reaching almost 6,000 students from across the tristate area! These concerts are presented at no cost to the student.
This year’s concert focused on Benjamin Britten’s legendary work “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”, and included additional music from Tchaikovsky, Haydn and more.
Concert comes complete with a detailed curriculum including pre and post-tests, Common Core, National and PA Arts Standards.
Principal Tuba Ken Heinlein
Special Guest Charles Brown
Guest Soloist Sophia Jho
Almost 6,000 students!
Wally Faas and Patty Holstein
Nadia Havard
Mark Holcomb
Deb and Doug Murphy
Kate and Brian Weber
Jim Wertz
Lisa Adams and Scott Gordon
Amy and Mark Denlinger
Barb Hutzelman
Julie Cella
Geri Cicchetti
Pam and Dave Davis
Virtual Orchestra
Virtual Orchestra
Master Classes
Master Classes
When applicable, our guest artists will present master classes across the region in conjunctuon with their performances in Erie. Opportunities will be available beginning in October.
Contact Executive Director Steve Weiser at 814/455-1375 or SWeiser@EriePhil.org to learn more!
School Visits
School Visits
Throughout each season, Maestro Daniel Meyer and special guests will visit music classrooms, orchestras, concert bands and wind ensembles from around the region. Contact Executive Director Steve Weiser at 814.455.1375 or SWeiser@EriePhil.org to schedule an event at your school today!
PNC Grow Up Great
PNC Grow Up Great
Led by retired Music Teacher Melany Myers, the PNC Grow Up Great program features musicians from the Erie Philharmonic presenting weekly classes to preschool students from across the region. Our 2017-18 program will be offered to preschool students at the St. Benedict Center.
Long Term Residency
Long Term Residency
Beginning in Fall 2018, the Erie Philharmonic will visit classrooms at the St. Benedict Center as a continuation of nationally-recognized Long Term Residency program. Instead of reaching students just a few times a year as done in the past, teaching artist Melany Myers will visit the center 60 times between August and February.
This long-term residency has many goals, but the main mission is to create positive musical experiences that promote early music appreciation and early literacy skills in young students, preparing them for success in school and beyond. Strengthening this emphasis on continued arts infusion, the Philharmonic aims to bring music into pre-kindergarten classes in order to aid language and literacy development as well as organizing and applying knowledge through creative thinking.
The project is funded through the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. “The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts is pleased to again approve Erie Philharmonic’s long term residency grant,” said Philip Horn, PCA executive director. “This collaboration will bring teaching artists and the creative process into unique partnerships with educators, schools and non-profit community organizations benefiting our schools and student learning.”
Teaching Artist Melany Myers has over 30 years teaching and music education experience, so this is a natural step forward to reach even more students with an expansive curriculum. Building upon the groundwork laid by Erie Phil musician Sarah Lee, this 20-week, 60-day residency will reach over 60 students, again including visiting guest artists from the Philharmonic as well as a trip to see the orchestra perform live in the historic Warner Theatre. The program also includes professional development on arts infusion for all teachers at the center.
Executive Director Steve Weiser is excited to look to the future and ensure the Philharmonic is truly living their mission. “I’m honored that the PA Council on the Arts has again chosen to support our residency, this year returning to the St. Benedict Center. Given the enormous success of last year's residency at Early Connections, we are anxious to see how large of an impact we can have on the lives of even more children this year,” Weiser said. “I take this program as a vote of confidence from the state – we know we are doing great things, but we are also one of the first orchestras to receive this type of funding directly from the state.”
The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) is a state agency in the Office of the Governor. Created in 1966, the PCA is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary. The Council’s mission is to foster the excellence, diversity, and vitality of the arts in Pennsylvania, and to broaden the availability and appreciation of those arts throughout the commonwealth. Support for education is a PCA priority. The PCA’s Arts in Education Division assists hundreds of Pennsylvania schools to support curriculum, enrich the important work of arts educators, and provide opportunities for students to discover and develop their creative skills and abilities through teaching artist residencies. The Division and its partners also place artists in residencies in community-based settings. Learn more at www.arts.pa.gov and www.facebook.com/Pennsylvaniacouncilonthearts.
The Junior League of Erie, Inc. is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.
Many of Erie’s most active leaders in business and philanthropy have one thing in common, membership in the Junior League of Erie. Formed in 1925 and incorporated in 1933, the JLE has trained generations of women as volunteers and leaders in the community. The JLE chooses projects focusing on unmet community needs of women and children. This flexibility has enabled the JLE to meet a wide variety of needs in the community throughout the years and adapt to the changing lifestyles and interests of the community’s women volunteers.
YMCA Composition & Film School
YMCA Composition & Film School
Music students worked with teaching artists and special guests from the Erie Philharmonic to learn how to read and write music, structure a song and arrange for different instruments.
The student’s final work was performed LIVE by the Erie Philharmonic in November 2017 for more than 6,000 students from across the region.
Our Erie was the title of the final composition, and was arranged by Erie Philharmonic Personnel Manager and violinist Christina Dolanc.
Erie Philharmonic musicians who presented classes for students at the YMCA included Principal Bass Kieran Hanlon, Principal Tuba Ken Heinlein, Second Violin Jennifer Jansen and Second Bassoon Sarah Lee.
The Composition & Film School is made possible by gifts given to the David Matthews Memorial Fund at the YMCA of Greater Erie. Special thanks to the Erie Philharmonic, Life Thru Music, Erie Arts & Culture and John C. Lyons.
Instrumental Petting Zoos
Instrumental Petting Zoos
Each season, musicians from the Erie Philharmonic visit local schools, learning centers and community events presenting hands-on, Instrumental Petting Zoos. These interactive sessions will give all participating students the opportunity to physically touch, feel and play a variety of orchestral instruments.
To arrange an Instrumental Petting Zoo, please contact Lisa Herring, Director of Community Impact.
Community Performances
Community Performances
Throughout the year, the Erie Philharmonic presents concerts, recitals, and outreach activities of all sizes across the community.
Piano Donations
Piano Donations
Throughout the season, the Philharmonic will look to donate pianos of all shapes and sizes to various schools and organizations across the city.
The second donation as part of our individual piano donation program. Congrats Taylor - enjoy the piano!
The first piano donation as part of our new program in which we donate a piano directly to a young aspiring musician. Congrats Rachel!
Delighted to donate a piano to Art Martone and the Music Department at Mercyhurst Prep.
Returning music to our one-time home, the orchestra donated an historic upright piano to the newly named Erie High.
Helping to round out the instrument selection at Harding Elementary, this eclectic piano will be a perfect addition to the music classroom!
As the first event in our Emanuel Ax Residency, the orchestra donated an upright piano to the school as part of Mr. Ax's outreach visit.
As part of our second educational outreach week this past June, we donated three pianos across the city to various locations.
Another piano donation to a local downtown neighbor - so glad to be help out Sharon Downey and our friends at the Cathedral of St. Paul!
Chuck Haynes from Weber Murphy Fox helped to donate this piano to the Crime Victim Center of Erie. So happy to launch a new relationship with this fabulous facility.
We were delighted to donate this beautiful baby grand piano to the Downtown YMCA on 10th Street. Gifted to the Erie Phil by Stephen Huckaby, this piano will be used in the new music studio inside the Y, and will be played on by hundreds of children each week!
Continuing our busy education week, we were able to donate a second piano to the Benjamin Wiley Charter School. This piano was graciously gifted to the Erie Phil from Bill Beisel.
Instrument Donation
Instrument Donation
Have an unused instrument that you would like to donate? Contact us and let the Erie Philharmonic help put your instrument directly into the hands of a child from across the city!