MISSION
The mission of the Allentown Symphony Association is to provide
a first-class symphony orchestra and Hall, quality performing arts,
and cultural education in partnership with the community.

HISTORY

ALLENTOWN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Allentown Symphony Orchestra offers you extraordinary music-making through its Classical Series conducted by our esteemed Music Director and Conductor, Diane Wittry, and the Pops Series with Associate Conductor Ron Demkee.

Renowned classical and popular artists are showcased as the Orchestra performs favorite masterworks, newly commissioned world premieres and other unusual and intriguing repertoire. The orchestra’s classically trained professional musicians are drawn from Pennsylvania and six surrounding states. Under Wittry’s leadership the Symphony has risen to increasing standards of excellence, performing with passion and commitment. Maestra Wittry is known for her innovative programming style, creating concerts with their own personality and sense of occasion. She also has been a stellar advocate for outreach.

There have been only two other conductors of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra. Its first conductor was Lehigh Valley’s own Donald Voorhees, who achieved national celebrity as the conductor of the studio orchestra for NBC’s Emmy-award winning Television and Radio Show, The Bell Telephone Hour. Voorhees was the conductor of the Allentown Symphony for 32 years until 1983. During his tenure, Voorhees brought legendary guests artists such as Marian Anderson, Alicia de Larrocha, Van Cliburn, Leontyn Price, and Jascha Heifetz, from the Telephone Hour to perform with the Allentown Symphony.

Voorhees was succeeded by William Smith (1986-1993) who also served as assistant conductor to the Philadelphia Orchestra under their famous conductor Eugene Ormandy.

Presenting concerts for all ages and backgrounds, the Allentown Symphony is only one of a handful of American orchestras to have its own acoustically superb concert hall. With its long and stellar history, the Allentown Symphony Orchestra continues to serve as a beacon of the arts for the Lehigh Valley and beyond.

Local

Eat and Drink

• 904 West Restaurant & Lounge - Allentown (0.4 miles) - 904 West Restaurant & Lounge “has you covered". The only way to see, experience and taste it f...
• Hummus House LLC - Allentown (1.1 miles) - We are a cafe style restaurant that caters to Vegans, vegetarians as well as gourmet delicatessen sa...
• vynecrest winery - breinigsville (9.5 miles) - Lehigh Valley Wine Region. Established in 1974, we have a long history of producing quality wines fo...
• Maxim's 22 French Bistro & Brasserie - Easton (14.9 miles) - Casual, elegant brasserie & bar known for oysters, steaks, burgers & traditional French cuisine. Enj...
• Sette Luna Tuscan Trattoria - Easton (15.0 miles) - Sette Luna offers traditional tuscan fare including wood-fired pizza & risotto along with a Sunday b...

See and Do

• Allentown Symphony Association allentown (0.0 miles) - MISSION The mission of the Allentown Symphony Association is to provide a first-class symphony orc...
• Liberty Bell Museum Allentown (0.1 miles) - The Liberty Bell Museum is home to an exact replica copy of the Liberty Bell (that you can ring), re...
• The Alternative Gallery allentown (0.7 miles) - The Alternative Gallery is a non-profit art center which provides a full art gallery, artist studio ...
• America On Wheels Museum Allentown (0.7 miles) - America On Wheels is an over the road transportation museum located in Allentown, PA. The 43,000 squa...
• Civic Theatre of Allentown Allentown (1.6 miles) - Civic Theatre of Allentown is a 501c3 non-profit organization with over 80 years of history in the L...

Shopping

• Flint Hill Farm Educational Center, Inc. - Coopersburg (8.1 miles) - Flint Hill Farm dates from about 1850. We invite you to come "be a farmer for a day" or long...
• The Douglas House Marketplace - Jim Thorpe (22.9 miles) - The Douglas House Marketplace is Jim Thorpe's only retail mall consisting of two levels of fine ...