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Education
The Erie Philharmonic is fortunate to have a long-standing Education program, with oversight from the hard working Education Committee. One of the highlights of this program is the Erie Junior Philharmonic. The Jr. Phil has increased its numbers to more that sixty young people who gather to rehearse and perform from September to June.
The Music Director of the Jr. Phil is Robert Dolwick; Principal Trumpet of the Erie Philharmonic. As part of this program, individual ensembles are offered to encourage students within their own section of the orchestra. There are two string programs, which feed into the Jr. Phil, the Intermezzo Strings and the Prelude Strings, led by Orchestra violinist Jennifer Jansen. The Woodwind Ensemble is led by Principal Flute, LeAnne Wistrom; the Brass Ensemble by Robert Dolwick; and the Percussion Ensemble by Orchestra Percussionist, Brad Amidon.
The Junior Phil has just made a new home at Fairview Middle School in Fairview PA, and you may find out more about the orchestra here.
The second most important function of our Education program is the Youth Concert experience. The Erie Philharmonic holds two Youth Concerts, in October of each year, which attract approximately 5,000 students and chaperones to the Warner Theatre.
Goals of this concert include the performance of serious orchestra literature, audience participation, instrument demonstrations and information from the conductor. This year our Youth Concerts will have the theme "What Charlie Heard" from the book by the same name by Mordicai Gerstein. It is about musical influences on the life and music of Charles Ives, and will be conducted by Peter Stafford Wilson on Thursday, October 18th. The concerts are principally designed for students from 8 to 13, however we have had students of all ages attend. If you would like more information about this program, please contact Elaine Braun at ebraun@eriephil.org or call the Philharmonic office at 814 455 1375.
For the adult concert-goer, we offer informal talks at the Symphonic Concerts by WQLN Classical Music host Wally Faas. These talks begin at 7:15pm on concert nights, and are free to anyone holding a ticket to the concert. Wally is noted for his fresh approach to the music, and his talks will feature brief visits from performers and/or conductors.
It has also been a goal of the Erie Philharmonic to provide in-school programs. Our conductors will go out into the schools during their time with us, and as well, musicians and staff have made presentations in local schools. It is hoped that in the near future, we will be able to offer a string ensemble to schools in the tri-county area.
