Allentown Symphony Association Inc

INCORPORATED ON JULY 2, 1951, THE ALLENTOWN SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION (ASA) IS THE OPERATING ORGANIZATION OF THE ALLENTOWN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (ASO)AND MILLER SYMPHONY HALL (MSH). THE MISSION OF THE ASA IS TO PROVIDE A FIRST-CLASS ORCHESTRA AND HALL, QUALITY PERFORMING ARTS, AND CULTURAL EDUCATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY. EACH YEAR, THE ASA FULFILLS ITS MISSION FIRST THROUGH HIGH- QUALITY PROGRAMMING AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES THAT IMPACT COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF ALL AGES AND SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS AND SECOND THROUGH IMPROVEMENTS AND MAINTENANCE OF MILLER SYMPHONY HALL.

THE ALLENTOWN SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION OPERATES THE REGION'S ONLY PROFESSIONAL SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA AND HAS A TRADITION OF BRINGING INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED GUEST ARTISTS AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING TO AUDIENCES IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY AND SURROUNDING REGION. THE ALLENTOWN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, WHOSE 74 CLASSICALLY TRAINED MUSICIANS COME FROM PENNSYLVANIA AND SIX SURROUNDING STATES, HAS RISEN TO HIGH STANDARDS OF ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE UNDER MUSIC DIRECTOR DIANE WITTRY, WHO HAS LED THE ORCHESTRA FOR 27 SEASONS. THE ALLENTOWN SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION IS ONE OF THE FEW SYMPHONIC ORGANIZATIONS IN AMERICA TO OWN ITS OWN PERFORMANCE HALL. OVER THE PAST 22 YEARS, A SERIES OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, BEGINNING WITH THE FOWLER EDUCATION WING, TRANSFORMED THE 1899-ERA THEATER INTO THE FIRST-CLASS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER IT IS TODAY. WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE LYRIC ROOM IN 2018, MILLER SYMPHONY HALL OFFERS THREE PERFORMANCE SPACES AND FACILITIES THAT CAN BE RENTED BY THE PUBLIC FOR MEETINGS, CONFERENCES, AND SPECIAL EVENTS. DURING REGULAR SEASONS, THE ALLENTOWN SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION PRODUCES, HOSTS, OR PRESENTS MORE THAN 50 TOTAL PERFORMANCES EACH SEASON: 20 ALLENTOWN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CLASSICAL, POPS, AND YOUTH & FAMILY CONCERTS; 12 JAZZ UPSTAIRS PERFORMANCES; 14 MET IN HD BROADCASTS; AND A VARIETY OF OTHER PROGRAMS, INCLUDING LIVE ONSTAGE CONCERTS, AND MORE INTIMATE MUSICAL AND COMEDIC OFFERINGS IN THE LYRIC ROOM. WITH THE ONSET OF PUBLIC HEALTH RESTRICTIONS, THE ALLENTOWN SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION REIMAGINED ITS 2020-2021 SEASON WITH CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERTS AND JAZZ PERFORMANCES RECORDED AND STREAMED FROM MILLER SYMPHONY HALL. ALTHOUGH THE SYMPHONY COULD NOT PROVIDE LIVE MUSIC DURING THIS SEASON, THE STAFF CREATED A SERIES OF ONLINE PERFORMANCES UNDER THE BANNER OF MILLER SYMPHONY HALL @ HOME. BEGINNING IN OCTOBER 2020, THE ALLENTOWN SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION CREATED A SERIES OF CONCERTS PERFORMED BY A REDUCED ORCHESTRA, IN KEEPING WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS, WHICH WERE RECORDED LIVE AND BROADCAST ONLINE FOR PATRONS. DURING THE 2020-2021 SEASON, EIGHT OF THESE CONCERTS WERE CREATED, FOR WHICH OVER 1,500 UNIQUE STREAMS WERE PURCHASED IN TOTAL. OTHER PERFORMANCES INCLUDED PREVIOUS SEASONS' CONCERTS, CHAMBER MUSIC PERFORMANCES FROM COLLABORATIONS WITH THE ARTS AT ST. JOHN'S CHURCH PROGRAM, AND JAZZ UPSTAIRS PERFORMANCES PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PBS39 WLVT. THE ALLENTOWN SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION'S EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS ALSO OPERATED VIRTUALLY DURING THE 2020-2021 SEASON. THE YOUTH AND FAMILY CONCERT, "PETER AND THE WOLF PLUS MUSIC FROM AROUND THE WORLD," WAS STREAMED ONLINE, PREMIERING ON JANUARY 30, 2021. FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS VIEWED STREAMS OF THIS PERFORMANCE. EL SISTEMA LEHIGH VALLEY BEGAN ITS 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR OF PROGRAMMING ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2020. DUE TO THE CONTINUED CLOSURE OF THE ALLENTOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT, LESSONS WERE HELD ONLINE OVER DAILY ZOOM VIDEO CALLS ON MONDAY-FRIDAY FROM 3:00 PM TO 7:00 PM. EACH WEEK, THE 50 PARTICIPATING STUDENTS ATTENDED TWO ENSEMBLE CLASSES WITH STUDENTS AT THEIR EXPERIENCE LEVEL, ONE FULL CLASS WITH ALL EL SISTEMA LEHIGH VALLEY STUDENTS, AND AT LEAST ONE INSTRUMENTAL OR VOCAL LESSON HELD ONE-ON-ONE WITH ONE OF THE PROGRAM'S INSTRUCTORS.