Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra facts for kids
The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra (DPO) is a professional music group located in Dayton, Ohio. It started way back in 1933! The DPO is part of big groups like the League of American Orchestras, which means it's a respected and important orchestra. They mostly play classical music, but sometimes they also perform world music, pop songs, jazz, and even rock-n-roll.
Every year, from September to May, the orchestra is super busy! They put on about 9 concerts with the full orchestra, 4 concerts with a smaller group called a chamber orchestra, and 4 operas with the Dayton Opera. They also have 3 fun family concerts, 4 special concerts for young people, and a series called SuperPops. Plus, they play for other special events throughout the year.
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History of the Orchestra
The DPO has been performing at the Schuster Performing Arts Center since 2003. Before that, they played their concerts at places like Dayton Memorial Hall, the Dayton Convention Center, and the Victoria Theatre. The orchestra has been led by their Musical Director Neal Gittleman since 1995.
Main Orchestra Conductors
- 1933-1975 - Paul Katz
- 1975-1987 - Charles Wendelken-Wilson
- 1987-1994 - Isaiah Jackson
- 1994–present - Neal Gittleman
Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra
The Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (DPYO) was started in 1937 by Paul Katz. It's one of the oldest youth orchestras in the United States, actually the 3rd oldest!
The DPYO performs three concerts every season. They've even been invited to play at big music conferences, like the Ohio Music Education Association conferences in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2014, and 2018. The Youth Orchestra often performs in the Dayton Philharmonic’s family concert series. They've worked with cool groups like Cirque de la Symphonie, Zoot Theatre, and the Dayton Ballet II Senior Company. For their 80th anniversary in 2017-2018, they asked a local composer, Austin Jaquith, to write a special song just for them!
The DPYO gets support from different groups, including the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. They rehearse every week during the school year at the University of Dayton's Raymond L. Fitz Hall.
DPYO Conductors
- 1937-1941 - Paul Katz
- 1941-1968 - Marjorie Kline
- 1968-1976 - Jaroslav Holesovsky
- 1976-1978 - Ken Miller
- 1978-1995 - William J. Steinohrt
- 1995-1999 - Peter Ciaschini
- 2000–present - Patrick Reynolds
Dayton Philharmonic Youth Strings
The Dayton Philharmonic Youth Strings is an orchestra for students who play string instruments, like violins, violas, cellos, and basses. Students in grades 6 through 12 can try out to join this group. It used to be called the Dayton Philharmonic Junior String Orchestra, but the name changed in 2011.
Youth Strings Conductors
- 1982-1991 - William R. Scutt
- 1991-1998 - Xiao-Guang Zhu
- 1998-2009 - Karen Young
- 2009–present - Betsey Hofeldt
Dayton Philharmonic Junior Strings
The Dayton Philharmonic Junior Strings was created in 2014. This group is for younger string players, usually in grades 4 to 8, who might not be quite ready for the Youth Strings yet. Students can audition to join this orchestra too.
Junior Strings Conductors
- 2014–present - Kara Camfield
