About Us
Since its first concert in 2002, Allegro Orchestra Lancaster has brought joyful music to the Lancaster community. Inspired by the vision of founder and Artistic Director Dr. Brian Norcross, Allegro Orchestra Lancaster embodies the classic definition of music by Catherine Drinker Bowen "as a conversation between friends". Most of Allegro's immensely talented professional players are from Lancaster County. Their love of great music, and of playing together, shows in every performance.
Artistic Leadership

Dr. Brian Norcross
Artistic Director
Dr. Brian Norcross is the founding Artistic Director and Conductor of Allegro Orchestra Lancaster. He is also the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Allegro Nextgen Youth Orchestras.
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Dr. Norcross is Senior Director of Instrumental Music and Conducting Studies at Franklin & Marshall College, a position he has held since 1986. He directs the Franklin & Marshall Orchestra, Philharmonia, and Symphonic Wind Ensembles, and he teaches conducting. A champion of new music, he has directed over 100 premiere performances with various ensembles. In addition, he is the Director of Music at First United Methodist Church in Lancaster, where he directs the Chancel Choir and administers the worship music program.
Dr. Norcross is an active guest conductor and clinician in the mid-Atlantic states including appearances with the Pennsylvania Music Educators (PMEA) All-State Wind Ensemble, PMEA Region VI Orchestra, the PMEA Region IV/V Orchestra, the PMEA District 7, 11, and District 12 Orchestras, Harford (MD) All-County Orchestra and Band, Cecil (MD) All-County Band, Carroll County (MD) All-County Band, Lancaster-Lebanon County Music Educators (LLMEA) Orchestra, LLMEA Wind Ensemble, Lancaster County Youth Symphony, Lancaster Bible College Orchestra, Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey, OperaLancaster, The Hershey Symphony, and the Old York Road Symphony Orchestra (Jenkintown, PA). He has also arranged and conducted ten benefit concerts for the Susquehanna Association for the Blind and Vision Impaired.
He received his doctorate, with distinction, from The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C.; his master's, with performance and academic honors from New England Conservatory in Boston, MA; and his bachelor's from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA.
He and his wife Kim are active volunteers in the community and have four children, Molly, Megan, Greyson and Gloria, and two grandchildren, Gabe and Abby.

Melody Cliff
Concert Master
Melody has been performing with Allegro since 2008. She is passionate about sharing the joy of music with the next generation of musicians and audiences alike. Melody is the orchestra director at Lower Dauphin Middle and High Schools, where she has taught for over 16 years.
A native of Elizabethtown, she was a violin student of Odin Rathnam, Melinda Daetsch, and Michael Jamanis. Melody studied Music Education at Lancaster Bible College and earned her Master's Degree in Violin Performance from West Chester University, where she studied with Sylvia Ahramjian.
Melody lives in downtown Lancaster with her husband, Bill, and their three sons, Griffin, Gavin, and Greyson.

Caroline E. Burns
Executive Director
Caroline has served on the Allegro Board of Directors since May 2023, has worked as Allegro's Marketing Coordinator since May 2024, and as of August 2025 serves as Allegro's Executive Director. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Ithaca College and a Master of Science in Arts Administration and Museum Leadership from Drexel University.
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Prior to (and during) her work for Allegro, Caroline served as the Academic Department Coordinator for the Music Department and the Lead Academic Coordinator at Franklin & Marshall College. She has also worked with and participated in the New England Conservatory's Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice (SICPP) and has held various administrative positions in a diverse range of fields.
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Love of music and the joy of sharing it with others is at the heart of everything Caroline does. She and her husband, Jason, have lived in Lancaster since 2022.

Our Musicians
BASS
Brent Edmondson
Brian Krauss
Charlie Burnett
Don Grabowski
John Shank
John Yerger
Michael Banks
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BASSOON
Bryce Troy
Garrett Brown
Kimberly Nolet
Ralph Lehman
Robin Plant
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CELLO
Beth Lavender
Brian Mishler
Greg Flury
John Caldwell
Melissa Brun
Nathan Lavender
Sara Male
Steve Lavender
Zach Levi
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CLARINET
Amy Halteman
Christy Banks
Gary Troxell
Rob Shaubach
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FLUTE
Alice Broadway
CJ Flint
Jana MacKay
Matthew Angelo
Morgann Davis
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HARP
Cheryl Cunningham
Elizabeth Asmus
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HORN
Anne Nye
Elizabeth Pfaffle
Grace Salyards
Jill Graybill
Kristen Albert
Leah Jorgensen
Lori Groff
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OBOE
Jill Hoffmann
Kathy Horein
Lauren Fairfull
Victoria Ritter
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PERCUSSION
Bob Nowak
Brent Behrenshausen
Grace Asuncion
Jim Martin
Jud Brill
Tom Blanchard
PIANO​
Biba Benjamin
Rosemary Blessing
Sara Nyquist
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TROMBONE
Clay Sattazahn
Jerry Heilner
Scott Cullen
Steve Shiffer
Tracy Burke
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EUPHONIUM
Mark Brumbach
Ryan Kriebel
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TRUMPET
Curtis Palmer
Doug Albert
Keith Wiley
PC King
Todd Fulginiti
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TUBA
Caitlin Jodoin
Cody Messersmith
Geoff Davis
Michael Banks
William Grager
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VIOLA
Anthony Scheuerman
Christy Kauffman
Jody Greve
John Hamilton
Michael Gamon
Richard Ney
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​VIOLIN
Amanda Krauss
Betsy Swartz
Brianna Mellon
Chi Park
Christopher Brooks
Corrinne White
Elizabeth Hess
Johanna Levi
Katelyn Kiehl
MaryLee Yerger
Melody Cliff, Concertmaster
Sally Woodman
May Zia
Nile Wilson
Sharon Lambertson
Tara Kenkelen
Venona Detrick
​TIMPANI​
Mark Yingling
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Board
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Jon Clemens - President
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Benjamin Hofmann - Treasurer
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Jerry Heilner
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Beth Lavender
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Marilyn Witte
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Thomas Carr
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Caroline E. Burns - Executive Director & Marketing Coordinator
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Francis Caravella and Robert Schaubach - Nextgen Program Directors
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Interested in joining our board? We're currently looking for new board members.
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Allegro Orchestra Lancaster does not unlawfully discriminate internally (in its administrative and program operations) or externally (in provision of services) on the basis of race, political orientation, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, or mental or physical disability or any other status prohibited by applicable law.
