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.
Zachary Levi
Assistant Conductor
Originally from the Buffalo, NY area, Zachary Levi lives in Selinsgrove, PA with his wife, Johanna and their two sons, Samuel and Owen and, for the past 15 years, has worked as a cellist, conductor, and music educator in the Central PA region. In the Fall of 2022, Dr. Levi was appointed to the post of Assistant Professor Director of Orchestra at Susquehanna University, after 15 wonderful years of teaching orchestra in the Southern York County School District. As a conductor, Dr. Levi’s posts have included guest conductor of Newark (DE) Symphony, Music Director and Conductor of the York College Orchestra, and Conductor of Center Stage Opera in Harrisburg. He is currently the director of the Allegretto
Orchestra which is the top tier ensemble of Allegro’s Youth Orchestra Program. Guest conducting appearances have included the Central PA Symphony, Hunt Valley Symphony Orchestra, The York Chamber Players at York College, and numerous youth honors orchestras throughout Pennsylvania and New York. In 2019, Dr. Levi earned his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting at Catholic University of America where he studied with Simeone Tartaglione and Murry Sidlin.
As a cellist, Zachary Levi remains active performing with the Susquehanna University Faculty Piano Trio and String Quartet, as well as a member of the York Symphony, Allegro Chamber Orchestra, and Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra. He has performed in the cello
sections with Albany Symphony, Binghamton Philharmonic, Cayuga Chamber Orchestra and the New World Symphony. Dr. Levi received his Master of Music through studies at the University of Akron where he studied with Michael Haber and the University of Cincinnati –
College Conservatory of Music where he studied Lee Fiser. His Bachelor of Music was earned at Ithaca College where he studied with Elizabeth Simkin. He has performed in master classes for David Ying, Steven Doane, Paul Katz, and Yo-yo Ma.
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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Catrina Laubach - Treasurer
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Caroline Fresh
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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 Fresh - Marketing Coordinator
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Sarah Ziegler- Nextgen Youth Music Program Coordinator
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Interested in joining our board? We're currently looking for new board members.
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