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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

Artistic Leadership

Photo of artistic Director Brian Norcross

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.

Photo of Concertmaster Melody Cliff
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.

Photo of NextGen Director Zach Levi

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.

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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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Our Musicians
Board
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Board

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Interested in joining our board? We're currently looking for new board members.

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Contact us!

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