Diane Wittry

Diane Wittry is an American musical conductor, currently serving as the Music Director and Conductor of both the Allentown Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania (since 1995), and the Norwalk Symphony in Connecticut (since 2002).[1][2]

Background

Internationally during the past few seasons, she has conducted concerts in Japan, Canada, Bosnia, Russia, Slovakia, New York, Washington D.C, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and California, as well as her regularly scheduled concerts with the orchestras in Pennsylvania and Connecticut. She is known as a conductor who “specializes in finding creative ways to make the music fresh, accessible, and exciting.”

In the United States, Diane Wittry has led performances by, among others, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Buffalo Philharmonic, Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, the Little Orchestra Society of New York, and the symphony orchestras of Milwaukee, San Diego, Houston, New Jersey, Santa Barbara, Augusta, Stockton, Pottstown, Wichita, and Wichita Falls; while her international engagements include concerts with the Sarajevo Philharmonic in Bosnia, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Russia’s Maikop and Sochi symphony orchestras, Slovakia’s State Orchestra-Kosice, Italy’s Sinfonia Dell’Arte di Firenze, Canada’s Niagara Symphony, and Japan’s Orchestra Osaka Symphony. She has also conducted at the Ojai Music Festival as well as at the music festivals of Penn’s Woods (PA), and I-Park (CT).

Wittry received her bachelor's degree in violin performance from the University of Southern California in 1983, as well as a Master's degree in instrumental conducting in 1985.[2] From approximately 1988 to 1991, she was director of the Greater Miami Youth Symphony.[3] She then served as music director of the Symphony of Southeast Texas from 1991 to 2000.[2]

She also writes a column for the Norwalk Hour Newspaper in Connecticut.

Recognition

Diane Wittry is known for her programming style that often combines video and still photos with the symphonic experience. She has received the American Symphony Orchestra League’s Helen M. Thompson Award for outstanding artistic leadership of a regional orchestra; she has recently been honored as the Outstanding Alumnae for Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California for 2013; The “Women of Excellence” Award from Beaumont, Texas; and an “Arts Ovation Award” and the “Woman of Distinction Award” from City of Allentown. She is also only the third American to be named a recipient of the Fiorino Doro Award from the city of Vinci, Italy. She has been the subject of profiles in The New York Times and Newsweek.

Diane Wittry was recently named the Artistic Director (USA) for the International Cultural Exchange Program for Classical Musicians through the Sarajevo Philharmonic (Bosnia) and the Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Academy for Arts and Sciences (Chicago). She is also the Music Director of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra (PA), a professional orchestra that performs about 22 concerts per season. In the past, Diane Wittry has been the Music Director and Conductor of the Norwalk Symphony (CT), Artistic Director of the Ridgewood Symphony (NJ), and Music Director and Conductor of The Symphony of Southeast Texas (TX) where her artistic leadership garnered national attention.

Her book Beyond the Baton, (Oxford University Press) about artistic leadership for young conductors and music director was recently re-released in paperback. It is the focus of a yearly International Conducting Workshop in Norwalk, Connecticut which helps emerging conductors put to practical use the elements in the book.[4] Diane Wittry also teaches an International Conducting Workshop in Pleven, Bulgaria. “Beyond the Baton” was nominated for a 2007 Pulitzer Prize and an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award (Oxford University Press, 2007).

References

  1. ↑ Cerreta, Karen (5 October 2002). Norwalk Symphony Prepares for Change with New Symphony Director, The Hour (newspaper)
  2. 1 2 3 Cruice, Valerie (6 October 2002). Norwalk Hands Baton to a Symphony Builder, The New York Times
  3. ↑ (4 May 1991). GIFTED YOUTH ADDING TALENTS TO LOCAL SCENE, Miami Herald ("Diane Wittry will conduct in her last appearance as music director of the orchestra. Wittry, who has done an excellent job of upgrading the group in three years...")
  4. ↑ "Conductor leads seminar for emerging maestros - : Wilton Arts And Life". thehour.com. Retrieved 3 January 2016.

External links

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