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Diane Wittry Announces Plans to Conclude Tenure as Music Director and Conductor in 2028
January 22, 2026
The Allentown Symphony Association (ASA) announced today that Diane Wittry has decided to step down as Music Director and Conductor in 2028, which will conclude an extraordinary 33-year tenure leading the Allentown Symphony Orchestra. Wittry will conduct her final concert in the fall of 2027 but will continue to serve as Music Director through May 2028, working closely with the Board of Directors and staff to ensure a smooth and thoughtful leadership transition.
The ASA Board of Directors is forming a search committee effective immediately to lead a national search for the orchestra’s next Music Director and Conductor.
Wittry’s tenure will be the longest in the orchestra’s history, surpassing that of Donald Voorhees, who served as conductor and music director for 32 years from 1951 to 1983.
Wittry leaves a deep and enduring legacy of artistic excellence, innovation, and growth. Since making her Allentown Symphony conducting debut in 1995, she has championed adventurous programming that paired underperformed masterworks with new and contemporary compositions. From the outset, she raised artistic standards by challenging the orchestra musically and increasing rehearsal and preparation expectations, attracting highly accomplished musicians to audition from across the region, including New York, New Jersey, and Delaware.
An early adopter of immersive concert experiences, Wittry expanded the orchestra’s creative reach by integrating lighting, visual design, video, actors, dancers, and vocalists into performances—broadening audience engagement while reimagining the orchestral concert experience.
In the 1996–97 season, following a major bequest from Leigh and Edwin Schadt, Wittry helped establish the National Schadt String Competition, now widely recognized as one of the premier string competitions in the United States. Under her leadership, the orchestra experienced sustained expansion, including expanding the Classical concerts to double performances, the addition of Pops Concerts, Family Concerts, and a landmark partnership with the Repertory Dance Theatre to present The Nutcracker annually each December.
Additional milestones during Wittry’s tenure include the formal establishment of the Allentown Symphony Chorus in 2010 and the launch of the Holiday Pops concert in 2021, which has sold out every year since its inception.
A passionate advocate for new music, Wittry led the orchestra in commissioning and performing more than 36 world premieres, including four of her own compositions. In 2020, she helped launch both the Composer-in-Residence program and the Composer Collaborative, further reinforcing the orchestra’s commitment to living composers and contemporary voices.
Education and community engagement have remained central to Wittry’s vision. She introduced the “Meet the Artist” luncheon series, launched the Conducting Fellows program in 2010, and spearheaded El Sistema Lehigh Valley in 2011—an intensive music education initiative that now serves approximately 150 students from more than 20 schools throughout the region. In 2024, the ASA formed its Latin Leadership Committee to deepen engagement with Allentown’s growing Latin community and hired its first Musician-in-Residence in 2025.
Among the most ambitious and far-reaching projects of her tenure was a landmark Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony initiative that extended orchestral performance well beyond the concert hall. Beethoven’s Ninth was presented in two distinct performances at Miller Symphony Hall—one recorded for a regional broadcast in partnership with PBS39, and a second recorded to create Become a Musician: Beethoven’s Ninth Finale, an immersive interactive exhibit launched in January 2026 at the Da Vinci Science Center. Together, these performances transformed a single artistic vision into lasting public resources, introducing thousands of people to orchestral music through broadcast, education, and hands-on participation in a manner believed to be the first permanent orchestral exhibit of its kind in the United States.
Reflecting on her decision, Wittry said, “After many years of heartfelt music making, I have decided to retire from my position as Music Director and Conductor of the Allentown Symphony in the spring of 2028. Together, we have built an orchestra of exceptional professional quality, expanded our concert offerings, championed new music, and deepened our partnerships throughout the Lehigh Valley. I am profoundly proud of what we have accomplished and grateful for the unwavering support of the musicians, board, staff, and community. I remain fully committed to working closely with the Board during this transition, and I look forward to the inspiring music we will continue to make together in the seasons ahead.”
“Diane Wittry’s impact on the Allentown Symphony Orchestra is both profound and lasting,” said Jack Bury, President of the Allentown Symphony Association Board of Directors. “For more than three decades, she has led with extraordinary artistic vision, integrity, and commitment—raising the orchestra to the highest professional standards while expanding its reach through education, new music, and deep community engagement. With the formation of a search committee now underway, we are grateful for Diane’s partnership in ensuring a thoughtful transition and are confident the orchestra is well positioned for continued artistic excellence and growth.”
Al Jacobsen, Executive Director of the Allentown Symphony Association, added, “Working alongside Diane Wittry has been one of the great privileges of my professional life. Her artistic leadership has elevated the Allentown Symphony Orchestra in every dimension—from performance quality and innovative programming to education, community partnerships, and national recognition. Diane has built not only an exceptional orchestra, but a culture of excellence, collaboration, and service. We are deeply grateful for her leadership and for her continued partnership as we thoughtfully prepare for the orchestra’s next chapter.”
Today, Wittry is internationally respected as both a conductor and educator. She has conducted performances in more than eleven countries, including Russia, China, Japan, Bosnia, Slovakia, Italy, and Canada. She is the author of two award-winning books published by Oxford University Press—Beyond the Baton: What Every Conductor Needs to Know and Baton Basics: Communicating Music through Gesture—both considered foundational texts in the conducting profession. In 2015, she was named one of Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals in Music.
Under Diane Wittry’s leadership, the Allentown Symphony Orchestra has become one of the Lehigh Valley’s leading cultural institutions, recognized for artistic excellence, educational impact, and deep community connection. Her extended transition timeline allows the organization to honor her legacy while positioning the orchestra for continued success in its next chapter.
About Diane Wittry
Diane Wittry, named nationally as one of the “Top 30 Professional Musicians” by Musical America Worldwide for her work leading orchestras, is a highly respected conductor in the United States today. Frequently engaged as a guest conductor, she has led symphonic performances in more than 11 countries and throughout the U.S.
American Orchestras Wittry has guest conducted include: The Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Milwaukee Symphony, The San Diego Symphony, The Buffalo Philharmonic, among others, and she was one of the first woman to guest conduct at the renown Ojai Music Festival, CA. International Orchestras include: The Zabre Philharmonic (Poland), The Niagara Symphony (Canada), The Sarajevo Philharmonic (Bosnia), The National Orchestra of Ukraine (Ukraine), The Sochi Symphony (Russia), The Maikop Symphony (Russia), State Orchestra of Kosice (Slovakia), The Sinfonia Dell’Arte di Firenze (Italy), The Osaka Symphony Orchestra (Japan), among others.
Currently the Music Director of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, PA, under Diane Wittry’s artistic leadership, the orchestra has risen to increasing standards of excellence, performing exciting music with passion and dedication, winning 1st place for the prestigious national “American Prize” for artistic quality in both 2014 and 2017, receiving national NEA Grants, commissioning new pieces of music, and featuring exceptional soloists like Midori, Emanuel Ax, Garrick Ohlsson, Yefim Bronfman, Angela Meade, and Branford Marsalis.
In addition to her work with the ASO, Diane Wittry has been the Music Director and Conductor of the Garden State Philharmonic, NJ; and has served as the Associate Conductor of the renowned Ojai Music Festival (CA); the Artistic Director of the International Music Program with the Sarajevo Philharmonic, Bosnia; and Music Director and Conductor of the Symphony of Southeast Texas, the Norwalk Symphony (CT), and the Ridgewood Symphony (NJ).
Wittry is an award-winning author, composer, and teacher. Her two books, Beyond the Baton, and Baton Basics-Communicating Music through Gestures, have become standards in the field, and she has given presentations at the Juilliard School of Music, the Curtis Institute, the Manhattan School of Music, and for the League of American Orchestras and the Conductors Guild National Conferences. She also teaches Conducting Workshops in the Czech Republic and throughout the United States.
Wittry has received the national Helen M. Thompson Award from the League of American Orchestras, the USC Thornton School of Music Outstanding Alumnus Award, the Gold Crown Award (Pasadena, CA), the Women of Excellence Award (Beaumont, TX), and the Arts Ovation Award and the Woman of Distinction Award (Allentown, PA).
More information on her work is available at her website, DianeWittry.com
Twitter: @DianeWittry
Facebook: Diane Wittry
Instagram: @DianeWittry
Allentown Symphony Orchestra
Each year, the ASO performs more than 20 classical, pops, educational, and family concerts. With passion and finesse, the Allentown Symphony, led by Music Director & Conductor Diane Wittry, plays time-honored masterworks, newly commissioned world premieres, and intriguing repertoire, including works by prominent new composers.
Exciting world-class artists who have performed with the ASO include Midori, Emanuel Ax, Richard Stoltzman, Garrick Ohlsson, Angela Meade, and Peter Serkin, as well as jazz trumpeter Byron Stripling, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, and Broadway vocalist Christiane Noll. The orchestra’s classically trained musicians include players from the major urban centers of New York, Baltimore-D.C., and Philadelphia.
Music Director Diane Wittry, a California native, is known for her innovative programming style, using video, dancers, subtitles, and other visuals to create a true concert experience. She has been a stellar advocate for music education outreach for all ages and skill levels.
The ASO has received music commissioning grants from the National Endowment of the Arts, and from the League of American Orchestras in support of its El Sistema-inspired program for at-risk youth. The Symphony Association also biennially hosts the National Schadt String Competition which attracts top young performers from all over the world.
Now in its 75th season, the Allentown Symphony will continue its pursuit of excellence with passion, keeping alive the legacy of master works while bringing the works of modern masters to the concert stage for the enjoyment of our patrons.
Miller Symphony Hall
One of Pennsylvania’s Most Beautiful Concert Halls.
Once the home of vaudeville, burlesque and Broadway-bound theatricals, Miller Symphony Hall has showcased the comedy of Bob Hope, George Burns and Gracie Allen, the magical voices of Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett and Placido Domingo, the stirring marches of the Allentown Band, and the musical perfection of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra.
It began its life in the 1800’s as a large, three-story central marketplace. The building was converted to a theatre in 1899 by the renowned architect J.B. McElfatrick and renamed the Lyric. Today it is one of only a dozen of 200 McElfatrick prized ‘beaux arts’ theatres that have survived.
In 1959, with the help of Call-Chronicle newspaper owners Sam and Donald Miller, the Lyric was purchased by the Allentown Symphony Association (established in 1951) as a permanent home for its symphony orchestra, and re-christened Symphony Hall.
Since 1990, $12 million has been raised by the Allentown Symphony Association from public and private sources to renovate this elegant pre-1900’s theatre, a major accomplishment for any size community. Renovations continue to this day, with more plans for future projects that are essential to future progress.
In 2012, it was renamed Miller Symphony Hall in honor of the family who saved it and who continue to support it today. The Hall has helped catalyze the redevelopment of Allentown’s urban core. As a multi-use performing arts center, it serves as a performance space for the Allentown Symphony Orchestra and a range of diverse artistic organizations that help create a vibrant community for all of us.
Serving as a cultural destination for the greater Lehigh Valley and beyond, Miller Symphony Hall is the Lehigh Valley’s premier performing arts center. We invite you to create some memories of your own at Miller Symphony Hall.
Press Inquiries
Lori Beneyton, Director of Marketing
Allentown Symphony Association
Phone: (610) 674-4382
Email: lbeneyton@allentownsymphony.org
Website: www.millersymphonyhall.org