Allentown Symphony Orchestra
Allentown Symphony Orchestra Diane Wittry, Music Director / Conductor
donate
Allentown Symphony Orchestra

Allentown Symphony Chorus

Allentown Symphony Chorus Sponsor: JILL & ALFRED DOUGLASS, III
in memory of Roberta Raker Hudders & William Strauss Hudders

The Allentown Symphony Chorus is an auditioned professional level chorus that will be featured at least once a year with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra. This chorus is designed to not compete with other Lehigh Valley choruses and will only rehearse eight weeks prior to this year’s featured concert. The Allentown Symphony Chorus will be comprised of approximately 50 voices. There are additional requirements for openings in the paid Section Leaders and Assistant Section Leaders positions. There will be auditions for paid Section Leaders and Assistant Section Leaders. There will also be auditions for positions in a Scholarship Quartet, which will be open to local college students upon teacher recommendation.

The Chorus will sing at the Allentown Symphony Pops Concert, Broadway Rocks, in September 2025 and in the spring concerts, Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26, with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra performing the Mozart Requiem.

View the Auditions Page

Eduardo Azzati, Chorus Master
Sponsored by JOHN BERSETH & CAROL DOREY

Eduardo Azzati is a versatile musician with 35+ years of experience as voice instructor, vocal coach, choral and instrumental conductor, singer, music educator and keyboardist.

During the late 80’s and 90’s he gained popularity as a soloist and choral conductor in his homeland, Argentina, where he directed many choral and orchestral ensembles and sang with important orchestras, including the National Symphony Orchestra.

During the 10-year period between 1987 and 1997, while still in Argentina, Mr. Azzati held many positions as a choral director in many different settings, including Elementary, Middle and High School, church and community.  Among other positions Mr. Azzati was the Associate Conductor of the award-winning National Youth Choir of Argentina, Director of Choral Activities and Conductor of the award-winning choirs at the K-12 St. Agnes School, Director of Choral Activities and Conductor at the K-12 St. Andrew’s School, Artistic Director and Conductor of Grupo Coral Kantus, a college-age youth community chorus, and Director of the Chorale de L’Alliance Française of Martínez.

As a solo singer Mr. Azzati has performed many bass/baritone solo roles in many of the great sacred choral-orchestral works of Bach, Handel, Mozart, Haydn, Mendelssohn, etc. as well as the art songs of the German, French, British, American and Spanish repertoires.  He also feels a strong connection with, passion and love for American Music Theater literature, and has taught it for decades.

Mr. Azzati has thirty years of experience teaching voice in the private studio setting as well as at the collegiate level.  His teaching philosophy and approach are founded on the anatomical and physiological principles and mechanics of voice function and their specific application to the different music genres and styles.  He’s a firm believer in the old Italian adage “si canta come si parla” (“we sing like we speak”), which has a foundation on speech and language leading the act of singing.

Mr. Azzati has been on the music faculty at Muhlenberg College since 2017 and is currently a Visiting Associate Professor of Music, Artistic Director and Conductor of the College Choir and the Chamber Choir, and Instructor of applied voice.

He is also the Chorus Master of the Allentown Symphony Chorus and has prepared the chorus for performances of Mozart Requiem, Beethoven 9th Symphony, Orff Carmina Burana and Mahler 2nd (Resurrection) Symphony, Rutter Gloria, Gershwin Porgy and Bess and many other choral projects.

Between 1999 and 2023 Mr. Azzati was the Director of Music at Yardley United Methodist Church, in Yardley, PA.  During his 24-year tenure at Yardley UMC Mr. Azzati  directed and accompanied adult and youth vocal and handbell choirs, accompanied solo singers and instrumentalists, and led congregational singing and provided music for all worship services.

Between 1998 and 2022 Mr. Azzati was on the music faculty at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA. He was the recipient of the 2005 T. Edgar Shields Prize for “excellence in studio teaching, contributions to music scholarship and participation in professional musical activities, and a quality relationship to music students.”  During his 25-year tenure at Moravian College and as an Artist-Lecturer in Voice and Conducting, he taught applied voice, voice-related courses and conducting.  For 14 seasons he was also the director of the Moravian College Women’s Chorus.

Mr. Azzati holds a Bachelor’s Degree in music with a specialization in choral conducting from Juan José Castro State Conservatory of Music, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and a Master’s Degree in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, Princeton, NJ.

He is the co-founder, 2-term past president and current member of the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

Mr. Azzati resides in Bethlehem with his wife Carole Burkhardt, also a singer and retired music educator.  They have three children, Mica, Lukas and Pablo and a short-haired German pointer/brown Lab mix, Hershey.

CRISTINA DINELLA MAKOWICZ, Rehearsal Accompanist

CAROLE BURKHARDT, Chorus Manager

Choir Positions

Section Leader (Honorarium)

Assistant Section Leader (Honorarium)

Scholarship Quartet (Honorarium/Scholarship)

Chorister (volunteer) 

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

Mandatory excerpts from upcoming work (see Chorus Auditions Page)

*Those auditioning for Section Leader, Assistant Section Leader or Scholarship Quartet will most likely have additonal requirements.

**Concerts and all rehearsals will be held in Miller Symphony Hall, 23 North 6th Street, Allentown PA unless otherwise noted.

Rehearsal Schedule for the 25/26 Season:

FALL REHEARSALS for Allentown Symphony Pops Broadway Rocks Concert
Thursday, September 11, 2025  7:00-9:30pm MSH (Rodale Room) 

Thursday, September 18, 2025  7:00-9:30pm MSH (Rodale Room)
Thursday, September 25, 2025  7:00-9:30pm MSH (Rodale Room)
Friday, September 26, 2025       7:00-9:30pm (Stage tech rehearsal)
Saturday, September 27, 2025  1:30-4:30pm   Dress Rehearsal (Stage)

Saturday, September 27, 2025  7:00pm  Broadway Rocks Concert (Stage) call 6:30pm (Rodale Room)

SPRING REHEARSALS for Allentown Symphony Orchestra Mozart Requiem

Thursday, March 5, 2026      7:00-9:30pm (Rodale Room)
Thursday, March 12, 2026    7:00-9:30pm (Rodale Room)
Thursday, March 19, 2026    7:00-9:30pm (Rodale Room)
Thursday, March 26, 2026    7:00-9:30pm (Rodale Room)
Thursday, April 9, 2026         7:00-9:30pm (Rodale Room)
Thursday, April 16, 2026       7:00-9:30pm (Rodale Room)
Monday, April 20, 2026         7:00-9:30pm (Symphony Hall stage w/ DW)
Thursday, April 23, 2026     7:00-9:30 Symphony Hall stage
Friday, April 24, 2026 7:00-9:30 Symphony Hall stage

Saturday, April 25, 2026 Mozart Requiem Concert 6:30pm Call Rodale Room

Sunday, April 26, 2026 Mozart Requiem Concert 1:00 pm Call Rodale Room

Attendance Policy

Attendance at all rehearsals and performances is the responsibility of each member of the Allentown Symphony Chorus.  If, for some personal or professional reason, you must miss a rehearsal, you must notify the Chorus Director, in writing, at least two weeks in advance.  No more than one absence per year/concert cycle will be permitted.  No absences are permitted during the week of the concert performances with the Orchestra. 

Music

Each person will be responsible for providing their own music and black folder.

Dress

Black tuxedo with white shirt and bow tie for men 
Long black dress or black pants and blouse with ¾ or full-length sleeves for women
Black shoes and socks/stockings for both men & women

Questions?

Contact chorus@allentownsymphony.org

Donate