Nittany Valley Symphony Celebrates Diamond Anniversary
By Hannah Pollock
When her son began learning how to play the violin, Avis Jones remembered the viola she played in high school. She enjoyed playing the instrument, although only for a year.
“My husband surprised me with viola lessons,” Jones says.
In her mid-30s, she took lessons — relearning the basics and remembering the joy of playing music. Those lessons and a conversation with a founding member have led to 40 years of playing her viola in the Nittany Valley Symphony.
“I stuck with it and made some of my best friends,” she says.
Jones is one of many members who have come together to make music for 60 years in the Centre Region.
The Nittany Valley Symphony began as a small but mighty group organized by Ann Keller, who wanted to perform concerts in the schools and community to grow music in the area. She organized a symphonic performance at the first Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.
“It was originally created so people who aren’t professional musicians had a place and community to play with,” says executive director, Rebecca Richards. “We are still a community orchestra.”
Today, the symphony includes 60 to 80 members. Some players are paid, while others volunteer their time and talent. Most are from Centre County and have full-time careers in other fields. They come together for the love of music, rehearsing as a group six or seven times before performing for the community.
The Nittany Valley Symphony has been a community for Jones and extension of her family over the past four decades. Although initially nervous, Jones continued attending rehearsals. She grew her love of music and friendships, both of which proved to be lifelong.
“I think one of the nicest things is to be this age and have close friends who are my age and older, and as young as their 20s,” says Jones, who will celebrate her 80th birthday this month.
Two years into playing with the group, Jones was elected president of the symphony. With community and volunteer support, she led efforts to become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, establish a board of directors, form committees, fundraise for future seasons, create advertising, and sell tickets.
The group brought in a paid conductor and continued to grow.
“They help you shape every single note, piece, and phrase,” she says of the conductors.
Current conductor and musical director Timothy Farrand officially began his tenure in 2023. Farrand earned a master’s degree in conducting and has been active in the State College music community. The symphony invited him to guest conduct two concerts in 2022 after the passing of Michael Jinbo, who served as conductor and director for 32 years.
“The Nittany Valley Symphony has been a wonderful organization to work with musically and collaboratively, with a bunch of wonderful human beings,” Farrand says.
In preparation for its 60th season, Farrand went through the Nittany Valley Symphony’s archives to select pieces from the group’s history. The performances flow throughout the season, varying from pops to chamber and classical music pieces.
The anniversary season will culminate in April 2027 with “Dreamers and Visionaries: 60th Anniversary Celebration” at the Penn State Eisenhower Auditorium.
“The most rewarding element is to see it come to fruition,” he says. “Each musician puts their own touch on the music and their personalities shine through. The process is incredibly rewarding.”
Honoring the symphony’s history while connecting with audience members is important to Farrand.
“Music is tapping into these stories of every facet of our human experience,” Farrand says.
Compositions from Beethoven and Dvorak investigate the peaks and valleys of humanity.
“It’s a deeply personal experience for every single person — and it’s their own experience.”
Richards, Farrand, and Jones each expressed gratitude for the part the Nittany Valley Symphony has played in their lives. They hope the group will continue to play for years to come.
“It’s very exciting to do all this preparation to perform and have people enjoying what you’re producing,” Jones says. “It’s wonderful that we’re still around after 60 years.”
Jones encouraged the community to check out one of the upcoming performances.
“You don’t realize how much you love classical music because you haven’t sat and listened,” she says. “Come to a concert, close your eyes and let your emotions go. See what you feel. Music brings out all the feelings you have that words are not powerful enough to convey.”
The Nittany Valley Symphony and its members perform in a variety of venues around the Centre Region. Learn more about the Nittany Valley Symphony and check out its 60th anniversary season online at nvs.org. T&G
Hannah Pollock is a writer, photographer, and retired string instrument player who was inspired by this story to take her violin out of its case.
