Nittany Valley Symphony

The Nittany Valley Symphony is a community orchestra that has been performing in Centre County since 1967.

The symphony was organized by Ann Keller of State College to perform at the first Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. She recruited local musicians, most of whom held other jobs.

The orchestra began performing regularly with concerts held at the State College High School auditorium. During the early years the orchestra members sometimes outnumbered the audience.

The Nittany Valley Symphony, which was conducted by Michael Jinbo for 32 years, is comprised of professional and amateur musicians. (Nittany Valley Symphony)

Today, the symphony comprises more than fifty professional and amateur musicians. Concerts are held before large audiences at Penn State’s Eisenhower Auditorium, as well as other venues in the county. The orchestra celebrated its 50 th anniversary in 2017 with a concert that featured the works of Johannes Brahms, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Dmitri Shostakovich.

Michael Jinbo served as conductor and music director of the symphony for thirty-two years. A violinist who conducted orchestras around the world, Jinbo also was the music director of the Pierre Monteux School and Music Festival. He died in 2022.

The symphony is now led by conductor and music director Timothy Farrand. A Penn State graduate, he served as music director of the Central Pennsylvania Youth Orchestra and a guest conductor with the Altoona Symphony Orchestra.

The Nittany Valley Symphony sponsors the annual Ann Keller Young Soloist Competition. Named in honor of the woman who founded the symphony, the competition is open to pianists and other instrumentalists in grades 9-12. Winners receive a cash prize and perform with the orchestra at its annual family concert.