 |
|
|
M. Scott Robinson, President, CEO
scottrobinson@lancastersymphony.org
Shelley Cohen Hershey, Development Director
shelley@lancastersymphony.org
Thomas Blanchard, Artistic Administrator and Personnel Manager
tomblanchard@lancastersymphony.org
Nancy LeVasseur, Director of Education and Grants, Web Content Manager
nancy@lancastersymphony.org
Barb McConnell, Subscription/Business Manager
barb@lancastersymphony.org
Heather Colosi, Special Events and Marketing Director
heather@lancastersymphony.org
Michelle McGovern, Administrative, Operations, and Personnel Associate
michelle@lancastersymphony.org
M. Scott Robinson, President, CEO
M. Scott Robinson is recognized as one of the country's leading professionals in the arts management field. He has a broad background in program and audience development, strategic planning and successful collaborative ventures. His eighteen-year experience includes management work with national and international touring companies and at the major performance venues in the region including the Academy of Music, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Mann Center for the Performing Arts and the Merriam Theater. Robinson is a Founding and Managing Principal of the consulting firm, Strategic Partners.
Since joining the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra in 2001 the organization has doubled in size. Annual ticket revenues have doubled and contributed income has grown by 50%.
Working on staff as a senior executive or consultant in Marketing, Development and Management, Mr. Robinson has excelled in turnaround situations and reinvigorating fiscally stable operations. Most recently, he directed Marketing and Communications for Mikhail Baryshnikov and his White Oak Dance Project's east coast tour. Over a five-year period at Pennsylvania Ballet, Mr. Robinson increased ticket revenues by 50% to over $5 million per year. At the same time, he designed a new broader reaching corporate sponsorship, individual giving and special event programs that generated record results and continue to grow.
Previously with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Robinson led a successful resurgence in ticket sales, attendance, venue revitalization and concession upgrades at the summer venue, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts. In addition, he has worked with many regional performing arts groups including The People's Light & Theatre Company, Philly Pops, Wilma Theater and the national tour of Porgy & Bess.
Robinson was a Founding Board member of the Performing Arts League of Philadelphia (now The Theatre Alliance) and served on the board of Prints in Progress, an educational visual arts organization for young people. Also, he has frequently appeared as a guest lecturer at Drexel University's Graduate program in Arts Management.
Shelley Cohen Hershey, Development Director
Shelley Cohen Hershey brings 20 years experience in marketing and sales and enthusiastically joins the team at Lancaster Symphony Orchestra. She studied Art at Stratford College in Danville,Va and received her BA from Millersville University.
Previously she was the New Business Development Director at The Jay Group where her primary responsibility was prospecting and interacting with decision makers at Fortune 1000 companies.
She also was very active with the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, where she certified new businesses and lectured about the benefits for women business owners.
She lives in Lancaster with her husband, Artist Jerry Hershey and children Kaehla and Leah.
Thomas Blanchard, Artistic Administrator, Operations and Personnel Manager
Tom Blanchard, Principal Percussionist, was born in Fairfax, Virginia in 1966. He attended the University of Michigan and completed graduate studies at Temple University. Mr. Blanchard has performed in Japan, England, France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, and has participated in many music festivals such as Spoleto (Italy), Berlin, and Salzburg. He has played at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Walt Disney World, Pan-American Games and can be heard on several recording labels including Duetsche Grammophone, Phillips, Decca-London, EMI, New World Records, Equilibrium, Denon, and Albany Records, as well as on NPR, CBS, The Today Show, and the Disney Channel.
Performing artists with whom he has played include Donny Osmond, Richard Carpenter, Johnny Mathis, Rosemary Clooney, Ray Charles, Anne Murray, Maureen McGovern, Toni Tennille, and Bernadette Peters.
Currently, Tom is a percussionist with the Delaware, Reading, and Chautauqua Symphony Orchestras and performs, records, and tours with the Philadelphia Orchestra as a regular extra. Tom began playing percussion at age 7 beating on coffee cans while his sister sang Andrews Sisters songs. He lives with his wife Karen, son Justin, daughter Amelia, and his 21 pound cat named Muti. When not beating on things, he can be found traveling to the mountains, Civil War battlefields, reading, and playing golf. Tom is the Operations and Personnel Manager for the Lancaster Symphony.
Nancy LeVasseur, Director of Education and Grants, Web Content Manager
Former violinist with the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, Nancy LeVasseur received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Clarion University and also has performance experience with Lancaster Opera Company, the American Music Theatre and area churches and Universities. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe performing with the Masterworks Chorale in their three European tours in 1996, 1998, and 2001. Previous teachers include David Arben, former Associate Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Ms. LeVasseur also maintains a private teaching and computer-based studio. Her working knowledge of MIDI sequencing programs, Sonar® and Sibelius® (music notation) give her violin and viola students an added dimension to their lessons. Ms. LeVasseur has written and produced a violin/viola technique book sarcastically titled “The World’s Most Boring Technique Book©!”
Her most recent creation has been “Lido,” an animated conductor’s baton. Designed in Photoshop®, Ms. LeVasseur uses Lido in PowerPoint® presentations during the Lancaster Symphony’s open rehearsals. Now a nationally recognized program, Open Rehearsals With Lido has won three consecutive grant awards from the National Endowment for the Arts for Access to Artistic Excellence. In addition to doing consulting work, Ms. LeVasseur has also served on the music review panel for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
Barb McConnell, Subscription/Business Manager
Barb McConnell, a native of Lancaster, is a graduate of Thiel College with degrees in math, actuarial science and computer science. She worked in the insurance industry before volunteering for the subscription manager position for the Symphony in 1990. Since then the job has grown to include the business and accounting side of the organization.
Music has always been an integral part of her life, although ‘classical’ is not the direction she took. Barb is a barbershopper and has been for 27 years. She joined Sweet Adelines, International after college, singing with the Presque Isle Chapter in Erie, PA. Upon moving back to Lancaster, she transferred to the Red Rose City Chorus, where she was the assistant director. Always looking for a challenge, she became the director of the Reading Pagoda Chapter for 3 years in the mid 1990’s. For the past 9 years she has sung tenor with the award winning Greater Harrisburg Chorus, where she is the associate director. She has sung in numerous quartets throughout the years, the last 7 with Just By Chance.
When Barb isn't’t singing or working on Symphony matters, she and husband Doug head for the hills for weekends of camping. Their 2 dogs are very happy campers, while their 2 cats are quite happy to remain at home wreaking havoc with all the throw rugs.
Heather Colosi, Special Events and Marketing Director
Heather Colosi, a Lancaster native, is a graduate of Millersville University where she earned her BS in Business Administration. She brings ten years of experience in marketing and team management from the furniture and retail industries with her to the Lancaster Symphony. Heather spent two years as a Personal Shopper prior to joining Lancaster Symphony staff, and very much enjoyed interacting with her clients and the challenge of achieving their many style goals.
Heather now lives in Landisville with her husband, Michael, and dog, Mox. While not at the Symphony, she enjoys taking Mox on adventures, visiting local art shows, traveling, testing new recipes and growing tomatoes.
Michelle McGovern, Administrative, Operations, and Personnel Associate
Michelle McGovern is a graduate of the Templeton Honors College at Eastern University, where she earned a BA in Music, with a focus on voice. While at Eastern, she sang with the Turning Point vocal ensemble, worked behind the scenes and on stage in many theater productions, including assistant directing "The Laramie Project" and "Sheltered," and performed in both the University Choir and Band. Michelle has studied voice for 10 years and her past teachers include Romaine Bridgett and Teresa Nevola Moyer. She currently studies with Phyllis Drackley. She enjoys singing at her church, as well as with the Heritage Chorale.
Michelle was born and raised in Mount Joy, and now lives in Leola with her husband Mike and her dog Sam. When she is not at work, Michelle enjoys reading, knitting, and antiques shopping.
Maestro Gunzenhauser
Directions
Musicians of the Lancaster Symphony
LSO Board of Directors
History of the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra
Private Teachers
Musicians for Special Occasions
|
|
|
Last updated Thursday, June 26, 2008 at 3:29:54 PM
Nancy LeVasseur, Web Content Manager
©2005 - 2008 Lancaster Symphony Orchestra
|
|