ERIE JUNIOR PHILHARMONIC WELCOMES MATT SALVAGGIO AS MUSIC DIRECTOR  

February 1st, 2022– The Erie Junior Philharmonic (EJP) is delighted to announce Mathew Salvaggio as the new permanent Music Director and Conductor.  Salvaggio served in this capacity in an interim role beginning in October, 2021, and helped to usher in a new era of music-making for the organization as it launched its memorable 75th season.

In addition to his work with the EJP, Salvaggio is the founder and Music Director of the Cleveland Repertory Orchestra. The 2021-22 season marks his fifth season as Music Director of the Euclid Symphony Orchestra. Matt was the 2021 Second Prize winner of the American Prize in wind conducting and a 2015 semi-finalist in the National Band Association’s Young Conductor Mentor Project. In 2019, he was a finalist for conducting positions with both the United States Army and Air Force Bands – an honor reserved for a select few each year.

“Getting to work with the students of the Jr. Phil has been an incredible experience - they are hard-working, driven and really love music. Erie is so fortunate to have this program that provides musical opportunities for students of all ages, and I’m so excited to be leading the Jr. Phil through its 75th season and beyond,” says Salvaggio. 

Celebrating its 75th season, the Erie Junior Philharmonic has been an orchestra for young people since 1947 and is one of the oldest youth orchestras in the United States. Graduates are now playing in numerous orchestras, such as the New York Philharmonic, the Columbus Symphony, the Erie Philharmonic and many other music organizations across the country.

The Erie Junior Philharmonic traditionally offers weekly rehearsals at Strong Vincent Middle School, with sectional coaching and advanced chamber ensembles for members of the string, brass, woodwind and percussion sections of the orchestra. Performance opportunities include annual winter and spring concerts, a tour of schools, ensemble performances, an annual concerto competition and a performance on the stage of the historic Warner Theater side-by-side with the Erie Philharmonic.

Along with the Erie Philharmonic Chorus, the Erie Junior Philharmonic Chorus and the newly formed Youth Chorale, the Erie Junior Philharmonic is under the umbrella of the Erie Philharmonic and its mission is to enrich, entertain and educate.                          

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