Warminster Symphony Orchestra to Hold Rare Summer Concert

Just wrapping up their 44th concert season, The Warminster Symphony Orchestra will be making that long trek over the Davisville Road borderline to put on a display for the annual Southampton Days festival.  

Led by award-winning music director and conductor Joseph Lovecchio, the orchestra first came together in 1966.  

Lovecchio hasn’t been around quite that long.  But he has been at it for some time now, first taking over as Principal Conductor in 1995.  

“I think I’m the third music director in the history of the orchestra,” he said over the course of a phone interview.  “So, people that have done it have stayed on for a while.  I would say it’s one of the best community orchestras in the Philadelphia area.” 

The orchestra has indeed garnered quite a bit of attention, especially in recent years.  Over the past decade, they’ve had a fair number of prominent musicians and singers join them on the stage. 

“Over the last 10 or 11 years we have featured some really amazing international soloists with the orchestra,” said Lovecchio.  “Ciarán Sheehan, who starred in Les Miserables and Phantom on broadway has sang with us twice now.  His costar, Gay Willis, also sang with us. 

“And last year,” he added, “[in May of 2010] we featured one of the world’s greatest trumpet players, Allan Vizzutti.  Just amazing people.”

Currently 65 members strong and composed of local musicians ranging in age from under 18 to over 80, the Warminster Symphony Orchestra holds five shows during their concert season from October through May.   

“We do a family concert in October and three subscription concerts in December, March, and May,” said Lovecchio.  “We also do a pops concert at Spring Mill Country Club in January.  It’s modeled off the Boston Pops concerts -  people sit at round tables and have dinner afterwards.” 

Summer is typically time off for the orchestra, but Lovecchio said they have played at Southampton Days the past few years.  

“Our summer series is a little different,” he said.  “We try to do two to three summer concerts a year.  We look at it as community outreach and hopefully building the audience for our indoor concerts.  It’s a great way for people that are hesitant to spend the money to see a symphony orchestra get exposed to symphonic music without the investment.”

Lovecchio noted that the orchestra tends to go with less members and a more laid-back approach during the summer months, often opting for music that is universally recognizable.

“There’s a nice, relaxed feeling with the summer concerts,” he said.  “It’s a different program from our indoor concerts.  We try to do popular stuff, lighter fare.  For instance, we’ll be doing patriotic music for the fourth of July, a lot of film music.  People know this stuff, and this music, in its own way is just as good as any symphony masterpiece.”

Lovecchio said that Southampton Days has a decent facility for the orchestra, mainly owing to the band stand set up in Lion’s Grove.  But, as with any outdoor concert, there are risks involved for such a large ensemble.

“Last year it was around 95 degrees at 7 at night,” he said.  “The weather’s a big part - it’s a big challenge to bring a symphony orchestra outdoors.   You always live in fear of a sudden rainstorm.”

Still, the pros can easily outweigh the cons as long as the rain decides to hold off. 

“We’re hoping to have a nice night,” concluded Lovecchio.  “When there’s nice weather it’s just great to make great music with the breeze blowing through the trees.”

You can catch the Warminster Symphony Orchestra's summer performance in the Lion's Grove, Wednseday, July 6th from 7:00 to 8:30 PM.