About Us
Vision, Mission, and Values
Vision
To provide “Music for All.”
Mission
The mission of the New Philharmonia Orchestra is to engage, inspire and enrich the community of Newton through outstanding live orchestral performances, educational and community programs presenting music of all kinds at the highest possible performance level and to provide opportunity for outstanding community orchestral players to share in a vibrant orchestral experience with high performance standards.
Core Values
- Excellence: To commit to the highest possible level of artistic, board, and administrative performance and quality.
- Education: To provide engaging learning opportunities for listeners of all ages.
- Community engagement: To build meaningful experiences for our community through musical performances, demonstrations and collaborations.
History
The New Philharmonia Orchestra of MA, Inc. (New Phil), founded in 1995, is a 75 member non-professional regional orchestra based in Newton. “Music of, by and for the people” [The Boston Globe] encapsulates the spirit of the organization.
From the outset New Phil’s motto, MUSIC FOR ALL, has been our mission. The orchestra advances its mission by presenting programs of diverse repertoire of classical and light classical music for the enjoyment of audiences of all ages and experiences from a variety of urban and suburban communities. At the same time the orchestra strives to provide its non-professional players the opportunity to achieve a high level of ensemble performance not otherwise available.
The New Philharmonia Orchestra is a member of the League of American Orchestras, the New England Orchestra Consortium and the Newton Cultural Alliance.
Artistic Leadership
Music Director
Jorge Soto
JORGE SOTO is a Venezuelan conductor and violinist with an active and diverse career both in North and South America. Currently, he is the Music Director of the New Philharmonia Orchestra, the Principal Guest Conductor of the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra, and the Music Director of the Sistema Side-by-Side Orchestra at Longy School of Music.
In addition to his regular posts, Mr. Soto has collaborated with several orchestras, most recently the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He has twice conducted the Boston Symphony Chamber Players: first in October 2019 for a performance of Stravinsky’s Octet at Jordan Hall, and again at Symphony Hall in December 2020, leading the ensemble in Elena Langer’s Five Reflections on Water. The latter performance was filmed and released as part of a BSO streaming concert in January 2021. Mr. Soto also served as assistant or cover conductor on several occasions throughout the BSO’s 2020-21 online season. In addition, he assisted Gustavo Dudamel in the preparation of Puccini’s Turandot with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela in December 2015. Also a passionate educator, he has worked with orchestras at Assumption University and Clark University.
Born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, Mr. Soto is a product of El Sistema, an innovative program that uses classical music as a vehicle for social change. He began his musical studies in Venezuela at the Vicente Emilio Sojo State Conservatory, later studying violin at the Latin American Academy of Violin under Rhio Sanchez and José Francisco Del Castillo. A founding member of the Simón Bolívar National Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, he has also performed with the Youth Orchestra of the Americas and the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas.
He remains very active in El Sistema in Venezuela, where he teaches violin, coaches chamber music, and conducts orchestras around the country, including serving as a guest conductor with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Soto graduated with a Master of Music degree in conducting from the New England Conservatory. His conducting teachers and mentors include Harold Farberman, Stephen Tucker, Jani Telaranta, and Charles Peltz. On violin, he has studied with Sophie Vilker, Janne Malmivaara, Peter Sulski, and Timothy Schwarz.
Founding Music Director
Ronald Knudsen
As a highly respected member of Boston’s professional musical community, Ronald Knudsen was widely known as performer, conductor and educator. Throughout his extended career he devoted himself to bringing classical music of all kinds to the widest possible audience. Born in Nebraska and raised in Minnesota, Mr. Knudsen studied at the MacPhail School of Music in Minneapolis and Peabody Conservatory. Following Peabody he was a Tanglewood Music Center fellowship student, serving as both the orchestra’s concertmaster and soloist.
Meet Our Musicians
The New Phil prides itself on the high musical standards they are able to obtain with a membership of non-professional players. Many of our players trained for a professional life in music and once they determined they could not make a living doing what they most loved, moved on to other professions including law, medicine, education and computer technology. The many music schools in Boston attract and graduate many players who go on in life wanting to play but not as a professional and the many community orchestras in the area are the beneficiaries. The New Phil is fortunate to have quite a stable membership, strong rehearsal attendance and a commitment and dedication from the players to the orchestra that is part and parcel of the high performance standards we have been able to attain with non-professional players. This is aided and nurtured by the gifted leadership and teaching of the
New Phil Principal Conductor, Jorge Soto who above all else wants to “help people love music.”
Administration
Kara Stoughton, General Manager
Luke Blackburn, Personnel Manager
Ken Yaganisawa, Assistant Conductor/Personnel Manager
Kiya Klopfenstein, Librarian
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Patrick Alves, Co-President
Slater Cram, Co-President
Laura Wilkins, Clerk
Wenlie Zhou, Treasurer
Sheila Doyle, Director
Josee Erlandson, Director
William Erlandson, Director
Ida Fridmann, Director
Jane Givens, Director
Harris Gordon, Director
Tessa Gordon, Director
Ana-Lisa Jones, Director
Mary Kearing, Director
Fernanda LaRocca, Director
Steven Roth, Director
Auditions
New Philharmonia
One of Boston’s best regional orchestras holds auditions primarily in September. The exciting repertoire for the 2025-2026 season will include works by Beethoven, Britten, Bach, and Shostakovich which will make for wonderful music making!
About the Auditions
- Auditions are primarily in the fall, by appointment only.
- The audition process will include excerpts from two solo works showing both slow and fast styles of playing as well as sight-reading at the direction of the conductor.
- Please email musicians@newphil.org if you are interested in an audition. Please include your instrument and a music resume, if applicable, or a brief overview of your experience.
- We will be in touch with information once we have received both your application and resume.
About the Season
- Rehearsals are generally held weekly from September through May, on Sunday evenings, 6:30 pm—9:30 pm at Grace Church in Newton.
There are occasional Monday and other mid-week rehearsals from 6:30 pm—9:30 pm. - This season’s repertoire includes Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Bach Double Concerto, and Shostakovich Symphony No. 15.
About the New Phil
The New Philharmonia Orchestra is a non-professional community orchestra, founded in 1995. “Music of, by and for the people” [The Boston Globe] encapsulates the spirit of the organization as they continue to bring a diverse repertoire of classical and light classical music for the enjoyment of audiences of all ages and experiences in the Greater Boston area, while also providing its non-professional players the opportunity to achieve a high level of ensemble performance not otherwise available.
