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Our Mission
Allegro Nextgen develops a love of the creative endeavor through exceptional, positive rehearsal and performance opportunities of varied, high quality repertoire, with a wide range of performance ensembles and experiences. These musical opportunities are unique and designed to enhance what the students can experience in their normal scholastic musical experiences.
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We believe that every child should have the opportunity to develop their intellectual and artistic capacity through playing a musical instrument and participating in a variety of musical ensembles and opportunities.
We aim to support and supplement the work being done in public and private music education, and to provide resources that help students put to use and further what they learn in their school music programs and private lessons.
Dr. Brian Norcross
Artistic Director
Dr. Brian Norcross is not only the Artistic Director of Allegro Orchestra Lancaster but also one of its founders. His passion for creating a joyful experience when conducting, playing and listening to classical music drives much of Allegro’s artistic vision and audience experience.
Many people know Brian from Franklin & Marshall College where he is the Conductor of Instrumental Ensembles. He is also well known around the community as the Director of Music at First United Methodist Church.
He and his wife Kim have four children: Molly, Megan, Greyson and Gloria.
Dr. Zach Levi
Allegretto Director and Conductor
Zachary Levi is the high school orchestra director in the Southern York County School District as well as the orchestra director at York College. He completed his doctorate in Orchestral Conducting from Catholic University in 2018. In addition to teaching and conducting, Zach is an active cellist performing with Allegro and the York Symphony. He lives in Columbia with his wife Johanna and their son Samuel.
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Jennifer Petry
Assistant Allegretto Director and Conductor
Jennifer Petry serves as the director of orchestras at Veritas Academy and also teaches at Hinkletown Mennonite School. She maintains an active studio of violin, viola, cello and bass students and coaches chamber music groups.
Before moving to Lancaster, Mrs. Petry taught at several different schools and college preparatory programs throughout North America. She holds a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from Messiah University, and both a violin performance and a music education degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she studied violin under the Dorothy DeLay method and had chamber music training with the Tokyo String Quartet.
In addition to teaching students, Mrs. Petry has presented music teaching clinics at conferences for music educators, doctors and scientists in Texas, Oregon, Minnesota, Maine and England. She is also a director and consultant for music students with special needs throughout the world with her non-profit ministry, “The Adaptive Music Project.”
Mrs. Petry and her family reside in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
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Scott Kaliszak
Overture Director and Conductor
Scott Kaliszak serves as the Director of Secondary Orchestras at Dallastown Area School District. In his current position, Kaliszak directs the High School and Middle School symphonic and string orchestras, the High School and Middle School String Ensembles and the High School Pit Orchestra. He is also a freelance musician, performing in various ensembles across Southern Pennsylvania.
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In 2022, Kaliszak commissioned Beneath Stars for the Dallastown High School Orchestra, a piece which introduced non-western musical techniques and scales to the high school orchestra, while also encouraging improvisatory moments for young musicians. He has also served as the Director of Orchestral Activities of the Gettysburg College Symphony Orchestra (2023), Assistant Director of the York College Orchestra (2017-2018), and Assistant Director of the York Junior Symphony (2019 – 2021).
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In 2023, Kaliszak was named a semifinalist for The American Prize in Musical Theater Conducting, a national non-profit competition in the performing arts for his work in the musical Anastasia at Dallastown Area High School.
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Kaliszak holds a Masters of Music Degree in Orchestra Conducting from Messiah University and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Gettysburg College.
Anthony Scheuerman
Assistant Overture Director and Conductor
Anthony Scheuerman is a violist and violinist based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He performs regularly with local chamber orchestras, string quartets, and theater companies. He has been the orchestra director at Lebanon High School and Middle School. Anthony
graduated from Lebanon Valley College in 2017 with bachelor’s degrees in Music and Music Education, and is a private instructor of viola and violin in LVC’s Community Music Institute. He is currently pursuing a M.M. in Music Education at the College of Fine Arts at Boston University. As a product of the Nextgen Youth Music program, Anthony is especially excited to provide its students the same excellent experiences he had as a developing musician.
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John Brackbill
Intermezzo Winds Director
John Brackbill is the HS Director of Bands, 4th Grade Band Director and Instructional Facilitator for K-12 Music in Manheim Central School District. He is entering his 21st year of teaching, and his 14th year at Manheim Central. Prior to his appointment in Manheim, John taught middle school band, orchestra, chorus and general music in the School District of Lancaster.
His responsibilities include directing the high school marching, concert and jazz bands; teaching music electives such as music theory and music technology; directing the high school spring musical orchestra; 4th grade beginning band instruction; and leading the K-12 music department in curriculum and instruction. He was the 2015 Manheim Central High School Teacher of the Year and was a 2019 quarterfinalist for the Grammy Music Educator Award. In 2019, he was also the Pennsylvania recipient of School Band & Orchestra magazine "Directors Who Make a Difference" award.
He is a 1998 graduate of JP McCaskey High School; he holds a B.S. in Music Education (magna cum laude) from Elizabethtown College, a M.M. in Wind Conducting (summa cum laude) from Messiah University and is currently pursuing his D.M.A. in Music Education through Boston University.
John Brackbill
Intermezzo Winds Director
John Brackbill is the HS Director of Bands, 4th Grade Band Director and Instructional Facilitator for K-12 Music in Manheim Central School District. He is entering his 21st year of teaching, and his 14th year at Manheim Central. Prior to his appointment in Manheim, John taught middle school band, orchestra, chorus and general music in the School District of Lancaster.
His responsibilities include directing the high school marching, concert and jazz bands; teaching music electives such as music theory and music technology; directing the high school spring musical orchestra; 4th grade beginning band instruction; and leading the K-12 music department in curriculum and instruction. He was the 2015 Manheim Central High School Teacher of the Year and was a 2019 quarterfinalist for the Grammy Music Educator Award. In 2019, he was also the Pennsylvania recipient of School Band & Orchestra magazine "Directors Who Make a Difference" award.
He is a 1998 graduate of JP McCaskey High School; he holds a B.S. in Music Education (magna cum laude) from Elizabethtown College, a M.M. in Wind Conducting (summa cum laude) from Messiah University and is currently pursuing his D.M.A. in Music Education through Boston University.
Rebecca Pershouse Olsen
Intermezzo Winds Director and Conductor
Rebecca Pershouse Olson is an elementary band teacher in Hempfield School District, as well as Assistant Director of the Hempfield Marching Knights, and conductor of the middle school jazz band and high school pit orchestra at Hempfield. As an oboist, Ms. Pershouse performs regularly in the area. She earned her Master of Music Education degree from West Chester University, and Bachelors of Music Education and Music Performance-Oboe from the University of Montana in Missoula, MT. Ms. Pershouse moved to the Lancaster area after starting her teaching career in western Montana, and lives here with her trumpet-playing husband and their three perfect dogs.
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John Johnston
Assistant Intermezzo Winds Director and Conductor
A native of Pottsville, PA, John Johnston currently serves as the Director of Bands at McCaskey High School in the School District of Lancaster, where he directs the McCaskey Marching Band, Concert Band, and Red Tornado Jazz Band. In the 2024-2025 school year, the program at McCaskey will be reinstating their Winter Guard Program and adding a second Jazz Ensemble.
Prior to his time at McCaskey, John taught in the Pampa ISD (Pampa, Texas) as an associate band director, team-teaching approximately 400 students a day in grades 6-12 Band. A UIL 4A high school, Pampa ISD consistently was awarded Division I and Sweepstakes awards across many of their bands. John also served as interim director of bands at Albion College (Albion, MI) in 2022, where he directed the British Eighth Marching Band, Concert Band, and Basketball Band.
In the marching arts, John is an active educator and designer; he has served as an instructor with the Crossmen, Hawthorne Caballeros, Horizon, and Jersey Surf Drum & Bugle Corps. As a graduate assistant of West Chester University, John was an instructor of the Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band. John is a music designer and drill writer through his company, J-Squared Music, where he writes for bands in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Maryland.
Outside of the academic realm, John continues to pursue artistic opportunities. He currently serves as artistic director of the Pennsylvania Chamber Winds. PA Chamber Winds has premiered a number of new works for winds and has been a featured group for the Pennsylvania Music Educator's Association (PMEA) State Convention as well as the New Jersey Music Educator's Association (NJMEA) State Conference. He has served as an associate producer for the West Chester University's Wind Ensemble's professional recordings for the past three years.
John received his M.M. in Wind Conducting from West Chester University in 2021. He received his B.S. in Music Education and a B.A. in Oboe Performance from Lebanon Valley College in 2016.
Prelude & Intermezzo Strings
Prelude & Intermezzo Strings Director & Conductor
Jill Almoney is a beginning band and strings teacher in Penn Manor School District. She directs elementary bands and orchestras in five schools and leads district-wide instrumental events for young players. Ms. Almoney earned her Master of Music Education degree from Lebanon Valley College and Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Millersville University. She holds membership in several professional/educational organizations including NAfME and ASTA.
Ms. Almoney is a life-long Lancaster County resident performing in vocal ensembles, brass quintets, and community bands and orchestras. In addition to teaching, Jill studies cello, enjoys time boating/fishing with her family, traveling abroad, designing/building homes, sampling the fare at gourmet restaurants, and attending live music performances.
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Jill Almoney
Prelude & Intermezzo Strings Director and Conductor
Jill Almoney is a beginning band and strings teacher in Penn Manor School District. She directs elementary bands and orchestras in five schools and leads district-wide instrumental events for young players. Ms. Almoney earned her Master of Music Education degree from Lebanon Valley College and Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Millersville University. She holds membership in several professional/educational organizations including NAfME and ASTA.
Ms. Almoney is a life-long Lancaster County resident performing in vocal ensembles, brass quintets, and community bands and orchestras. In addition to teaching, Jill studies cello, enjoys time boating/fishing with her family, traveling abroad, designing/building homes, sampling the fare at gourmet restaurants, and attending live music performances.
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Sarah Ziegler
Nextgen Coordinator
Sarah Ziegler is a violist, teacher of violin and viola, and music administrator. In addition to her work with Nextgen, Sarah teaches music classes at LEAP New Holland Homeschool Co-op, as well as private lesson in her private studio. She's also enjoyed many orchestral and theatrical performance opportunities with Servant Stage Company, Franklin & Marshall College, First United Methodist Church, LBC, Calvary Church, and more.
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Initially from California, Sarah moved to Lancaster to earn her BA in Music from Lancaster Bible College. She graduated summa cum laude in December of 2022. During her time at LBC, Sarah found her heart for serving the musical community administratively as the Music, Worship, and Performing Arts Department's office student worker.
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In addition to music education, Sarah is fascinated with psychology and psychoacoustics and adaptive music education. Ultimately, she loves seeking ways to ensure the gift of music is used to bring joy and connection, and she's honored to help the wonderful staff, students, and families who make up Nextgen do exactly that.
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