December’s guest conductor is… Jeffrey Tedford
Dr. Jeffrey Tedford is the Chair of the Department of Music at Grove City College where he also serves as the Director of Orchestral Activities and Professor of Music. He conducts the Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, teaches pedagogy and conducting courses, coaches chamber ensembles, and works with student teachers. His orchestras have performed at state and national conferences and have recorded multiple albums which are available on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming services. The Symphony Orchestra was awarded 3rd place in the United States for Orchestral Performance by The American Prize in 2023.
Dr. Tedford began playing the violin at the age of four, which has led to a lifetime of making music. As a student, he was fortunate to perform with many ensembles including the Harrisburg Symphony Youth Orchestra, Hershey Symphony, various PMEA festivals, and as a singer with the Susquehanna Youth Chorale and Susquehanna Chorale.
An advocate for music education for all learners, Dr. Tedford currently serves on the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) College Committee and served as the President and Past-President of the Pennsylvania-Delaware String Teachers Association (PADESTA). He received the PADESTA Distinguished Service Award in 2024 and was the organization’s Orchestra Director of the Year in 2017. Dr. Tedford was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Grove City Area School District. He serves as the Chair of the Finance Committee, and is a member of the Personnel and Educational Services committees.
Dr. Tedford received his bachelor’s degree in music education from Grove City College and his master’s degree in conducting from Carnegie Mellon University where he was also the Assistant Conductor for the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh under the direction of world-renowned conductor, Robert Page. He completed his Doctoral degree in Music Education at Shenandoah University. In addition to formal degree programs, he has pursued additional conducting studies at the Eastman School of Music and the Keenefest Choral Conducting summer festival. Dr. Tedford resides in Grove City, PA with his wife, Dr. Sasha Piastro-Tedford, a Soprano who also teaches voice, musical theater, and other courses at Grove City College and is a chorister with Pittsburgh Opera. They have three children who all play the violin, sing, and participate in many activities.
We will conduct our next round of auditions on Saturday, 11 January, 2025 from noon to 3pm. We will be auditioning for the following positions:
Section violin
Principal Horn
Section ‘cello
For more information see our Join the Orchestra page.
