Under the leadership of acclaimed Maestro Stephen Czarkowski, the Central Pennsylvania Symphony, a non-profit organization, is embarking on its 34th season of delivering a varied repertoire of classical and modern symphonic music.
About the Symphony
Our Mission
The Central Pennsylvania Symphony serves our community by providing a varied repertoire of high-quality classical, modern, and popular symphonic music in a manner that is accessible to diverse audiences.
For over thirty years, our dedicated and talented musicians have entertained audiences and captured the imaginations of people of all ages across central Pennsylvania. Research has proven that the arts uniquely provides social and academics benefits, throughout a person’s school, work, and life.
The Central Pennsylvania Symphony is a non-profit organization striving to be the best volunteer symphony orchestra in the region while providing cultural experiences to our community.
Maestro Stephen Czarkowski is an acclaimed conductor, cellist, and educator based in Washington, D.C., with an expansive portfolio of work in the classical music and education industries. Mr. Czarkowski’s repertoire of conducting performances spans multiple orchestras and symphonies and nearly two decades of service. As of 2023, Mr. Czarkowski has been named Music Director and Conductor of the Central Pennsylvania Symphony and Principal Guest Conductor of the Newark Symphony Orchestra. He has led the National Symphony Orchestra as part of its National Conducting Institute under Leonard Slatkin. He has guest conducted in Honolulu, HI, at the Virginia Symphony Orchestras and Symphony of the Potomac. In his eleven seasons as the Conductor of the Apollo Orchestra, Czarkowski collaborated with soloists from all over the Northeast region, most notably the New York Philharmonic and the Washington National Opera, as well as conducted several performances at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Additionally, since 2015, Mr. Czarkowski has served as Assistant Conductor of the York Symphony, conducting alongside York’s Music Director Lawrence Golan.
As a cellist, Mr. Czarkowski performs as a soloist and member of the Tryos Ensemble with trumpeter Neil Brown. Mr. Czarkowski graduated from the Catholic University of America with a Graduate Artist Diploma in Orchestral Conducting. He also holds a Master's degree in Cello performance and conducting and a Bachelor's Degree in Cello from Mannes College under the tutelage of Carter Brey, Principal Cellist of the New York Philharmonic. As an educator, Mr. Czarkowski leads the Frederick Regional Youth Orchestra, the Symphonette at Landon School, and orchestras at the Norwood
School and Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School.
His youth ensembles have performed at the Library of Congress, The Hershey Park Music Showcase Festival, and Orlando Music Festival. He has taught masterclasses at West Point Military Academy, The Catholic University of America, Howard County Schools, and Loudon County Schools. Outside of his musical endeavors, Czarkowski is a member of the International Conductor's Guild Board of Directors and holds seats on the New School Alumni Council and The Paper Bag Mask Foundation Board of Directors.