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Tickets & Events
Support The Philadelphia Orchestra

The Philadelphia Orchestra Volunteer Committees

The Volunteer Committees for The Philadelphia Orchestra are comprised of dynamic Orchestra enthusiasts who are dedicated ambassadors, supporting the Orchestra in such areas as education, fundraising, community outreach, and special events.

Our special events blend fundraising and friend-raising and include the Opening Night Celebration, intimate musical performances, Lecture Luncheons, holiday shopping musical luncheons, and the notable Kitchen Tour.

Other volunteer opportunities include serving as a docent for the Orchestra’s Jane H. Kesson School Concert Program, mingling with Orchestra musicians at rehearsal breaks, and attending our annual Musician’s Luncheon.

Upcoming Events

Main Line Committee’s Morning Musicale

Thursday, April 24, at 11:00 AM

The final Morning Musicale of the season is coming up! Please join the Main Line Volunteer Committee in welcoming the Balourdet Quartet on Thursday, April 24, at 11:00 AM. The performance will feature Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 16 and Smetana’s String Quartet No.1 (“From My Life”). Both are perennial audience favorites!

The Balourdet Quartet won a 2024 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Chamber Music of America’s 2024 Cleveland Quartet Award, and the Grand Prize at the 2021 Concert Artists Guild Competition. The Morning Musicale will be held at the Church of the Redeemer, 230 Pennswood Road, Bryn Mawr. Individual tickets are $20 and will be available at the door. The concert begins at 11:00 AM and will last one hour, immediately followed by a meet-and-greet with the artists.

Please email Samantha Noll or Rebecca Clement with any questions.

Main Line Committee’s Notable Kitchen Tour

Thursday, May 1, at 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

The Main Line Committee for The Philadelphia Orchestra announces the return of the Notable Kitchen Tour & Chefs’ Tastings on Thursday, May 1, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This popular self-guided tour of the Main Line’s most unique kitchens is presented for the 12th time since 2009 for the benefit of The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Proceeds from the tour will support the Orchestra’s education and outreach programs. Major participating sponsors who have committed to these endeavors this year are Ferguson Home, Kountry Kraft, and Main Line Kitchen Design. 

Valuable raffle baskets will be displayed in the homes. You could win a $1000 gift certificate from CertaPro Painters, tickets to a show at People’s Light, an overnight stay at the General Warren Inne, wine baskets, and many more items! 

On the morning of the tour, attendees will receive a program book that includes a map showing where the homes are located as well as historical information about them.

Please visit www.notablekitchens.org for more information on buying tickets by mail as well as frequent updates regarding tour participants and sponsors. Tickets cost $50.

You can also purchase tickets using a credit card here.

The Rittenhouse Square Committee’s Spring 2025 Lecture Luncheons Series

Friday, May 2, at 10:45 AM

DoubleTree Hotel, Broad and Locust Streets, Philadelphia

The Lecture Luncheon begins with our guest lecturer and celebrity guest presenting information and musical interludes based on the Philadelphia Orchestra concert that afternoon. The May 2 event will feature:

  • Guest Lecturer: Juliette Kang, First Associate Concertmaster, The Philadelphia Orchestra (Joseph and Marie Field Chair)
  • Celebrity Guest: Jeffrey Lang, Associate Principal Horn, The Philadelphia Orchestra (Hannah L. and J. Welles Henderson Chair)

Friday, June 6, at 10:45 AM

DoubleTree Hotel, Broad and Locust Streets, Philadelphia

The Lecture Luncheon begins with our guest lecturer and celebrity guest presenting information and musical interludes based on the Philadelphia Orchestra concert that afternoon. The June 6 event will feature:

  • Guest Lecturer: Robert Cafaro, Cello, Retired, The Philadelphia Orchestra
  • Celebrity Guest: Charlie Rosmarin, Associate Principal Percussion, The Philadelphia Orchestra

The presentations will be followed by a full-service lunch, which concludes in time for the short walk across the street to the Kimmel Center and the afternoon’s concert.

Tickets for the Lecture Luncheon are $55 and do not include a ticket to the concert.

For reservations and questions please contact Marlena Kleit at 215.901.2909.

The Central Committee presents an Afternoon with David Kim

Saturday, June 14, at 2:30 PM

The Central Committee for The Philadelphia Orchestra invites you to experience the magic of Concertmaster David Kim hosted by Dr. Susan Aldridge. Enjoy savory bites and bubbly in an exquisite 1930s Norman manor estate in East Falls.

For additional information, please e-mail Marie Kenkelen.

Volunteer Mission Statement 

The members of the Volunteer Committees collaborate with the Board, musicians, and staff of The Philadelphia Orchestra to fundraise, educate, and promote symphonic music in our concert hall, schools, and in diverse venues in our communities.

The organizational structure includes five committees: 

  • Central
  • Main Line
  • New Jersey
  • Rittenhouse Square 
  • Starlight Circle*
 
*The newly formed Starlight Circle committee welcomes men and women to meet other Orchestra enthusiasts to attend concerts and social musical events throughout the year.

For more information about our Volunteer Committees contact Samantha Noll in the Volunteer Relations Office at 215.893.1956 or send an email.

History of the Volunteer Committees

The Volunteer Committees for The Philadelphia Orchestra were formed in 1904, four years after the Orchestra’s first concerts. The Women’s Committee, as it was originally called, was the first permanent organization of its kind in the United States and has since come to serve as a model for similar groups around the world.

The mission of the Volunteer Committees has greatly expanded since its initial goals of 1904. Volunteers now support the Orchestra in such areas as audience development, education, fundraising, community relations, and special events.

Through all their endeavors, thousands of members of the Volunteer Committees have given countless hours of time and talent in service to The Philadelphia Orchestra and the people of the greater Delaware Valley metropolitan region. The Orchestra would not be what it is today without the dedication, time, and talents of the Volunteer Committees.

Volunteer Leadership for the 2024–25 Season

Executive Committee Officers

Richelle Rabenou, President
Sara Cerato, Immediate Past President
Deborah Ledley, Vice President
Kate Brady Rauscher, Treasurer
Sheila Cox, Secretary

Governing Board Chairs

Central: Jennier Porges
Main Line: Josephine Rees
New Jersey: Diane Larzelere
Rittenhouse Square: Marlena Kleit and Fran Schwartz
Starlight Circle: Anna Minkovich

Standing Committee Chairs

Annual Giving: Nancy Galloway
Education: Deborah Ledley
Special Functions: Jennifer Porges
Marketing: Kelsey Larzelere
Volunteer Archives: Elizabeth A. Crowel


With gratitude and thanks to our past presidents

Mrs. Alexander J. Dallas Dixon, 1904–12
Miss Frances A. Wister, 1912–56
Mrs. James Hatfield, 1956–78
Mrs. T. Wistar Brown, 1978–82
Mrs. John S. Newbold, 1982–85
Mrs. Herbert W. Hazen, 1985–88
Mrs. David L. Pennington, 1988–91
Mrs. Robert P. Frankel, 1991–94
Mrs. Richard B. Gould, 1994–97
Mrs. Robert N. Garrison, 1997–2000
Mrs. Robert L. Stevens, 2000–03
Ms. Despina F. Page, 2003–06
Mrs. Elizabeth Mahoney, 2006–09
Mrs. Sally S. Bullard, 2009–12
Mrs. Stephanie Brandow, 2012–14
Mrs. Caroline Buck Rogers, 2014–16
Mrs. Lisa Yakulis, 2016–18
Mrs. Nancy Galloway, 2018–20
Mrs. Dianne Rotwitt, 2020–22
Ms. Sara A. Cerato, 2022–24

Past Events

The Natalie Kim Memorial Philadelphia Orchestra Golf Classic

October 1, 2024

All proceeds benefited The Philadelphia Orchestra including the award-winning education and community initiatives that engage over 50,000 students, families, and community members.

The day included golf with a caddie, lunch, gourmet awards dinner, and exciting contests including the chance to win a new Mercedes from Mercedes Benz of West Chester, plus team prizes, player gift packages, and more. Event day activities featured a putting contest to win a VIP Trip for Two at an Eagles Away Game, a $1 Million Shot for each team, and a unique Drone Golf Ball Drop.