The Road to a Remarkable Career in Classical Music

Nancy Shear was 17 when she became assistant to Philadelphia Orchestra Librarian Jesse Taynton, which led to her becoming former Music Director Leopold Stokowski’s musical assistant. Stokowski had fascinated Shear since she had seen Fantasia as a child, and she recounts her initial meeting with the famously theatrical and innovative conductor outside the Academy of Music stage door.  

Witness to History is an oral history series in celebration of The Philadelphia Orchestra’s 125th anniversary and the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Hear personal stories from the artists, leaders, and community members who helped to shape the ensemble’s legacy and paved the way for a bold future.