Dr. Vera Volchansky

Vera Volchansky, described by colleagues as a conductor of "impeccable taste," whose "artistic ability transforms a performance into a meaningful event," serves as Music Director of Lancaster County Youth Orchestra and Orchestra Director with the Millersville University Orchestra. Dr. Volchansky has worked with orchestras and various instrumental and choral ensembles in Russia, Eastern Europe and the United States. Most recently she appeared as a guest conductor in Kazakhstan with the Karaganda Symphony Orchestra and with the Wednesday's Club Youth Orchestra in Harrisburg, and her appearances have also included the Parnu City Orchestra in Estonia, Congress Symphony orchestra of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society, Hot Springs Festival Orchestra, KU Symphony Orchestra and Constanta Opera in Romania.

Dr. Volchansky is a 2011 American Prize finalist in Conducting, and holds a master's degree in Conducting from the Eastman School. In 2007 she was named a Conducting Fellow with the American Academy of Conducting in Aspen, working with David Zinman. A winner of the Fulbright Award, in 2008 she traveled to St. Petersburg to explore music of the lesser-known twentieth century Russian composers as well as the style of conducting of the St. Petersburg school as developed by Ilya Musin. While there, she studied conducting with Maestro Peter Gribanov, a Grand Prix winner of the All-Russia Conductors' Competition, and also pursued her interest studying the psychology of conducting based on theories of a scientist and conductor Gyorgy Erzhemsky. 

Her upcoming performances include collaborations with Jennifer Frautschi, Zuill Bailey, Awadagin Pratt, and with a Grammy Winner organist Paul Jacobs in a concert featuring the newly-installed Reuter Organ at the Winter Visual and Performing Arts Center in Millersville, PA. In her position as Orchestra Director of the Millersville University Orchestra she has collaborated with cellist Zuill Bailey, violinist Igor Yuzefovich, pianists Awadagin Pratt and Ioannis Potamousis, clarinetist Robert Spring and soprano Eleni Calenos. Maintaining an active schedule as a violinist, Dr. Volchansky will perform several chamber concerts in 2012-2013. She most recently performed in a chamber recital with cellist Emilio Colon and had performed Bach's Double Concerto with her father, with whom she began studying violin at the age of six in Volgograd, Russia. Dr. Volchansky resides in Lancaster, PA, and is a citizen of the United States.  

Vera Volchansky & Michael Jamanis, violin
Maria Corley, piano

Vera Volchansky, violin
Madeleine Darmiento, viola
Emilio Colon, cello
Anita Renfroe, piano