ABOUT THE ORCHESTRA

MISSION STATEMENT

On this page you will find information about our roots in, and involvement in, the Merrimack Valley community: a brief history, NEW: Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Endowment Fund the Nicholas Van Slyck Scholarship (meet our 2009 winner) Music Director George Monseur, Lawrence Cultural Alliance membership, Massachusetts Cultural Council support and local cultural council grants, the Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Society which guides the orchestra's operations.

A BRIEF HISTORY

Nicholas Van Slyck was a composer and pianist, director and founder of the New School of Music in Cambridge. He was the conductor of the Merrimack Valley Philharmonic from 1967 to 1982. He died in 1983 and in his memory the MVPS has each year since 1984 presented a scholarship to an outstanding high school senior from the Merrimack Valley who is making music his or her life's vocation.

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The photo shows Alexa Sanfilippo, the 2009 Van Slyck Scholarship winner of $1200.

Mr Monseur has been Music Director of the Merrimack Valley Philharmonic since 1983. His pursuance of excellence has raised the Philharmonic to new and greater heights. He is dedicated to the education of our young people by offerng them opportunities to solo with an orchestral accompaniment. The Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Society is proud and honored to celebrate his 25th Anniversity Season as our Music Director.

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LAWRENCE CULTURAL ALLIANCE

The Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra is pleased to be a member of the Lawrence Cultural Alliance. The Lawrence Cultural Alliance is made up of a diverse group of organizations, agencies and businesses throughout the Greater Lawrence area, who combine resources and knowledge to cultivate a community of arts and culture for all to enjoy.

CULTURAL COUNCIL SUPPORT

The MVPO is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency that supports public programs in the arts, humanities, and sciences.

MERRIMACK VALLEY PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY, INC.

Beverly W. Abegg

2009-2010 Officers President - Beverly Whitney Abegg First Vice President -David B. Prescott Second Vice President -Raymond A. Tiezzi Treasurer - Francis E. Dolfe, Jr. Secretary - Diane B. Tiezzi

Board of Directors

Meetings of the Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Society Board of Directors are open to the public and you are welcome to attend. The Board meets at the Haverhill Public Library the third Tuesday of the month from 7 PM to 9 PM. If you are interested in attending a meeting or becoming a board member, please email MVPO President for information, agenda, directions, parking, etc.

Beverly W. Abegg, President
Ms Abegg recently retired from her position as Accountant and Office Manager for three trust and investment partnerships and a law firm. She is President of the Mu Phi Epsilon Boston Alumni Chapter, a professional music fraternity and is the Vice President of their Foundation Board. She has Bachelor and Master degrees in Music from Boston University and in Business from University of Massachusetts at Lowell. Formerly a music teacher in the Westford school system, she also taught clarinet and piano privately. She is President of the MVPO and a member of the Grants Committee.

Gerald L. Abegg, Ph.D.
Gerald retired as Professor of Science Education after serving on the faculty at Boston University for 27 years. In addition to teaching undergraduate classes in the sciences he directed 30 doctoral dissertations in science education and initiated numerous externally funded grants and projects. He served as visiting faculty and as Boston University liaison at the University of Liverpool, University of Lisbon and Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. Fourteen years ago he was a cofounder of a K-12 bilingual school in Quito and continues to serve on its Board of Directors. He brings extensive experience in grant writing and development to the MVPO board.

Francis E. Dolfe, Jr.
Mr. Dolfe is a self-employed Certified Public Accountant. He is a graduate of Bentley College with an MBA from Suffolk University. He is licensed to practice both in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and is a member of the American Institute of CPA's and the Massachusetts Society of CPA's. Prior to starting his own accounting and tax practice in 1994, he was the CFO for the Federal Medicare Program in New England for 23 years. Before that he spent 11 years as an accountant and auditor for two Boston CPA firms and the US Department of Labor's national audit bureau. He currently serves as Treasurer.

Phyllis Forsyth, General Manager
Mrs. Forsyth was a member of the North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra until relocating to the Merrimack Valley when she became a Charter member of the MVPO and later served as Principal Second Violin until her retirement in May, 2006. She has played with area chamber groups and served the MVPO as Personnel Manager for 15 years. She is a graduate of the Fay School, Boston, with as Associate's degree in Medical Technology. She served as medical secretary in Liberty Mutual's Rehabilitation Center in Boston and later in the Cerebral Palsy Training Center in Lawrence and finally for a group of orthopedic surgeons.

William C. Forsyth
Mr. Forsyth graduated from Wentworth Institute of Technology and later attended Northeastern University and University of Massachusetts at Lowell. He is a registered Professional Engineer. For many years he was a Principal Manufacturing Engineer for Honeywell, Inc. retiring in 1983 at which time he started Forsyth Engineering Co. He continued operating this business until 2002.
He has been a member of the MVPS Board of Directors since 1983 and a past president. He is currently in charge of the Facilities and Sale Items Committees.

Janice High

Diane Lafond, Personnel Manager
Diane Lafond graduated from Salem State College, Salem, MA with a BA in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Music. During job moves from Medical Technologist, to Stay at Home Mom, to Elementary School Librarian, she has always played violin. She played in several North Shore orchestras before joining the MVPO in 1985. She is a past president of the MVPO board and served as music librarian for 10 years.

George Monseur, music director and conductor, (Ex officio)

Marjorie Nelson, Concertmaster (Ex officio)
Mrs. Nelson is concertmaster of the MVPO and teaches strings for the Timberlane School District in Plaistow, New Hampshire. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from Lebanon Valley College and a Masters in Music Education from Boston Conservatory of Music. Mrs. Nelson won the 2001 New Hampshire String Teacher of the Year Award given by the New Hampshire American String Teachers Association. She is a member of both the Program Committee and the Personnel Committee .

Roxann Nickerson, Librarian (Ex Officio)

David B. Prescott
A former engineer, Mr. Prescott now is the owner of "Tubs 'n Such" in Plaistow, NH. He brings the clear thinking of an engineer and the savvy of a successful business owner to the Board. He also provides insight as to how the non-musician views our various program.

Linda E Prescott
Ms. Prescott received her BS in Nursing from Northeastern University and MEd. in Health from Worcester State College. She is employed as a school nurse in Lawrence, where she is also President of the Nurses’ Union. Additionally, she works with her husband, David, at Tubs 'n Such in Plaistow, NH. Linda has been on the MVPO Advisory Board for several years and assists the orchestra by handling door sales at our concerts.

Donna E. Rossi
Ms. Rossi is a lifelong resident of the Merrimack Valley. Her career has been as a Certified Orthodontic assistant for Dr. Milton J. Meyers in Lawrence and Dr. Thomas Leonard in North Andover. She is a private voice student of Allen Combs who is a Phillips Academy faculty member and the Music Director and Conductor of The Andover Choral Society. She joined The Andover Choral Society three years ago and soon joined the Board . Her official title on the ACS Board is Ticket Chairman, however, due to her enthusiasm, she is involved with almost every aspect of the group.

Diane BourdonTiezzi
Ms. Tiezzi received a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from the University of Vermont. Diane taught music in Connecticut and Massachusetts before she and her family moved to the Merrimac Valley. In January 1980 she joined the MVPO as a violinist and continues to be a dedicated member. The last 20 years of her public school teaching career was in Portsmouth, NH from which she retired in 2004. The following fall she joined the Portsmouth Music Arts Center where she currently teaches violin privately.
Ms. Tiezzi has been on the MVPO Board of Directors since 2003 and presently is on the Program Committee, Chair of the Scholarship Committee and serves as Secretary.

Raymond A. Tiezzi
Mr. Tiezzi recently retired as Principal of Amesbury Middle School in Amesbury, MA having served in that role for 22 years. He has a BS in Music Education from Ithica College, an MA in Music from the University of Connecticut, and a CAGS in Educational Administration also from the University of Connecticut. He taught and conducted bands and orchestras in the public schools of Connecticut for 12 years, was Director of Music in Wilton Connecticut, and traveled extensively with a USAF Band during the Vietnam conflict. His diverse interests include running a professional photography business for 12 years. Presently he also serves on the Board of Directors of the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport, MA and the Academy of Strategic Learning in Amesbury.

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