Baltimore Philharmonia Orchestra

About The Orchestra

The Baltimore Philharmonia Orchestra (BPO) is a dedicated 501(c)(3) non-profit, powered by a collective of accomplished, all-volunteer musicians. Our 2025-2026 season exemplified our commitment to community enrichment by proudly presenting the thrilling masterworks of the symphonic repertoire and popular classics. Our core mission is clear: to champion accessible, high-quality music by delivering all concerts free of charge to the Baltimore area, while actively cultivating the next generation of artistic talent through awards and scholarships.

Program

Hansel and Gretel Overture Engelbert Humperdinck

Tears of Ramah (World Premiere) Allen Molineux

Mother Goose Maurice Ravel

‍ ‍ Intermission

Scheherazade Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

I. The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship

II. The Story of the Kalendar Prince

III. The Young Prince and the Young Princess

IV. Festival at Baghdad. The Sea. The Ship Breaks

against a Cliff Surmounted by a Bronze Horseman

Dimitar Nikolov, a versatile conductor, pianist, and educator, has conducted numerous orchestral and opera performances in the United States and Europe. Audiences have been impressed by his ability to energize the orchestra and produce unique sounds across a wide dynamic range.

Mr. Nikolov began his professional career in 1991 as an Assistant Conductor in the Burgas State Opera. Early in his career, he had the opportunity to conduct one of the best European orchestras, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra. This success led to numerous guest-conducting opportunities with most Bulgarian orchestras. He was also appointed Music Director of the Bulgarian National Wind Symphony. Moving to the United States in 1996, he finished his

Master’s at the University of Northern Iowa.

Currently, Mr. Nikolov is the Music Director/Conductor of the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and the Music Director/Conductor of the Baltimore Philharmonia Orchestra. Previous positions include Conducting Fellow of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Washington International Chorus, Associate Conductor of the Bulgarian State Symphony of Schumen, Music Director of the Fort Dodge Area Symphony, Music Director of the Bulgarian Wind Symphony, Assistant Conductor of the Des Moines Metro Opera, and Conductor of the Burgas State Opera. Mr. Nikolov has appeared as guest conductor with orchestras in the United States, Austria, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and Spain.

Dimitar Nikolov has a DMA degree in Orchestral Conducting from the Catholic University of America where he studied with Maestro Murry Sidlin.

In May 2015 he made his conducting debut at the Concert Hall of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Dimitar lives in Annapolis, MD with his wife Nicole, Princess (an adorable cocker spaniel), Mecho (an over energized American Eskimo) and O’Malley (an old and distinguished Himalayan cat).

Siqi Yuan is the Assistant Conductor of the Baltimore Philharmonic Orchestra. Ms. Yuan graduated from Nanjing Art University and learned orchestral conducting from Professor Julian Shew. In 2016, she founded the Chinese Folk Music Orchestra at the Ohio State University and was its first music director. From 2018 to 2021, she was an ensemble instructor and youth orchestra conductor at Aimusic School in San Jose, California. She graduated with a Master's Degree from Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. She is currently enrolled in Doctor of Musical Arts for Wind Conducting at Peabody Conservatory, studying under Dr. Harlan D. Parker.

About the Composer

Allen Molineux (b.1950) holds degrees in composition from DePauw University, the Eastman School of Music and Florida State University. He also attended the Lukas Foss Workshop at Indiana University in 1981, Gunther Schuller’s 1986 Atlantic Center for the Arts Workshop and Pierre Boulez’s Carnegie Hall Workshop in 1999. His “Trifles” won the Tampa Bay Symphony’s contest; receiving three performances by them in 2017. It has been released on the ABLAZE Records label and is published by Da Vinci Publications. His “Zappy” was the winner of the Percussive Arts Society’s 2017 contest. In 2019, his “Something Unsettled” for trumpet and piano won the McMurry New Music Project and his “Tears of Ramah” was the first place winner of the Hillcrest Wind Ensemble Composition Contest and was performed by the University of Louisville’s Wind Ensemble at the College Music Society’s National Conference.

In 2021, his “Scherzi” was recorded by composer/pianist Jeffrey Jacob on the New Ariel label and his string orchestra piece “Contentamento” by conductor Pawel Kotla and the Kalisz Philharmonic Orchestra on the Phasma-Music label. In 2022 the Lansdowne Symphony premiered “When the Angels Sang” and in 2023 the Atlanta Philharmonic performed his “Trifles” and the Panama City Symphony premiered his “Three Kings Swing”. Molineux’s “Zapateado” was the 2024 composition contest winner for the Holyoke Civic Symphony. Recently his “Double Concerto Fantasy for Solo Trumpet, Trombone and Wind Ensemble” was performed and then recorded for ABLAZE Records by the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music’s Wind Symphony.

The Musicians

1st Violins

Dr. Jonathan Goren, Concertmaster Dr. Rodney Allen, Assistant Concertmaster Dr. Mary Loyer Lane Martin Patricia Dick Timothy Martin Jeneva Aniyah Grey 2ndViolins Mike Catelinet, Principal Shira Jamie Catelinet Caroline Yencha Caroline Spiccoli Swathi Ayyagari Rea Loren Abad Mimi Behar, MD Stefano Sivori Leyla Mamedova Gabriella Beyer Dr. Jeanne Dolamore Violas Katie O’Hara Morgan Steiner Deborah Meier Calliandra Hermanson Monica Clark Bruce Berkowitz Cellos Caitlin Croston Carly Matheson Sandy Kiefer Lindsay Ortiz Aimee Freeman Catherine Johnson

Basses Dr. Phil Ravita, Principal

Flute/Piccolo Klodina Kabashi Morina, 1st Carolyn Williams Judy Sammel

Oboe/English Horn Bob Ungaretti Carol Pardoe

Clarinet David Bullman Jennifer Sorrells

Bassoon David Hanner Jonathan Mokry

Trumpet Glenn Krueger Alex Grube Robert Bauerle

French Horn Horn Beth Torres
Kathy Barth Daniel Mills Noli Jardine

Trombone Anthony Settineri Keyone Swain Michael Allman

Tuba

Kevin Ildefonso

Percussion Josh Dougherty Kathryn Bright Tania Caballero Scott Seiver

Keyboard Patricia Delisle