Ivy Allen, Conductor and Musical Director

Paul Higdon, Professor of Music and Associate Conductor

First Violin

  • Deborah Haferkamp

  • Hollis McCormick

    Co-concertmasters

  • Mary Chickos

  • Debbie Meyer

  • Alex Robinson-Hill

  • Naomi Snow

  • Jasmine Kpomblekou

    Second Violin

  • Christine Barrera

    Principal

  • Frankie Appleby

  • Theresa Corley

  • Laura Danner

  • Richard Pettitt

  • Sue Williams

  • Timmothy Watts

    Viola

  • Tim Geiler

  • Brenda Appleby

    Co-Principals

  • John Meuer

  • Steve Wamsley *

  • John Maurer *

    Cello

  • Devin Allen

    Principal

  • Gary Lee *

  • Ivy Allen

  • Charles Stark

  • Mark Thiel

    Bass

  • Jim Herr

    Principal

  • Jason Stack

    Flute

  • Linda Anderson,

    Principal

  • Anneliese Gobble

    Piccolo-Flute

  • Fausto Barrera

    Oboe

  • David Beardsley

    Principal

  • Pat Dinen

    English Horn

  • David Beardsley

    Clarinet

  • Jeff Kuenzel

    Principal

  • Carol Shain

    Bassoon

  • Bill Velders

    Principal

  • Kevin Turner

    Horn

  • John Eggert

  • Richard Sohn

  • Sara Giovanelli *

  • Glenda Kurtz *

    Trumpet

  • Eric Hotze

    Principal

  • Larry Gant

    Trombone

  • Kenton McWilliams

    Principal

  • Ray Taylor

    Euphonium

  • Robyn Ziegemeier

    Tuba

  • Ben Duane

    Timpani-Percussion

  • Susan Allen-Warren

    Principal

  • Adelinka Adewale

  • Anna Allen

  • Paul Higdon

  • Joe Kurtz *

    * Professional Musician

    Special thanks to the St. Louis Community College and the Friends of the Florissant Valley Symphony Orchestra for the funds to hire the above professional musicians.

MUSICIANS

Members of the orchestra come from many walks of life.  The majority of our players are community adults with many professions including engineers, teachers, physicians, dentists, salesmen, etc. Many students, high school and college play with us.  When needed fine St. Louis professional musicians are contracted to fill key roles.

We are always looking for enthusiastic musicians to join us. If interested please contact our Music Director and Conductor: Ivy Allen by phone at 314 569-0371 or by e-mail. 

We have special need for low strings.

CONDUCTOR AND MUSIC DIRECTOR: Ivy Allen

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Ivy Allen has been the conductor of the Florissant Valley Symphony Orchestra since 1971.

He is a retired music educator from the Ferguson-Florissant School District. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Memphis and a Master of Music degree from the St. Louis Institute of Music with a special emphasis on musicology. He is a performing cellist having studied with Vincent DeFrank, Marilyn Beabout and Ivan Lalev.  He has performed with the University City Symphony Orchestra and the the Gateway Festival Orchestra of St. Louis.

Mr. Allen was President and manager of the Gateway Festival Orchestra from 1993 to 2007 and is listed in the International Who's Who of Music and Musicians.

Mr. Allen was awarded the 2019 Owen Miller Award of the Musicians’ Association of St. Louis.

Conductor: Paul Higdon

St. Louis Community College music professor and conductor Paul Higdon has been active in the St. Louis community for twenty years.  He currently conducts the orchestra in a shared capacity with Ivy Allen and recently has shared in successes of post-pandemic Florissant Valley concerts that have been well-attended and well-received.  In the fall of 2023 the orchestra went to the Wildwood campus to perform to their largest music crowd ever.  Dr. Higdon believes in engaging, friendly music-making that serves to inspire musicians to go to the next level of success.  A pianist by training, Dr. Higdon received his doctorate from UMKC where his dissertation was given honors.  He has given concerts in ten states as well as Asia and Europe.  Also, he has actively served on the Gateway Festival Orchestra music board for ten years.  Besides music, his passions in life are travel, language and baseball in no particular order.