Dr. Peter Isaacson

Peter Isaacson, Director of the Kutztown University Orchestra and Assistant Professor of violin holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Kentucky, a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music. Over the last decade, Mr. Isaacson has served as conductor for the Hardin-Simmons University Orchestra, Abilene Collegiate Orchestra, Abilene Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Faculty Chamber Orchestra at Encore/Coda, and as a guest conductor with the Abilene Philharmonic. Dr. Isaacson has held faculty positions at Missouri State University (formerly Southwest Missouri State University), and the School of Music at Hardin-Simmons University. During his tenure at Hardin-Simmons University, he conducted productions of Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte, Il Impressario, Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, Die Fledermaus by Strauss and Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. In 2019, Dr. Isaacson conducted the music of Dinos Constantinides with pianist, Maria Asteriadou and violinist, Kurt Nikkanen along with members of the Kutztown University Chamber Players and Kutztown University Orchestra in Weill-Carnegie Recital Hall in New York City.   

As an active performer, Dr. Isaacson has been featured in solo recitals and chamber music on the Erik Jonsson Public Library concert series in Dallas, Texas, Music at Marvin, Soundscapes, San Angelo Museum concert series, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Faculty Artists Concerts and the Wednesday at One concert series in Alice Tully Hall. He has also collaborated with violist, Phil Ying, members of the Audubon String Quartet and bassist, Francesco Petracchi for the El Bajo Festival. Dr. Isaacson has performed in London, England at the Space, St. Georges, Bloomsbury, Southwark Cathedral, the Sala Falck for the Ambrosianeum Foundation in Milan, Italy and the Conseratorio di Milan in Milan, Italy. His performances have been broadcast for the Woodsongs Radio Hour and WRGV Public Radio in Georgetown Kentucky and he has recorded the chamber music of Josef Rheinberger for Centaur Records. In 2018, Dr. Isaacson joined violinist, Kurt Nikkanen and pianist, Maria Asteriadou in the premiere of Gwyneth Walker’s Awaiting Spring as a part of the composer’s 2-day residency for the Department of Music at Kutztown University. In 2020, he was selected to present a lecture/recital entitled “Roy Harris’s Sonata for Violin and Piano (1942): A Case for Renewed Interest and Performance” for the College Music Society’s Northeast Region Conference with pianist Atsuko Hanson at Temple University in Philadelphia.