About Us

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 The Lawton Philharmonic Society, Inc. presented its first concert, a volunteer effort, in November, 1962. This season marks 63 years of bringing music to the citizens of Lawton and the surrounding area and the orchestra has evolved from its volunteer status to approximately 84 professional musicians. The late Nels Harveland, a local pianist and instructor, served as volunteer conductor, director and manager of the group. From then to now, LPO has served as Southwest Oklahoma’s only professional orchestra. In its early years the orchestra worked in conjunction with Cameron University and after Harveland’s retirement, the podium was filled by the Chairman of the Music Department at Cameron until 1988 when Alan Burdick was hired and the orchestra became independent. LPO has always focused on educational opportunities for students in addition to its concert series. The current conductor, Jon Kalbfleisch, a Lawton native who lives in the Washington DC are, enjoys returning to Lawton for the concerts, as well as the Conversations with the Maestro, and various outreach efforts furthering the appreciation and love of live musical performances for students and everyone in the community. From its rather humble beginnings, the LPO has evolved into a professional orchestra with goals of performing quality symphonic music to its constituents and of educating and involving the area’s school students in symphonic music. 

Maestro Jon Kalbfleisch enjoys a multi-faceted musical life as a conductor, pianist, award-winning music director, freelance musician, and organist.  Having conducted ballet, opera, symphonic music, choral works, contemporary music and Broadway musicals Jon has an interest in a wide range of musical styles.  After nearly two decades as its music director and conductor, Maestro Kalbfleisch has guided the Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra to newfound heights both in terms of artistic success and community outreach.  He looks forward to continuing that path by generating more interest in the orchestra as a vital part of the cultural scene in his native Southwest Oklahoma, where he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Cameron University.

As a resident of the Washington, D.C. area, Jon is resident music director for the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA, and has himself won ten Helen Hayes Awards for Outstanding Musical Direction, with over 30 nominations to his credit.  Jon was also among the recipients of the inaugural Anderson-Hopkins Award for Theatrical Excellence in Washington, D. C.  Recently, Jon has been the conductor for Broadway in the Park at Wolf Trap, and guest conductor of Alexandria Symphony Pops.  When not on the podium, Jon has performed with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, and on the Grammy-nominated recording of Bernstein’s MASS, as well as with the National Symphony Orchestra Pops at Wolf Trap.  On TV, Jon conducted for Allan Jackson on Good Morning America, and was Executive Producer for A Celebration of the Arts with the Lawton Philharmonic. With a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance from Cameron University, and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Southern Methodist University as a student of Anshel Brusilow, Jon has worked with such artists as: Kathy Bates, Carol Burnett, Pat Carroll, Cynthia Erivo, Santino Fontana, Sutton Foster, Joel Grey, Renee Elise Goldsberry, George Hearn, David Kim, Brian Stokes Mitchell,  Kelli O’Hara, Bernadette Peters, Chita Rivera, Lea Solonga, Frederica von Stade, Adrienne Warren and Hyunsoon Whang.  jonkalbfleisch.com