Staff

Board of Directors

Paul J. Jensen
President

Kirsten Schaney
Vice President

Peter Adels
Secretary

Elizabeth Davenport
Treasurer

Yvette Wilson
Member at Large

Justin Aurand
Member at Large

Kelly McFarland
Production Chair

Wayne Marquardt
Finance Committee

Sean Hanrahan
Marketing

Daniel Schwartz - Artistic Director

Dan Schwartz began his musical studies with piano lessons at age seven. He soon took up jazz drumming, and by thirteen was studying classical percussion with Susan Jones, principal timpanist of the Pennsylvania Ballet; in high school, he took on both trumpet and voice lessons. From 2005 to 2009, Dan attended Temple University, studying percussion with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. At Temple, he also took voice lessons with retired Metropolitan Opera baritone David Arnold and received several undergraduate scholarships for his achievements. After receiving his Bachelors degree, he was accepted into Temple University’s Master’s Program for Choral Conducting. Upon his graduation in 2011, Dan was honored with the Elaine Brown Award for musicianship, dedication to excellence, and humanitarianism. In addition to serving as the Artistic Director and Conductor of PVOP, he is currently a conducting apprentice and core singer with the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, and sings with as well as serves on the Artistic Committee of The Crossing.

Rob Blackwell - Accompanist

As a Musical Director / Pianist, Rob has worked on more than 100 productions in New York, Europe and much of the United States, including two years in Europe with the London company of Grease and the revival of Do I Hear a Waltz?, at the George St. Playhouse, supervised by Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents. Rob's original musical: Before the Rain, features an all African American cast and was workshopped with the Intimann Theatre in Seattle and is slated for production in New York, Off-Broadway in 2011. Local productions include a six month run of Forever Plaid at the Walnut St. Theatre and "Q" a musical about LGBT relationships for the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival.