This concert is free and general admission.

Community Strings was born in the spring of 2009 as part of the engagement initiatives of the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra (JSO), when a group of adult string players gathered with the purpose of forming an ensemble to make music together, in the spirit of our region’s strong tradition of municipal bands and choruses. The avocational musicians, from as far away as Berlin and Loretto, across Somerset and Cambria counties, have been meeting simply to enjoy and enrich their personal accomplishments alongside players of similar yet varied skill levels.

The goal has been to rehearse and perform, to learn as a group from Director Elizabeth Pile and from each other, and to enrich each player's life with the communal enjoyment of music. Additional benefits include improvement of individual skill levels, learning to understand the dynamics of playing as an ensemble (rather than on their own), and flexibility of rehearsing and performing in a casual, low-pressure environment.