Newton Symphony Orchestra

A native of Wichita, Kansas, Joseph Scheer spent much of his professional life in Boston.  He received an Artist Diploma from the New England Conservatory, and enjoyed a career as one of Boston’s busiest free-lancers, and later as a full-time extra player with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  This summer marks his twenty-first season as concertmaster of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, with whom he has extensively toured the United States and Japan.  Joseph has appeared on numerous occasions as soloist with the Boston POPS Esplanade Orchestra in Boston’s famous Symphony Hall, most recently in performances of Milhaud’s Cinema Fantaisie and the Bruch Scottish Fantasy with Keith Lockhart conducting, and in a performance of the Glazunov Violin Concerto under the baton of John Williams.  Joseph also appears annually on the POPS’ nationally=2 0televised Fourth of July broadcast.  In the1994 broadcast he was a featured soloist, performing the violin solo from John Williams’ music for the film Schindler’s List.  Joseph also appeared recently with the Brockton Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Orent in a performance of the Beethoven Violin Concerto.  

From 1991 to 1993 Joseph held the concertmaster position in the Florida Symphony (Orlando), and also served in that capacity in Tampa’s Florida Orchestra from 1993 to 1996.  He made frequent solo appearances with both those orchestras, performing such diverse works as the Korngold Violin Concerto, Vaughan Williams’ Lark Ascending and the Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto  #5.  In addition, Joseph was the founder of the Florida Orchestra Chamber Players. He relinquished that position to join his wife, harpist Susan Robinson, in Washington, D.C., where she performs at the Kennedy Center.  Joseph and his sister,  pianist Laura Scheer Kennedy, will soon be releasing two compact discs containing the Sarasate Spanish Dances, the Dvorak Sonatine  and other works for violin and piano.

Joe received a violin and a fishing pole for his fifth birthday, sparking a lifelong passion for both.  In 2004 he founded the Fishinfiddler Rod Company and now enjoys a second career as a maker of fine, handcrafted split bamboo fly rods.  View his work at www.fishinfiddler.com.

Susan Robinson is the principal harpist of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, a position she has held since 1995.  She also serves as the principal harpist of the Boston ‘POPS’ Esplanade Orchestra, with whom she frequently tours the Far East and the US.  An avid performer of20chamber music, Susan performs and records with the Washington, D.C.-based 21st Century Consort,  the Boston-based ensemble Walden Chamber Players, and recently appeared as a guest artist with the Dryden String Quartet on the Berkshires' Mohawk Trail Series.  She and her husband, violinist Joseph Scheer, are the founders of the IBIS Chamber Music Society, which performs a season of free chamber music concerts in the Washington D.C. area, and together they have released the CD “Souvenir: Music for Violin and Harp”.  A native of Newton, Susan performs with the Boston Symphony as often as her schedule permits.  Previously, Susan served as the acting principal harpist of Tampa’s Florida Orchestra and the Sarasota Opera Festival.
        
 Among Susan’s solo engagements are a performance of Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall with KCOHO principal flutist Adria Sternstein and the Opera House Orchestra under Heinz Fricke, and appearances with the Indian Hill Symphony, the New Hampshire Philharmonic, the Rhode Island Chamber Orchestra, and the Dedham (MA) Choral Society.  Other memorable career highlights:  an exciting trip to the Super Bowl with the Boston POPS (Patriots won!) and the opportunity to work with the incomparable Placido Domingo at the Washington Opera. 
       
 Susan is a graduate of Harvard University with a cum laude degree in Art History and French Literature.  She also holds an Artist Diploma in Harp Performance from the Boston University School for the Arts.  She and Joseph are the parents of Lillie and Nathanael.