Our "Dear Ole"
Conductor

John Shankweiler

John Shankweiler became the Orpheus Club’s Conductor in 2004, bringing the skills of a superb tenor, a master teacher of voice ensemble performance, and a sensitive interpreter of the wide variety of musical genres encompassed by the club’s repertoire. While his specialty is early classical music (see below), he is an excellent jazz musician, as well as being fully in touch with cutting edge musical styles embraced by younger generations. The precision and clarity of his conducting technique is astounding. John is guiding OC singers through new territory, and the results are a thrilling experience for our Associate Members.

John Shankweiler recently retired from teaching choral music and theater arts after 39 years at Strath Haven High School in Wallingford, PA. In 1984, when he first arrived at Strath Haven, the choral department consisted of twenty-three students. Through his tenure, the program grew to include four choirs, ranging in size from 28 students to 200 students. He was known throughout Delaware County for performing choral masterpieces with his two large ensembles, Cantata and Camerata, including Bach’s Magnificat, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Brahms’ Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, Faure’s Requiem, and John Rutter’s Requiem and Gloria.

During his career, The Silvertones, SHHS’s small vocal ensemble, toured Italy 13 times, singing over 60 concerts in some of the most beautiful and sacred spaces in the country. The Silvertones were recognized nine times as one of Pennsylvania’s finest small vocal ensembles by PMEA, MENC and ACDA between 1996 and 2023. 

Under John’s direction, Strath Haven’s musical theater program was known throughout the county for executing highly professional and innovative productions. John greatly appreciates the works of Stephen Sondheim, and has produced and directed seven of his shows. He raised the standard of high school theater every year by inspiring his students to take chances and delve deeply into themselves in search of the meaning behind the roles they play. 

As an ensemble performer, John specialized in Early Music. He performed and recorded with the Waverly Consort, a six-voice early music ensemble which appeared on CBS Sunday Morning and NPR’s St. Paul Sunday Morning. John and the Waverly Consort can be heard on CBS Masterworks, Angel, and EMI labels.

In his retirement, John will be commuting in from Pittsburgh to conduct the Orpheus club.  He will be living in Squirrel Hill, with his wife Morgan, an MFA candidate at Carnegie Mellon, and his twin daughters, Wyeth and Penn. His 3 sons are spread out between the Hudson Valley, Fordham University and Philadelphia. You can find John in living a very European lifestyle, riding his bicycle around the city, sipping coffee at the cafe with the dog, and cheering on his daughters at one of their many musical and athletic endeavors.