PhilHarmonia is a community chamber choir that sings classical and contemporary choral music. Founded in 2013, PhilHarmonia continues to delight audiences with its commitment to musical excellence, and its diverse range of choral programs.

Our mission:  To sing and perform great choral music for everyone.

PhilHarmonia exists to sing and perform choral music of the highest caliber. In order to achieve our goal, we are individuals acting as a single unit:  A community of singers. We share this great choral music with the public from throughout the Philadelphia region to promote a common heightened life experience.

Season 2025-26

Friday, June 5, 2026 @ 7:30pm
’Tis a gift: America at 250
performance Garage, 1515 Brandywine St.

PhilHarmonia closes out our 12th season with reflections on the gifts and dreams of our 250 year-old country: our lives on this beautiful land, our commitment to safeguard our rights of the pursuit of happiness and liberty and justice for all.  Join us as we ponder Philadelphia's gifts extolled in a work by Ajibola Rivers, and our national journey in Bob Chilcott's and Rollo Dilworth's arrangements of the Shaker tune "'Tis the Gift to be Simple," and Paul Simon's "American Tune."   Texts by Emily Dickinson, Zona Gale, Andrea Gibson, Langston Hughes will be featured in the music of Melissa Dunphy, Rosephanye Powell, and in two world premieres by Joseph Gregorio (“Who robbed the woods?” ) and our own PhilHarmonia member, Jessie Doble (“ What I know about living” from Laurel Marches).   We will also be joined by pianist Kim Barroso in Jake Runestad's  American Triptych - a lush and exuberant musical homage to the American landscape in the poems of Henry David Thoreau, Wendell Berry and John Muir.

This is a pay-what-you-wish concert. We recommend $30 for adult, $10 for student.

 This New Year, we are rolling out 5 videos of recordings by PhilHarmonia as our gift to the City of Philadelphia in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Thank you to the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, the Presser Foundation and individual donors for making this whole project possible.

Video Release #5: "Move Closer to Your World"

You know this melody—you've been hearing it since 1972! PhilHarmonia's Hilary Klapholz arranged the iconic 6abc Action News theme song for chorus, and we premiered it at "To Philly with Love" in June 2024. This is THE soundtrack of Philadelphia, the music that welcomed us home every evening for over 50 years.

@6abc - We'd absolutely LOVE to sing this live on Action News! Can we make that happen for Philadelphia's 250th?

Video and Audio Capture: Morningstar Studios
Video Editing: Tim Hillmann

A special thank you to Hilary Klapholz for this arrangement!!

Video Release #4: "A Gritty Resolution" by Melissa Dunphy

In honor of today’s Flyers game! We didn't know what to make of him at first, but now? We'll defend Gritty beyond all reason! Composer Melissa Dunphy set words adapted from former Philadelphia Councilperson Helen Gym to create this hilarious and heartfelt tribute to our favorite chaotic mascot. Because if you're going to love Philadelphia, you've got to love Gritty.

Premiered by PhilHarmonia at "To Philly with Love" in June 2024.

Soloists: Laura Allan and Neera Goyal
Video and Audio Capture: Morningstar Studios
Video Editing: Tim Hillmann

A special thank you to Tim Hillmann at Studio 94 Video.

Video Release # 3: "My City (an Ode to Philadelphia)"
by Dana K. Fiero

What does Philadelphia mean to our youngest residents? PhilHarmonia member Dana K. Fiero found out when she worked with her Settlement Music School choir from Bache-Martin Elementary School. Their words inspired this heartfelt ode to everything they love about our city. Featuring students from Settlement Music School alongside PhilHarmonia sopranos and altos, this June 2024 premiere captures Philadelphia through the eyes of those who will carry its legacy forward.

Audio and Video Capture: Morningstar Studios
Video Editing: Dana K. Fiero

Video Release #2: "Philly Fete" by John Conahan

Take a musical tour through every corner of our beloved city, from neighborhood to neighborhood, ending with the words that say it all: "I love I live in Philadelphia!" This PhilHarmonia commission, premiered at "To Philly with Love" in June 2024, is the perfect soundtrack for your New Year's Day walk through the city we call home.

Soloists: Mitos Andaya Hart, Sara Brown and Thoas Palazzolo
Audio and Video Capture: Morningstar Studios
Video Editing: Tim Hillmann

Video Release #1: "So Much to Love" by Ajibola Rivers

From the first Free Library to Tastykakes, Philadelphia has given the world so much. Composer Ajibola Rivers captures our city's incredible legacy of innovation in this joyful celebration of Philly firsts. Commissioned by PhilHarmonia and premiered at our June 2024 concert "To Philly with Love," this song reminds us why there's so much to love about our hometown.

Soloists: Daniella Forstater, Andrew Fuller and Ajibola Rivers
Audio and Video Recording: Morningstar Studios
Video Editing: Dana K. Fiero

mitos andaya hart

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Mitos Andaya Hart has served as the Artistic Director of PhilHarmonia since 2014. She is the Associate Director of Choral Activities at Temple University where she conducts the Temple University Singers, works with undergraduate and graduate conductors, and teaches choral literature. Prior to her appointment at Temple, she served as Associate Director of Choral Activities at the University of Georgia where she was awarded one of the university’s highest honors, the Richard B. Russell Undergraduate Teaching Award. Dr. Andaya Hart has taught choral and jazz at the university level in the United States, South Africa, and Australia. She served as guest conductor of the Netherlands Chamber Choir in Amsterdam and Arnhem in 2007 and conducted the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir in concert at the Lund International Choral Festival in Sweden. Additionally, she has served as a guest conductor, master teacher, clinician and adjudicator nationally as well internationally in Germany, Kenya, and South Korea. Dr. Andaya Hart has served at the State level as ACDA R&S Chair for Jazz and also served President of the National Collegiate Choral Organization.

Auditions

11 years of Concerts!

support us

It takes quite of bit of time, effort and money to make each PhilHarmonia event successful. Your support in helping to make it all happen is greatly appreciated.

PhilHarmonia is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and your donation is tax deductible.

Click on one of the links below to make your donation NOW. Or you can mail a check to PhilHarmonia, 1938 S. Hicks St., Philadelphia, PA 19145

Contact

For the most recent updates and concert announcements, join our mailing list.

For bookings, media inquiries, and general information, please email Sara H. Brown at sara@philharmoniasings.com.