Allentown Symphony Association announced Aug. 18 that beloved Associate/Pops Conductor and Principal Tuba Ronald Demkee will retire at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, which will be his 45th season as a member of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra.

“Live music in the Lehigh Valley and Ron Demkee are synonymous,” said ASO Music Director/Conductor Diane Wittry. “We are honored at the Allentown Symphony to have had such a long association with Ron, both as principal tuba and as associate/pops conductor. He will leave behind a remarkable legacy at the Allentown Symphony, which we will recognize and pay tribute to over the next two years. However, this will not be a goodbye to Ron at Miller Symphony Hall.”

Wittry was referring to Demkee’s longtime position as conductor of the Allentown Band, which performs several concerts a year at the venerable 123-year-old theater in downtown Allentown.

Demkee’s tenure with the Allentown Symphony dates back to the 1979-80 season when he became principal tuba and first performed in that role in January 1980.

He became the orchestra’s associate conductor in 1983, which included assisting founding Music Director Donald Voorhees, as well as occasionally leading classical rehearsals and concerts for Voorhees and his successor William Smith.

Demkee has also conducted young people’s concerts, holiday concerts, numerous annual performances of “The Nutcracker” with Repertory Dance Theatre and most pops concert programs.

As the ASO began presenting more pops concerts about a decade ago, Demkee was promoted to associate/pops conductor.

He also served as orchestra personnel manager for 30 years.

“It has been a privilege to be associated with the ASO,” Demkee said. “I will, of course, remember these years fondly for the incredible artistic growth of the orchestra, the many marvelous moments of music making and even more significantly for the many meaningful and lasting friendships cultivated during that time. It has been a very fulfilling, rewarding and enriching 43-year journey, and there are still two more to go. I wish nothing but the best for continued success with what I am certain will be a bright future for the ASO.”

“I will continue to conduct some pops concerts, but we are going to start bringing in guest conductors and see how both our audiences and musicians respond to them,” Wittry said. “There is no set timeline or determination for appointing a new pops conductor, but that will be continually evaluated as time goes on. The principal tuba position will be auditioned at the appropriate time as is the case with any other open positions in our wonderful orchestra.”

The 2023-24 season of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra will be announced in February 2023.

Information about the upcoming 2022-2023 season can be found at millersymphonyhall.org.