About SCYO » Leadership

Dawn Tedesco, Music Director and Conductor

Dawn Tedesco has long been associated with strings, children, and Sussex County. After graduating with a music degree from The College of New Jersey (Trenton State College), where she majored in Violin and Music Education, Mrs. Tedesco taught vocal and string music in the Caldwell/West Caldwell Public School system.  After obtaining additional certification in Early Childhood Education, she set up and operated two very successful preschools in Forest Lakes and Andover.  In 1987, she organized the Sussex County Youth Orchestra as an outlet for her many students, as well as students from other schools which did not provide significant orchestral programs.  This has now grown to include musicians from virtually every elementary school, middle school and high school in Sussex County as well as many from surrounding areas. Under her direction, the orchestra has given over forty concerts, and has commissioned three major orchestral works which have become part of the national educational orchestral repertoire.  Dawn was awarded the 2007 Presidential Award from the Sussex County Arts and Heritage Council which recognized her contributions to promoting the Arts in Sussex County.

John Sepe, Preparatory Conductor and Composer-in-Residence

John Sepe received a B.A. in Music Education and an M.A. in Music Theory and Composition from Montclair State College.  He taught in the public schools from 1967 to 2007 and recently retired from teaching in order to devote more time to performing, conducting and composing.  Early works were for brass ensembles.  Other early works were for voices performed by the college madrigal singers.  He now has produced works for woodwinds, concert band and now for full orchestra.  John is a professional trumpet player and is very active in the North Jersey area performing productions of Broadway shows as well as other classical and commercial venues.   He also performs at wedding ceremonies and various church services.  Mr. Sepe resides with his wife, Angela, in Paulinskill Lake, Stillwater, NJ. He has two daughters also in the Arts.

Gerald Tedesco, Youth Orchestra Conductor

Gerald Tedesco holds a Masters Degree in Trumpet Performance from the Juilliard School of Music. As an educator, he taught instrumental music for 33 years on the high school level. During that time, he conducted the All North Jersey Area Band, Region One Symphonic Band, and the All State Jazz Ensemble. He retired from teaching in 1988 to pursue his performance career. Mr. Tedesco has been active in the tri-state area as a freelance musician for the last 35 years performing for Tony Bennett, Warren Covington, Ringling Brothers Circus, Ice Capades, the Jimmy Dorsey and the New Glenn Miller Band, among others.  He was a member of the New Jersey Pops Symphony Orchestra for 15 years, where he also served as an associate conductor.  Mr. Tedesco toured China in 1997 on a State Department tour as a cornet soloist with the Pittsburg-based Allegheny Brass Band.  He is currently a staff musician with the Hunterdon Hills Playhouse and the Barn Theater and is on the educational staff at Rutgers University.  He has twice guest conducted the Sussex County Symphonic Band.

Alan Tedesco, Rocking Strings Conductor

Alan graduated from Lenape Valley Regional High School, received a BA degree in Music Education at the College of New Jersey and an MA degree in the Trumpet Performance at Mason Gross School of the Arts.  He taught for six years in the instrumental music department in Wayne Township before accepting a position in the Kinnelon School District where he has now worked for six years.  At Kinnelon, Alan has initiated a 1st of its kind "5th Grade Band Festival" which resulted in a commissioned work that is now a part of the National Repertoire.  Alan has studied trumpet with Edward Treutel of the Julliard School, Jim Stubbs from the Metropolitan Opera and William Fielder from Mason Gross and has played with the Rutgers Orchestra and Wind Ensemble.   Alan has toured Europe as a scholarship recipient with the Pennsylvania Ambassadors of Music, and has played in Carnegie Hall and at Lincoln Center as well as toured internationally seven times with the New Jersey Ambassadors of Music.  Alan arranges music for all levels of instrumental ensembles and performs regularly on keyboard and trumpet with his wedding band. 

Joan Tracy, Accompanist

Joan studied Piano Pedagogy and flute at the Hartt College of Music.  She graduated with a BA from the University of Hartford.  After college she taught piano and accompanied the choirs at West Orange High School until moving to Sussex County in 1976.  She continues to teach piano and for over 20 years has been the accompanist for Harmonium, A Classical Choral Society, with whom she also sings.  She joined the Sussex county Oratorio as their accompanist in 1995.   Mrs. Tracy has been the principal pianist for the Sussex County Youth, Prep Orchestras, Rocking Strings and the Suzuki Strings since the fall of 1987.   She and her husband Paul reside in Cranberry Lake.   They have two daughters.