THOMAS RIGNEY, MUSIC DIRECTOR
Thomas Rigney is a lifelong resident of Abington Township. His musical studies began at age 10 with double bass lessons during his formative years in the Abington School District, where he also studied bass clarinet and trombone. He continued his music studies at Penn State University, earning a BA in music performance and history, followed by both an MM degree in orchestral conducting and postgraduate study in musicology at the University of Houston. He earned the first CLASS award given by the university to an outstanding teaching assistant in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Tom has performed with several Philadelphia area orchestras and has been an active teacher of cello and bass with several local music schools while serving as Instrumental Music Director at Bishop McDevitt HS in Wyncote.
Tom has guest conducted with the Warminster Symphony, BuxMont Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Society of Philadelphia and the Penn State Chamber Orchestra. He has previously served as assistant conductor with the BuxMont Chamber Orchestra and the Independence Sinfonia. In his current role as assistant conductor of the Old York Road Symphony, Tom has performed at a number of subscription and pops concerts and has directed the orchestra at the Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in a performance of Handel’s Messiah and at Upper Moreland HS as part of the 300th anniversary of the founding of Willow Grove. In addition to his academic conducting studies, he has studied musicology with Howard Pollack and Paul Bertagnolli, orchestration with Robert Nelson and musical theater history with Stuart Ostrow. He has also participated in conducting master classes in Houston, Illinois and at the International Conductors Guild Annual Conference in Philadelphia.
KARA SILVERMAN, ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR
Kara Silverman has performed with OYRS (flute/piccolo) since 2022 and is honored and delighted to step into the role of Assistant Conductor for the 2026-2027 season!
Growing up in Fanwood, NJ Kara fell in love with music as a child and enjoyed singing in choirs and playing in bands at school. She got her conductor’s start as drum major of her high school marching band in 1993 and she also was selected for NJ All State Chorus that year. Kara pursued musical study at the college level earning a Bachelor of Music in Music Education (1998) and then a Master of Music in Wind Conducting (2003), both at James Madison University. At JMU Kara had the opportunity to conduct the JMU Flute Choir at the 2002 National Flute Convention in Washington, D.C., and as part of her studies she conducted the JMU University Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Symphony in various performances. For her graduate lecture recital in April 2003 Kara studied Igor Stravinsky’s Octet for Wind Instruments which culminated in a faculty performance of this intricate piece under her baton. In addition, Kara has completed a variety of post graduate studies in music at the University of the Arts.
Kara has been a professional music educator in Page County, VA and Abington, PA, teaching band and general music full time before devoting the past two decades to raising her children. She and her husband have three musical sons who play string instruments and all have performed with OYRS!
Kara is principal Flutist of Abington Symphony Orchestra (since 2006) and was featured soloist in May of 2019 performing John Rutter’s Suite Antique. She performs locally as a freelance musician, in recital, and with other local orchestras. Kara has also guest conducted Abington Symphony Orchestra, and Abington Festival Strings.
Kara’s hobbies and passions include surfing, skiing, snowboarding, yoga, fitness, oil painting/sketching, songwriting, writing poetry, gardening, and riding rollercoasters. All things musical bring an unmeasurable joy to Kara’s life and she is very grateful to have the opportunity to make music with OYRS this season!