Published: February 12, 2009 12:17 pm      

Violinist a zealot for school music programs

BY RUTH RICE

RRICE@TRIBDEM.COM

As a member of the first violin section of Johnstown Symphony Orchestra, Jean Sedlar of Richland Township has a history of championing the cause of music programs at a grade school level.

She has been with the symphony since 1973, a year after she arrived in Johnstown to teach history at Pitt-Johnstown and has played regularly, except when she has been on sabbatical.

“When I heard that Johnstown had a symphony, the first year I was here, I went to a concert to see what it was about,” Sedlar said. “My impression was that I’d like to join, and I felt I could qualify. It was a good level for where I was musically.”

Sedlar is pleased that the symphony plays a lot of classical repertoire.

“My main interest is classical, so I’m glad we don’t do all pops,” she said.

Sedlar explained that a symphony orchestra typically has about a dozen members in its first violin section. Those members play as a group rather than performing solos.

Sedlar is a firm believer of keeping music programs in the public schools.

A native of Wisconsin, she had her first experience with a violin in a school program in her hometown.

“I never would have played the violin except for a grade school string program, which I began in grade three,” Sedlar said.

A history professor with a doctorate from the University of Chicago, Sedlar was living in Chicago when she accepted the same position at Pitt-Johnstown.

Sedlar teaches European history, world politics and Western civilization at UPJ.

Sedlar has published several books on historical subjects.

The most recent are “Hitler’s Central European Empire” and “The Axis Empire in Southeast Europe.”

Sedlar’s hobbies are traveling and reading.

Sedlar’s children, Eric and Janet, are former members of the Johnstown Youth Symphony.

Eric is a software designer for Oracle Corp. in Redwood Shores, Calif., and Janet, who occasionally performs as a rhythm and blues singer, is a senior lecturer in Spanish at the University of Chicago.



Jean Sedlar

Position: Member of the first violin section of Johnstown Symphony Orchestra.

Residence: Richland Township.

Education: Received a doctorate in history from the University of Chicago.

Employment: Has taught European history and world politics at Pitt-Johnstown since 1972.

Family: Two children, Eric and Janet.