About Us
The Pinellas Park Civic Orchestra is a community of volunteer musicians whose mission is to work together to present several musical performances, free of charge, to the public in the Pinellas Park area.
With support from the City of Pinellas Park, the orchestra performs concerts, October through April, at the Pinellas Park Civic Arts Center, 4951 78th Avenue.
Admission is free; so, all may enjoy. Donations are gratefully accepted.
PPCO meets for rehearsals on Mondays at 7pm, starting the first Monday in September after Labor Day and continuing until Easter.
During the summer months, stay tuned for PPCO Summer Strings and other PPCO chamber music initiatives.
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The Pinellas Park Orchestra, Inc. (doing business as Pinellas Park Civic Orchestra) is a not-for-profit 501(c) (3) organization.
History
The Pinellas Park Orchestra, Inc. (doing business as the Pinellas Park Civic Orchestra) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. The orchestra (PPCO) was founded by Dean Sisson in 1964 and
was known as the First Congregational Church Orchestra at that time. Rehearsals and performances were held at the First Congregational Church of Christ in St. Petersburg, FL.
Upon Dean Sisson’s passing, his wife, Marie Sisson, conducted the orchestra until 1988. In 1988, Michael Ficcocelli became the conductor until 1992, when he was succeeded by Richard
VanDommelen.
In December of 1994, after the First Congregational Church of Christ permanently closed, the orchestra moved from
St. Petersburg to the City of Pinellas Park and became known as the Pinellas Park Civic Orchestra.
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Art Hansuld began co-conducting the orchestra with Richard VanDommelen in 2009 and assumed the full role as Conductor in 2012.
​In 2011, the orchestra incorporated as a Florida not-for-profit and attained IRS 501(c)(3) status in 2015.
Martin H. Seggelke joined PPCO as Assistant Conductor in 2018 and became the Conductor and Artistic Director in 2020.
