Caleb M. Stelle, M.Mus. - Founder/Violinist

Caleb Stelle is a tenured orchestra teacher, professional violinist, conductor, music director, educator, contractor, occasional vocalist, and a living example of what happens when someone is deeply incapable of saying no. He has taught many young musicians, some of whom have been selected to perform at the PA School Board Association’s State Conference, a fact he pretends is no big deal while quietly highlighting it in bold font. Caleb has served as a Violin Masterclass Instructor and Chamber Strings Coach at Messiah University’s Orchestra Camp, an Artist-in-Residence for Jump Street/PA Council on the Arts, and has conducted Lancaster-Lebanon’s MS County Orchestra.

As a performer, Caleb studies violin with Peter Sirotin, Concertmaster of the Harrisburg Symphony, and has appeared with what can only be described as most of Central Pennsylvania, including the York Symphony, Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre, The National Christian Choir, Totem Pole Playhouse, Gretna Theatre, The Williamsport LUM Pops Orchestra, Mt Gretna Summer Concerts Inc., Allenberry Playhouse, Open Stage of Harrisburg, and several ensembles whose names he swears he remembers. As a vocalist, he has appeared as a soloist with the Harrisburg Symphony (Bizet’s Toreador Song), the Hershey Symphony’s Beatles Tribute Concert, and the Harrisburg Harp Orchestra’s A Harp-Felt Christmas. He has collaborated with Broadway performers, Grammy-nominated musicians, Irish bands legally required to describe themselves as “the most fun,” and local groups that rehearse exclusively in basements. His playing was featured on the Lifetime Channel reality series Married at First Sight in January 2019, which his students find significantly more interesting than most of his rehearsals.

Caleb has music directed productions at Messiah University (Adjunct Instructor), Allenberry Playhouse, Theatre Harrisburg, Hershey Area Playhouse, and multiple high schools that handed him a baton and hoped for the best. He lectures when invited, studies jazz improvisation with Grammy-nominated pianist Kirk Reese, and continues to believe that adding “just one more project” will somehow not collapse the entire schedule. In his spare time (a contested concept), he runs C. Stelle Music, a musician contracting business providing strings, bands, and other tasteful noises for weddings, country clubs, political events, and parties throughout Central Pennsylvania. The company has won awards, is a preferred vendor at multiple venues, and survives entirely on email, spreadsheets, and caffeine.

Caleb holds a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Messiah University and dreams of a world where all music genres are respected, coffee cups are never empty, and blank journals stay blank for approximately seven seconds. When not making music, he can be found reading Thoreau for balance, listening to Ariana Grande without irony, watching horror movies to relax, traveling, or eating breakfast pretzels at the Broad Street Market like it’s a personality trait. He lives in Midtown Harrisburg with his wife, Julie, and remains cautiously optimistic that one day he will open his calendar and feel peace. That day has not yet come. Rom. 1:16.

Photograph credit: Marc at ERFotos