Hundreds attended the Altoona Symphony Orchestra’s free concert Memorial Day Evening at Lakemont Park. It turns out it was the last concert with Maestra (MYS-trah) Teresa Cheung (Chung) as the Music Director and Conductor of the Symphony. Cheung announced after 13 years, she felt it was time for the Symphony to explore other opportunities. Symphony Board Member George Sackandy (Suh-CANDY) tells WRTA that Cheung’s predecessor, long-time ASO Conductor Nick Palmer will return for most of the 2021 – 2022 season as “a year of transition.” Maestra Cheung will be a member of a group that will work on a strategic plan for the future of the Symphony, and, if her schedule permits, she may return for one or two concerts. The Symphony recently hired Rick Vanevenhoven (Van -EVEN-hoven) as their new Executive Director, succeeding Pamela Snyder-Etters. She recently stepped down to take the same position with the statewide Citizens For The Arts in Pennsylvania.