Penelope
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
The WSO is pleased to announce this special companion performance to our Masterworks concert, Her Voice.
Featuring guest artist Shara Nova alongside a small WSO ensemble, Penelope is a retelling of the Odyssey from Penelope’s perspective.
This performance will be held at Towngate Theatre near Centre Market, Wheeling.
Tickets will go on sale for Penelope at a date TBA. Season subscribers will have first access.
Featuring
Shara Nova, vocalist
Shara Nova has released six chamber-pop albums under the moniker My Brightest Diamond; her newest album releases Sept. 2024 entitled “Fight The Real Terror.” Shara was an original member of the Broadway show “Illinoise” directed by Tony Award Winner (‘24) Justin Peck & co-written by Jackie Sibblies Drury. Composing works for choirs such as The Crossing, Conspirare, Roomful of Teeth, Detroit Women’s Chorus, as well as The Detroit Opera’s educational touring company, yMusic chamber ensemble, Oregon Symphony, Aarhus Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, American Composers Orchestra and the BBC Concert orchestra among others, her album “The Blue Hour” was released on Nonesuch records in the fall of 2022 and was listed in NPR’s top 10 albums of the year. Nova is a 3x Grammy nominee (‘23), an Opera America Discovery Grant awardee (‘24), a Kresge Arts fellow (‘12), a Carolina Performing Arts Creative Futures fellow (‘18-’21), a United States Artists fellow (‘15) and a Knights Grant recipient (‘18, ‘24).
John Devlin, conductor
Conductor John Gennaro Devlin, is an ardent champion of American music, an innovator of concert design, and a thought leader in the field of classical music. In his seventh season as Music Director of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, Devlin is only the ninth conductor in its 90-year history to hold that title. He was recently named a recipient of the 2023 Georg Solti Foundation Career Assistance Award. Devlin’s artistry and versatility make him a frequent guest conductor with major orchestras across the nation. His engagements include performances with the National Symphony Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, and the American Repertory Ballet. Of his debut with the National Symphony Orchestra and violin soloist Joshua Bell, Anne Midgette of The Washington Post wrote that Devlin “led the evening with flair … and was visibly in his element.” A strong advocate for American music, Devlin has made it a programmatic focus and has premiered over 40 new American works. Committed to serving the wider arts community beyond the podium, Devlin is part of the six-member Conductor Constituency Leadership Team of the League of American Orchestras, advocating for conductors nationally. Previously, he served on the Conductors Guild’s Board of Directors and was a featured speaker at the organization’s annual conference, discussing the future of orchestras with the Executive Directors of the National and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras. He also delivered the keynote TED talk on “Innovation in Crowded Marketplaces” at a TEDx symposium. Devlin completed his master’s and doctoral degrees in orchestral conducting under the tutelage of James Ross at the University of Maryland. His undergraduate degree is from Emory University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a double major in Clarinet Performance and Latin.
