Meet Santa Clarita Philharmonic President Dr. Mark Elfont

 Mark is a recent transplant to the Santa Clarita Valley. A native of the Philadelphia area, Mark spent 33 years in engineering and management. After working as a program manager in the aerospace industry, Mark shifted his talents to Information Technology. He retired as the Chief Information Officer of a large R&D organization. After earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering and management, Mark combined his experience in both fields by earning a PhD in Management Systems.
Growing up in Philadelphia, Mark had the opportunity to experience the outstanding music programs offered by the public-school system. Taking up the trumpet in third grade, Mark played throughout his primary education and into his first two years of college. Early on, Mark realized that he did not have the raw talent to make music a career. However, several years into his professional career, Mark discovered that he could continue to enjoy playing by joining a community orchestra. That led to over 30 years of greatly satisfying performances. During this time, Mark used his professional expertise to serve on the Boards of Directors of three different community orchestras.
Mark and his wife Susan, a former teacher and reading specialist, relocated to SoCal full time in July of 2010 after spending nine years as “snowbirds,” spending winters in SoCal, first in the Fairfax District of LA and then in Santa Clarita to be close to their son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. They also have a daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren in the Boulder, CO area.
Once settled in, Mark was disappointed that there wasn’t a professional level orchestra in the area. Susan and Mark would travel to Disney Hall to hear the Los Angeles Philharmonic, but sought something closer. After some false starts, the Santa Clarita Philharmonic gave its first concert in February of 2014. Now in its fifth season, the group has blossomed into a professional level orchestra. Mark hopes to continue the growth of the orchestra and attract a greater number of classical music lovers in the area.