Salisbury Symphony Orchestra
Salisbury Symphony Orchestra new article content ... The Salisbury Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an American Orchestra based in Salisbury, North Carolina, USA. David Hagy has been its Music Director since 1988. The SSO's main concert venue is Keppel Auditorium, on the campus of Catawba College. The Salisbury Symphony, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
History[edit]
The Salisbury Symphony was first envisioned in 1966 by Dr. Samuel E. Duncan, president of Livingstone College, who made a proposal to Dr. Donald C. Dearborn, then president of Catawba College to work together to create a local community symphony in Salisbury. They invited the Salisbury City Schools to join their partnership, and soon the group hired Dr. Albert Chaffoo to teach at the colleges and to organize the first Salisbury Symphony Orchestra. The inaugural concert of the fledgling orchestra was held on November 6, 1967 in Catawba College’s Keppel Auditorium. Over the past fifty years the Salisbury Symphony has become a professional orchestra ranging from thirty to ninety musicians performing seven programs each year; five season concerts on the Catawba and Livingstone College campuses, a Nutcracker in December and an annual “Pops at the Post” outdoor performance in June.
Music Directors[edit]
Albert Chaffoo was the first Music Director and Conductor for the newly formed symphony orchestra. Chaffoo, an Iranian-born college professor, had previously helped to create the Bagdad Symphony Orchestra - Iran's first symphony orchestra - and later conducted the Birmingham and Bournemouth Orchestras in London. Accepting a teaching position which brought him to the United States, he later was the founding Music Director for the Western Piedmont (NC) Symphony Orchestra before coming to Salisbury. Chaffoo directed the fledgling Salisbury Symphony Orchestra's first concert on November 6, 1967 in Keppel Auditorium of Catawba College, and continued to serve for fifteen years as a music educator for the community as well as the music director and conductor of the orchestra. When he retired in 1982 he observed, "I think I've done what I wanted to do here. I leave Salisbury with a symphony I think I can be proud of."
Dr. Douglas Meyer succeeded Professor Chaffoo as music director and conductor. Previously serving as Conductor of the Orchestras at Luther College in Iowa, Mr. Meyer challenged the community and the orchestra by leading the orchestra in its first performance of a Mahler symphony, the fourth. He is credited with steering the Salisbury Symphony in a professional direction and persuaded the Board to hire the first business manager. He served from 1982 to 1984.
The following season the board engaged Dr. Richard Fiske, a faculty member at the North Carolina School of the Arts, as music director and conductor. Dr. Fiske continued to refine the musical quality of the orchestra and to expand its repertoire from 1984 until his resignation in 1987.
Following Dr. Fiske's resignation the Board of Directors utilized guest conductors for the 1987-88 season while they conducted a national search for the next Music Director. Their search produced a contract with Dr. David Hagy in the summer of 1988. Dr. Hagy has been the Salisbury Symphony's Music Director since then, and currently serves the orchestra in that capacity.
Youth and Education Programs[edit]
The Salisbury Symphony offers a variety of music education and cultural opportunities for the local community.
Summer Strings Camp. The Salisbury Symphony sponsors a week-long day-camp experience for beginning through advanced string students. Generally the one week camp takes place in mid-June, Monday - Friday from 9am to 4pm, and culminates in a free concert performance that is open to the public. The camp is currently held at the First United Methodist Church in Salisbury.
After-School Strings (SSASS) Program. The Salisbury Symphony provides after-school elementary class instruction in violin, viola and cello for students at least 8 years old. There are currently three locations: Faith Elementary, Isenberg Elementary and Millbridge Elementary Schools. Cost is $80 per semester for 28 forty-five minute classes. Single-site concerts are performed at the end of the first semester, and a gala concert including students from all sites plus the Youth Orchestra is presented at the end of the second semester.
Youth Orchestra (SSYO). The Salisbury Youth Orchestra was established in the 1999-2000 season with a grant from the Blanche & Julian Robertson Family Foundation. Originating as a string ensemble for our youngest students, it now includes students between the ages of 10 and 18. The SSYO meets at Southeast Middle School on Thursday evenings with David Miller as its director.
Elementary School "Mini-concerts." The Salisbury Symphony seeks funding every year to provide a small ensemble (such as violin, viola, and cello) to perform short concerts for third and fourth graders in every elementary school in Rowan County. These concerts take place over a single two-week period, and are usually scheduled for early in the Fall semester. They are offered free of charge to the schools and their students.
North Carolina Symphony Performances for Students. In support of its original mission, the Salisbury Symphony has had a long tradition of sponsoring an annual appearance of the North Carolina Symphony at Keppel Auditorium. The Symphony gives two performances in a single day, in order to serve virtually all of the fifth grade school children in Rowan County and a few from schools beyond our County's borders (approx. 3000 students served). Participating elementary school music teachers attend a workshop in Raleigh in August and prepare the children in their music classes. The children are bused to the concerts by their school districts as a part of school activities for that day. These concerts are supported with contributions from schools that are outside of Rowan County, with additional funding from the Margaret C. Woodson Foundation.
Annual "Family" Concert. A concert specially designed for families with children is performed annually by the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra as a part of the Symphony Society's regular season concert series. The "Family Concert" is performed on a Saturday or Sunday and alternates between the auditoriums of Catawba and Livingstone Colleges. The concert is promoted by the local elementary music teachers and often involves students from throughout the county. This concert also features the Rowan County Fifth Grade Honors Chorus and often includes special "side-by-side" performance opportunities and highlighted solo performances by talented local student musicians.
References[edit]
External Links[edit]
This article "Salisbury Symphony Orchestra" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Salisbury Symphony Orchestra. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
