Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
| Syracuse Symphony Orchestra | |
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| Orchestra | |
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| Founded | 1961 |
| Disbanded | 2011 |
The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra (SSO) was a 79-member orchestra located in Syracuse, NY. In its time it was the 43rd largest orchestra in the United States and performed a variety of programs including the Post-Standard Classics Series and M&T Bank Pops Series. The orchestra also operated two youth orchestras in the Syracuse area: the Syracuse Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Syracuse Symphony Youth String Orchestra.
It was founded in 1961 as a community orchestra by a grant from the Gifford Foundation. Its first Music Director was Karl Kritz, assisted by Benson Snyder and Carolyn Hopkins. In its first season it performed four subscription concerts at the Lincoln High School and eight young people's concerts plus one pops concert. By the end of its third season, permanent chamber groups had been formed - a string quartet, a woodwind quintet, a brass quintet and a percussion ensemble.
Assisted by a Ford Foundation Challenge Grant, their budget grew, and recordings were regularly being broadcast on WONO-FM. A new location was found for their regular concerts - the Henninger High School, and regional concerts in Watertown, Rome and Cortland followed. In 1975, the orchestra moved into its last home, the Crouse-Hinds Theater in the John H. Mulroy Civic Center Theaters at Oncenter.
In 2011, the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy; a core group of forty musicians continued as self-managed Symphony Syracuse. On December 14, 2012, musician-owned and operated organization Musical Associates of Central New York announced their new orchestra in Syracuse, named Symphoria.
In addition to its main series of programs, the Post-Standard Classics Series, M&T Bank Pops Series, Central New York Community Foundation Family Series, and the Stained Glass Series, the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra took part in local educational youth programs, and free summer parks concerts. It also played for Syracuse Opera performances.
Performances were broadcast twice weekly on WCNY-FM.
In 1999 the orchestra was presented with the Governor’s Arts Award in recognition of its activities within the region.
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