The Akron Symphony Orchestra is a professional orchestra based in

Akron, Ohio Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Akron metr ...

. The ASO was founded in 1949. In 2006, the ASO appointed

Christopher Wilkins Christopher Wilkins (born 1957) is an American music director, conductor, oboist, and a 1992 Seaver/NEA Award recipient. Biography Wilkins was born in Boston, Massachusetts where by 1978 he obtained bachelor's degree from Harvard College He studi ...

music director. Wilkins has agreed to serve as director through 2021. The Akron Symphony Orchestra is operated by the Greater Akron Musical Association (GAMA).

History

The founding of the orchestra dates to 1949, when John Barry, "business manager of the Akron Beacon Journal, present dMabel Graham with $500 to start a symphony orchestra." The first performance of the Akron Symphony Orchestra was on Feb. 24, 1953, in a concert "led by John Francis Farinacci, a high school teacher and band director," at Central-Hower High School. On October 9, 1973, " E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall opened with a world premiere by Mexican composer

Carlos Chavez Carlos may refer to: Places ;Canada * Carlos, Alberta, a locality ;United States * Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County * Carlos, Minnesota, a small city * Carlos, West Virginia ;Elsewhe ...

" and performed by the Akron Symphony.

Conductors

Past conductors have included Laszlo Krausz (starting in 1954),

Louis Lane Louis Gardner Lane (December 25, 1923 – February 15, 2016) was an American conductor. Born in Eagle Pass, Texas, Lane studied composition with Kent Kennan at the University of Texas at Austin where he earned his bachelor's in music degree in 1 ...

(starting in 1959),

Margaret Hillis Margaret Eleanor Hillis (October 1, 1921, Kokomo, Indiana – February 5, 1998, Evanston, Illinois) was an American conductor. She was the founder and first director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus. Life Hillis was born in Kokomo, Indiana, in ...

(starting 1971; first woman to conduct the Akron Symphony), Alan Balter (starting 1983),

Keith Lockhart Keith Alan Lockhart (born November 7, 1959) is an American conductor. He is the Conductor of the Boston Pops orchestra, and the Artistic Director of the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina. Keith Lockhart, the conductor, is the brother of ...

(starting 1988 as Assistant Conductor; Lockhart later went on to become music director of the

Boston Pops Orchestra The Boston Pops is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in light classical and popular music. The orchestra's current music director is Keith Lockhart. Founded in 1885 as an offshoot of the Boston Symphony Orc ...

), and Ya-Hui Wang (starting 2000).

Benjamin Zander Benjamin Zander (born 9 March 1939 in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, England) is an English conductor, who is currently the musical director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Biography Benjami ...

has guest conducted the Akron Symphony on multiple occasions, including in January 2019 (to conduct Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony), January 2017 (to conduct Beethoven's Ninth Symphony), and February 2008 (to conduct Mahler's Second Symphony). The encore performance of Mahler's Second Symphony by Zander, which occurred on February 10, 2008, was the Akron Symphony Orchestra's debut in

Severance Hall Severance Hall, also known as Severance Music Center, is a concert hall in the University Circle neighborhood of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio, home to the Cleveland Orchestra. Opened in 1931 to give the orchestra a permanent home, the building is n ...

References

External links

Akron Symphony Orchestra Home Page
Musical groups from Akron, Ohio Tourist attractions in Akron, Ohio Musical groups established in 1949 1949 establishments in Ohio Orchestras based in Ohio {{US-orchestra-stub