For 90 years the Rochester Symphony Orchestra & Chorale has provided high-quality musical performances and served as a cultural benchmark for our community and southeastern Minnesota.

Since becoming independent from the city in 1996, we have successfully produced over a dozen outstanding concert seasons and presented unique educational programs for youth and adults. We continue to offer free tickets to special needs organizations including the Gift of Life Transplant House, Hope Lodge and Ronald McDonald House, as well as offering ticket vouchers to students that see our in-school “Sounds of the Symphony” program.

In response to the downturn in the economy, we have cut expenses and launched a “Keep Our Symphony Sound” campaign. Although we have cut back on number of concerts this season, we will not compromise on the quality of our performances. We are also committed to our educational programs to continue to assist the needs of schools in these cost-cutting times.

Our audiences continue to grow, with more diverse and younger faces at each concert. Nearly all of our concerts played to capacity audiences last season, and we began this season with another full house. Although ticket revenue only accounts for a third of our budgeted income, we continue to offer quality programming at affordable prices. With Maestro Jere Lantz at the helm, we consistently attract quality musicians from a 120-mile radius.

Our community is enriched by the presence of this professional orchestra in our city, and we hope to continue to present high-quality musical performances for generations to come.