Illustrious Past, Bright Future

Founded in 1928, the Santa Rosa Symphony ranks among the oldest symphony orchestras in the western states. Conductors prior to Bruno Ferrandis were: Conductor Laureate, Jeffrey Kahane, 1995-2006; Conductor Emeritus Corrick Brown, 1958-1995; George Trombley, 1928-1958. The following time line commemorates some of the more notable achievements and milestones of the Santa Rosa Symphony.

Milestones

1 9 2 8
The Santa Rosa Symphony plays its first concert with 35 local musicians at the Elks Club. Initial performances are so well received, that the fledgling group moves to the 1000-seat Santa Rosa High School auditorium. Founder George Trombley, “Mr. T,” holds the post of conductor for the next three decades. During his tenure at the podium, he conducts 179 concerts and approximately 3,000 rehearsals.

1 9 4 6
Corrick Brown, a gifted 15-year old Santa Rosa pianist, solos during one of the symphony’s programs. Eight years later, as a recent graduate of Stanford University, he returns to play a Schumann Concerto.

1 9 4 7
The Young People’s Concerts, a series of free performances for school children, is instituted to fulfill Conductor Trombley’s dream of exposing regional youth to the world of classical music.

1 9 5 7
“Hometown boy” Corrick Brown is drafted out of the Vienna Academy of Music to be Conductor and Music Director of the Santa Rosa Symphony after Trombley’s resignation.Under Maestro Brown’s artistic and business leadership, the orchestra begins a new phase of growth in stature, talent, size, and breadth of repertoire.

1 9 5 8
Performance of the First Annual Independence Day Pops Concert. Now entering its fifth decade, this outdoor event at Sonoma State University continues to draw audiences from all over the North Bay region.

1 9 5 8
A Symphony League is formed to provide volunteer support and fund-raising. Today, this essential organization numbers over 125 volunteers.

1 9 5 9
The Junior Symphony is formed by school music teacher Eugene Shepherd. This youth ensemble later affiliates with the Santa Rosa Symphony, yet remains under Shepherd’s baton until 1994.

1 9 7 6
Music Academy is formed to provide year-round group instruction on all stringed instruments for beginning to advanced students.

1 9 7 9
Formation of the Youth Preparatory Orchestra by Jack Murphy affords a first, full orchestra experience for younger students, along with training for the Junior Symphony.

1 9 8 2
A more than 1500-seat performance hall at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts becomes the new Symphony concert venue. Within a decade, a burgeoning audience requires three performances for each of seven regular subscription programs to satisfy demand.

1 9 9 2
Virtuoso Jeffrey Kahane performs Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 as a guest soloist under the direction of Corrick Brown.

1 9 9 4
Two new Youth Ensembles are formed: Discovery Orchestra (intermediate) and Youth Wind Ensemble. The Junior Symphony, a full ensemble for advanced students, is renamed the Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra.

1 9 9 5
Jeffrey Kahane succeeds Corrick Brown as conductor and music director of the Santa Rosa Symphony. Maestro Brown continues to serve as conductor laureate.

1 9 9 8
Debut concert of the Young People’s Chamber Orchestra, a new strings-only ensemble for advanced students.

1 9 9 9
The SRS enters into a partnership with Sonoma State University to build a world-class music hall on the SSU campus.

2 0 0 0
The SRS plays two concerts in the inaugural season of Festival on the Green and becomes the Festival’s Orchestra-in-Residence.

2 0 0 2
Santa Rosa Symphony receives the American Symphony Orchestra League’s MetLife Award for Excellence in Community Engagement for a multi-disciplinary collaboration with Santa Rosa High School over an entire school year. Sir Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time was the project and also the work performed in sold-out concerts in April 2002.

2 0 0 4
Kathryn Gould through Meet the Composer, Inc. launches the Magnum Opus Project which partners with the Santa Rosa Symphony and the Marin and Oakland East Bay symphonies to jointly commission, premiere and give repeat performances of nine new orchestral works over the course of multiple seasons.

2 0 0 4
The documentary film Child of Our Time by Tommie Dell Smith has its premiere in September. To date, more than 200 copies of the film on DVD and VHS have been distributed to individuals, educational institutions and symphony organizations across the United States.

2 0 0 5
Dr. Richard Loheyde is appointed SRS Youth Orchestra conductor.

2 0 0 6
Construction begins on the Green Music Center main concert hall.
Bruno Ferrandis succeeds Jeffrey Kahane as conductor and music director of the Santa Rosa Symphony. Maestro Kahane becomes conductor laureate and Maestro Corrick Brown becomes conductor emeritus.

2 0 0 7
Bruno Ferrandis' first season of programming. Santa Rosa Symphony celebrates its 80th Anniversary with Ruby Jubilee gala and special opera arias concert to kick off the 2007-2008 season.