ABOUT

The Charleston Symphony (CSO) serves the greater Charleston community by presenting over 150 events annually featuring Masterworks and Pops series at the world-class Charleston Gaillard Center, outreach events, a range of education and family experiences, and free performances. Founded in 1936, the artistic vision of the CSO is to perform and present the highest quality music, and to engage and enrich people of all ages, race, or economic status by exploring, experiencing, and creating classical music.

The Charleston Symphony has grown into one of the largest full-time performing arts organizations in South Carolina and serves close to 50,000 adults and children every year. Charleston Symphony musicians are uniquely accessible and engage with audience members after performances, host gatherings, and participate as active members of the greater community. The CSO offers enriching educational programs for students and teachers that inspire, challenge, and educate students through musical experiences. These programs range from introductory performances for children that are experiencing music for the first time, to mentoring the region’s top student instrumentalists of the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra.

The Charleston Symphony is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts. Even before the CSO was officially founded in 1936, the volunteer orchestra came together to serve our community. CSO members partnered with the Avery Normal School (the first secondary school for African American students) to perform a concert of unity in response to the 1919 Charleston Race Riots. In June 2020, the CSO presented “Call and Response: A Concert for Equality” to leverage the power of music and spoken word to promote unity, love, and understanding. This was the first conversation of an ever-growing and expanding discussion about racial prejudice in Charleston that is filled with meaningful reflection and empathy for others.

With an annual budget exceeding $4 million, the CSO relies on philanthropic support to cover 55% of annual operating expenses. The Charleston employs 24 full-time salaried musicians and supplements the core with a robust selection of the highest caliber professional musicians from around the country.

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