Huntington Symphony Orchestra

The Huntington Symphony Orchestra (HSO) is a distinguished musical institution with its roots tracing back to the late 1930s in West Virginia. It originated as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a New Deal agency providing public works jobs during the Great Depression. Flourishing into the mid-1950s, the orchestra became a cultural beacon for the community, hosting concerts and featuring illustrious artists such as Arthur Rubenstein, William Kapell, Jose Iturbi, Risa Stevens, Yehudi Menuhin, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Lauritz Melchior. During this era, Huntington was recognized as a significant cultural performance hub between New York and Chicago. Following a hiatus of two decades, the orchestra was revitalized in 1970 by Dr. Paul W. Whear, a renowned composer and Chairman of the Marshall University Music Department. Dr. Whear, alongside Dr. Paul Balshaw, assembled over 35 musicians from the university and local community, driven by a passion for classical music. This ensemble performed its inaugural concert on May 2, 1971, under Dr. Whear's baton, marking the dedication of the Grace Rardin Doherty Auditorium at the Huntington Galleries. This event led to the formal establishment of the Huntington Chamber Orchestra, originally chartered on December 17, 1970, with performances taking place at the Huntington Galleries. In 1997, the Board of Trustees of the Huntington Chamber Orchestra voted to rebrand the organization as the Huntington Symphony Orchestra Association (HSOA), a change that became official in 2003. The HSOA is committed to continuing the legacy of its predecessors by focusing on classical and pops performances, along with community and educational outreach programs. The orchestra is comprised of approximately 50 professional musicians, who are remunerated based on union scale, and is overseen by a twenty-one member volunteer board of trustees. The HSOA has had a significant impact on the local communities of Cabell and Wayne counties in West Virginia, and Lawrence County in Ohio, particularly through its Education For Future Orchestra Related Tradition (EFFORT) program. For over three decades, this program has augmented school music education by bringing live performances directly to students. Under the stewardship of Janet Bromley, the program has thrived, and in honor of her contributions, it was renamed the Janet E. Bromley Educational Outreach Program. The Huntington Symphony Orchestra remains a vital part of the region's cultural landscape, inviting the community to be part of its tradition and to create lasting memories through the power of music.