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"Somehow, the Santa Monica Symphony gets the job done - it's the little engine that could of our local orchestras." (Los Angeles Times)
The mission of the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra is to provide high-quality, admission-free concerts from the classical and contemporary symphony repertoire to Santa Monica and West Lost Angeles. The Symphony also extends its reach into the community by performing at local schools and community arts events, assisting the community in introducing young people to classical music and enhancing lifelong learning opportunities by providing enrichment information to adults. All of the Symphony's programming is planned to target a multi-cultural, multi-generational audience. |
The Santa Monica Symphony has been a major cultural asset for the Southern California Westside community since its debut in 1945 . Its present Music Director, Allen Robert Gross, "has elevated the Orchestra to the echelon of the leading community orchestras in the country." (Culture Spot LA), that attracts music lovers from all parts of the greater Los Angeles area. The orchestra, which consists of some of the best Los Angeles-area professionals, emerging pre-professional musicians, and accomplished volunteer non-professional community musicians, presents four free concerts each season to an audience of 5,000 persons of all ages. Its repertoire of classical and contemporary music provides well-rounded programs of wide appeal.
The Symphony has received prestigious grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, and recently was one of only sixty-four orchestras in the country to receive a grant under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. It also received funding from the Los Angeles County Music and Performing Arts Commission and private foundations. Its recent concert featuring Tavis Smiley as narrator in Copland's Lincoln Portrait will be broadcast over National Public Radio to a national and international audience.
The Santa Monica Symphony has grown to its present excellence under the batons of six outstanding conductors/music directors: founding conductor Jacques Rachmilovich, composer Arthur Lange, Peter Meremblum, former CBS Symphony director Victor Bay, USC School of Music faculty member Yehuda Gilad, and its current conductor Dr. Allen Robert Gross of the Occidental College Music faculty. Guest soloists are a regular program feature of the symphony season. Among artists performing with the orchestra have been Sydney and Jeanne Weiss, Nathaniel Rosen, Ronald Leonard and such noted composers and guest conductors as Nelson Riddle, Miklos Rosza, David Rose, Alfred Newman, John Green, and Elmer Bernstein. The Santa Monica Symphony also has made multiple recordings and was the first orchestra in the United States to record the First and Second Symphonies of Tchaikovsky. Among its other contributions have been the Young Musicians Concerts which provide performance opportunities for aspiring young musicians.
The Santa Monica Symphony is a member of the Association of California Symphony Orchestra (ASCO), The American Symphony Orchestra League (ASOL), and the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce. This music is sponsored as a public service by the City of Santa Monica and made possible in part by the Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division. Instrumental Music for these performances funded in part by the Recording Industries Music Performance Trust Funds as arranged by Local 47 of the American Federation of Musicians, William Peterson, President. These performances are made possible in part through sponsorship of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles County Music and Performing Arts Commission.
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Carl Selkin, President Clementina Fleshler, Vice President, Development |
Ian McIlraith, Secretary Linda Bourque Paul Hynek |
Debra Matsumoto Allen Robert Gross (Ex-Officio) |
The Symphony is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors which maintains status with the State of California as a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization and oversees the fiduciary responsibilities of the Symphony Association, i.e., to maintain financial integrity and to assure fidelity in the usage of public and charitably donated funds.
Although Santa Monica Symphony concerts are presented without charge, they are not "free". The Association pays the conductor, soloists, musicians, and the auditorium stage hands. We also pay for music rental, instrument cartage, insurance, and mailings to make sure the community knows about our concert schedule.
The Symphony is privileged and grateful to receive grants from the City of Santa Monica and the County of Los Angeles, which, this season, will cover one third of the orchestra's costs. However, the remaining two thirds of our season's budget must come from funds raised by the Association. In addition to our grant from the Recording Industries Music Performance Trust Fund, our Board of Directors diligently pursues all avenues of fundraising, including special event benefits, small business donations, corporate contributions, and foundation grants. Nevertheless, individual membership donations are vital in order to provide these outstanding admission-free concerts to our community.
Contacting and Supporting the Santa Monica Symphony
In order for the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra to continue existing programs and expand artistic efforts in our community, we are committed to handling our finances in a prudent manner. Over 85% of the Symphony's revenue is used to directly support the performances and out-reach programs offered by the orchestra. The remaining portion of the Symphony's budget is used for such expenses as fundraising, accounting services, insurance and part time administrative support.
Please be generous in helping to support your symphony. Contributions are deductible and will be used only for your enjoyment. Checks may be made to:
Santa Monica Symphony Association
Post Office Box 3101
Santa Monica, CA 90408-3101
310-395-6330
E-mail: office@smsymphony.org
The orchestra rehearses every Wednesday at 7:30pm. Interested non-professional musicians, please contact David Bendett (email c/o SMSymphony) at the Santa Monica Symphony Association.