HISTORY

Since 1945, the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra has been a major cultural asset, serving audiences of all ages that span the ethnic, economic and social spectrum.

Founded by a group of Los Angeles studio musicians, the orchestra has evolved over the decades into its present form, a mixture of the best Los Angeles area professionals, emerging pre-professionals and volunteer musicians of exceptional quality.

The concert season attracts an audience of over 5,000 with a well-rounded repertoire of both classical and contemporary works. In addition to free concerts, the Symphony’s outreach programs include open rehearsals, activities in schools, and performances by our musicians at community events.

The Santa Monica Symphony was the first orchestra in the United States to record the First and Second Symphonies of Tchaikovsky.

The Symphony has received prestigious grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, the James Irvine Foundation, the Colburn Foundation, the Herb Alpert Foundation, the City of Santa Monica and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. Additional funders include private foundations, local businesses and private donors.

The Santa Monica Symphony has grown to its present stature under the baton of nine outstanding conductors/music directors: founding conductor Jacques Rachmilovich, composer Arthur Lange, Peter Meremblum, former CBS Symphony director Victor Bay, Colburn School of Music professor Yehuda Gilad, Occidental College professor Dr. Allen Robert Gross, Los Angeles Philharmonic violinist Guido Lamell, USC School of Music lecturer Troy Quinn, and distinguished cellist and conductor Pola Benke.

The Santa Monica Symphony is a member of the Association of California Symphony Orchestras (ACSO) and the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce.

IN MEMORY OF GUIDO LAMELL

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