About us

The Symphony was formed in the fall of 1990 to provide musicians from Loudoun County and the surrounding area with the opportunity to present fine music to Loudoun audiences and to enrich the cultural climate of Loudoun. Community interest has been very strong, supporting the Symphony's growth from each season to the next. Each season the Symphony presents its regular subscription concerts, the Connoisseurs' Concert, a free Children's Concert, an in-school mini-concert series for local elementary school students, and an annual pops benefit concert. In addition, we have performed outdoor concerts in downtown Leesburg as part of the Bluemont Concert Series. During the 1997-98 season, the Symphony performed in Sterling, Leesburg, Ashburn, Arcola, Purcellville, and Waterford.

The Loudoun Symphony is an active and contributing member of the community. Each season, the Symphony works with other arts and civic organizations in its presentation of concerts and special events. Programs have included benefits to rebuild several historic structures in Loudoun, and collaborations with the ballet and choral groups. The Symphony works closely with the Shenandoah Conservatory, having featured several of its faculty members as soloists and using several undergraduate and graduate students in the orchestra.

The Symphony's Board of Directors is composed of dedicated supporters of the fine arts. Past and present members of the board are a Who's Who of community leaders, both volunteer and professional. Many have served on the boards of other fine community and national organizations and institutions or belong to important civic groups, such as the Loudoun Arts Council, Loudoun Small Business Development Center, Loudoun County Commission on Women, Loudoun Communities That Care, the Waterford Foundation, Leadership Loudoun, Loudoun Country Day School's Board of Trustees, the YMCA, Oatlands Plantation, Loudoun Restoration and Preservation Society, the Arthur S. Flemming Commission, Catholic University of America, and various local Rotary, Lions, Optimists, Ruritan, and other service clubs. By profession they are business owners, corporate executives, a retired rocket scientist, accountants, lawyers, engineers, clergy, psychologists, fund raising and public relations professionals, government workers, politicians, school administrators, writers, teachers, physicians, scientists, farmers, TV and radio personalities, artists, and musicians.

In addition to the work of a volunteer board of directors, a great deal of task must be carried out by a large volunteer base. Volunteers are responsible for such jobs as music librarian, orchestra personnel management, concert lighting, stage management, ushering, office assistance, web site management, and fund raising assistance.

The Loudoun Symphony Association, Inc., is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) Virginia corporation. Its operating expenses are covered by ticket sales, individual and corporate donations, program advertising sales, and occasional fund raisers. Major expenses include paid artistic personnel, concert production, and audience development.

The Symphony has set up several individual and corporate giving programs to subsidize ticket prices. On the corporate side, the Symphony aggressively seeks concert sponsorships and co-sponsorships and musician's chair sponsorships and co-sponsorships. To date, we have received sponsor or co-sponsor grants from McDonald's, Wal-Mart, EDS, BDM International, Lansdowne, Nations Bank, Bell Atlantic, Coherent Communications, Cowles Publishing, and Target Stores.

Revenue from concert and chair sponsorships greatly offsets the need to charge concert-goers the actual cost of presenting each performance, keeping ticket prices affordable and concerts accessible to all. We are proud that, thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are growing while keeping our ticket prices at a level that most families can afford.