The Florence Symphony Orchestra was born in the spring of 1949 to give local musicians an opportunity to make music together for their own pleasure and for that of the community. A group of music lovers originally came together to form a community band of local musicians. However, the first audition call brought in more string players than winds. It was decided that the band concept would be changed to compliment the talents Florence had to offer, and an orchestra was born. Upon application for membership in the American Symphony League, the organizers were informed that it would be impossible for a town the size of Florence to maintain and support an orchestra. Florence has proven the original decision of the American Symphony League wrong and the orchestra has had 64 wonderful years and counting.
The FSO has grown to be sixty members strong with six performances every year. While import musicians are brought in to fill missing parts, the group continues to be the only volunteer orchestra in South Carolina and one of the few remaining in the country.
Conductors 1949-Present
|
1949-1955 |
Haldane Strain |
|
1955-1960 |
Albert Johnson |
|
1967-1968 |
Irving Anderson |
|
1960-1990 |
Dr. Franklin West |
|
1991-1995 |
Dr. Won Mo Kim |
|
1995-2002 |
Dr. Benjamin Wood |
|
2003-Present |
Dr. Terry Roberts |
Concert Hosts 1949-Present
|
1949-1962 |
McClenaghan High School |
|
1962-1970 |
Moore Junior High School |
|
1970-1998 |
West Florence High School Auditorium |
|
1998-2011 |
Florence Civic Center |
|
2011-Present |
FMU Performing Arts Center |
In 2011, after 62 years of changing concert hosts, the Florence Symphony Orchestra moved into its permanent new home in the Francis Marion Performing Arts Center on South Dargan Street in Florence. The FMU Performing Arts Center is a luxurious 60,000 square foot building with seating for 800 and breathtaking symphonic sounds. The new hall adds something special to the sounds of the Florence Symphony Orchestra's performances and makes each concert more enjoyable.
A call for volunteers to form a community band has lead to over half a century of crowd-pleasing orchestra performances. With six concerts a season, and components such as the Florence Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Florence Symphony Guild, the Florence Symphony Orchestra enriches the cultural quality of Florence and the surrounding areas.
