History
Although its antecedents may be traced as far back as 1903, the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, as currently structured, was organized in 1958 as the “University Civic Symphony” under the auspices of the University of Dubuque. The name was changed to the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra in 1974 to reflect the organization’s mission to serve the entire community.
More than 40 years ago, the orchestra presented five concerts yearly under the baton of founding Music Director and Conductor Dr. Parviz Mahmoud. Dr. Mahmoud had been conductor of the Tehran Symphony and head of the Iranian Administrators of Music and Iranian Radio Broadcasts. He earned his Master of Music degree in composition and a Ph. D in theory at the prestigious School of Music at Northwestern University. Under his directorship, the DSO grew in size and prestige through Dr. Mahmoud’s retirement in 1985.
In that year, Nicholas Palmer was selected as the DSO’s second Music Director and Conductor. Under Maestro Palmer’s direction, the orchestra continued to grow steadily in size, ticket sales and public support. The number of concerts performed increased from five in the 1985–1986 season to 27 in the 1991–1992 season. Maestro Palmer was named Conductor Emeritus of the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra in 1999 in recognition of his service to the orchestra.
During the 1999–2000 season the DSO conducted a nationwide search to fill Maestro Palmer’s position. The Board of Directors together with the patrons of the DSO, overwhelmingly chose William Intriligator to be the third Music Director and Conductor of the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra. Under Maestro Intriligator’s leadership the DSO has experienced tremendous growth and success—attracting new audiences and musicians, adding opera productions to the season, launching a chamber series, doubling the number of education concerts and forging new partnerships in the community.
Around the same time, the DSO realized change was needed in its staff and Board. The staff added several new positions, Director of Marketing, Director of Development, and bookkeeper. For its top administrative executive, the Board sought and engaged new Executive Directors with experience and expertise.
In 1969 the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra organized the Dubuque Youth Symphony Orchestra (DYSO). The goal of the Youth Symphony was to assist in the development of young musicians who could eventually graduate to the DSO. The DYSO consists of 50 of the area’s best student musicians from as far away as Prairie du Chien, WI. In 1993 the program was expanded to include the Dubuque Youth String Ensemble (DYSE), a smaller training ensemble for less experienced string players.
The Dubuque Symphony Orchestra Auxiliary was formed in 1966 to assist with the financial support of the symphony. The name was changed to the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra League (DSOL) in 1986. The League sponsors events throughout the year to raise funds for the DSO and to provide educational opportunities for tri-state area residents. Currently the League has over 120 members.
Read more about this topic: Dubuque Symphony Orchestra
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“... that there is no other way,
That the history of creation proceeds according to
Stringent laws, and that things
Do get done in this way, but never the things
We set out to accomplish and wanted so desperately
To see come into being.”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)
“Throughout the history of commercial life nobody has ever quite liked the commission man. His function is too vague, his presence always seems one too many, his profit looks too easy, and even when you admit that he has a necessary function, you feel that this function is, as it were, a personification of something that in an ethical society would not need to exist. If people could deal with one another honestly, they would not need agents.”
—Raymond Chandler (1888–1959)
“I feel as tall as you.”
—Ellis Meredith, U.S. suffragist. As quoted in History of Woman Suffrage, vol. 4, ch. 14, by Susan B. Anthony and Ida Husted Harper (1902)