Livermore-Amador Symphony
Encyclopedia
The Livermore-Amador Symphony is a local symphony orchestra
composed of musicians from the Tri-Valley
in the San Francisco Bay Area
.
The Symphony was established in 1963.
Drawing mainly from the amateur musicians in Livermore, California
and surrounding cities, the Symphony performs locally. Four main concerts are played each season, which runs from September to May, as well as a fundraising "Pops" concert series each fall. The four main concerts are held in the Bankhead Theater of the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center. The repertoire is classical music ranging from Baroque to modern.
As of the 2010–2011 season, the conductor is Dr. Arthur P. Barnes
, a professor emeritus at Stanford University
who has conducted the orchestra since 1964 when he was a doctoral student at Stanford. The concertmaster is Kristina Anderson. Dr. Barnes, Ms. Anderson, and the principal cello are the only paid regular players; the rest are volunteers.
The Symphony is a member of the Association of California Symphony Orchestras
and the League of American Orchestras
. Education and outreach have long been concerns of the Symphony, and a committee was appointed in 1965 to establish an award for a musician graduating from a local high school. This tradition has continued with a few memorial awards added. The Symphony Association has also sponsored a yearly competition for young musicians which has been successful over the years in the discovery of some very talented young people. The dedication, enthusiasm and cooperative spirit of the conductor, the musicians, and the Symphony Guild have made the Symphony a vital part of the cultural life of the Livermore-Amador valley and its surroundings.
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
composed of musicians from the Tri-Valley
Tri-Valley
Tri-Valley is a triangle-shaped region in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area. The area is 18 miles southeast of Oakland and 33 miles from San Francisco...
in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
.
The Symphony was established in 1963.
Drawing mainly from the amateur musicians in Livermore, California
Livermore, California
Livermore is a city in Alameda County. The population as of 2010 was 80,968. Livermore is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisco Bay Area....
and surrounding cities, the Symphony performs locally. Four main concerts are played each season, which runs from September to May, as well as a fundraising "Pops" concert series each fall. The four main concerts are held in the Bankhead Theater of the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center. The repertoire is classical music ranging from Baroque to modern.
As of the 2010–2011 season, the conductor is Dr. Arthur P. Barnes
Arthur P. Barnes
Arthur P. Barnes is a former professor of music at Stanford University. He directed the Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band from 1963 to 1997.-Career:...
, a professor emeritus at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
who has conducted the orchestra since 1964 when he was a doctoral student at Stanford. The concertmaster is Kristina Anderson. Dr. Barnes, Ms. Anderson, and the principal cello are the only paid regular players; the rest are volunteers.
The Symphony is a member of the Association of California Symphony Orchestras
Association of California Symphony Orchestras
The Association of California Symphony Orchestras was founded in 1969 at Asilomar as a means of sharing information and resources for California Orchestras and it is the largest state orchestra association in the United States. Over the past 40 years, ACSO membership has grown to include over 400...
and the League of American Orchestras
League of American Orchestras
The League of American Orchestras, known until Fall 2007 as the American Symphony Orchestra League , is an association of U.S. and Canadian orchestras. Over 950 orchestras are members, including youth, community, and professional orchestras....
. Education and outreach have long been concerns of the Symphony, and a committee was appointed in 1965 to establish an award for a musician graduating from a local high school. This tradition has continued with a few memorial awards added. The Symphony Association has also sponsored a yearly competition for young musicians which has been successful over the years in the discovery of some very talented young people. The dedication, enthusiasm and cooperative spirit of the conductor, the musicians, and the Symphony Guild have made the Symphony a vital part of the cultural life of the Livermore-Amador valley and its surroundings.