The Vermont Symphony Orchestra (VSO) is a symphony orchestra based in, and supported in part by, the U.S. state of Vermont

Vermont

Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...

. It is a 501(c)(3) corporation. It is one of the few, and the oldest, state-supported symphony orchestras in the United States.

Organization

In 2007 it had 55 full-time musicians. It presented 40 concerts a year. Its budget was $1.5 million annually. For fiscal year 2009, the state of Vermont budget contained a $125,402 grant.

History

It was founded in Woodstock in 1934. It was invited to perform at the New York World's Fair

1939 New York World's Fair

The 1939–40 New York World's Fair, which covered the of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park , was the second largest American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people...

, in 1939.

The summer Vermont Mozart Festival

Vermont Mozart Festival

The Vermont Mozart Festival was a series of indoor and outdoor concerts presented annually at sites throughout the state of Vermont. The inaugural Festival of 1974 was conceived as a celebration of both the natural beauty of the state and the genius of the Festival's namesake, composer Wolfgang...

 started in 1973 and was been presented every year through 2010. VSO was a featured performer in the festival,

It performed in each of the state's 251 cities and towns between 1984 and 1986.

Mission

A part of the founding mission of the VSO is to make symphonic music accessible, at an affordable cost, to Vermont's mostly rural citizens. The Vermont Symphony Orchestra does not have a single home hall. Chartered to bring music to the citizenry, the VSO performs in a broad range of settings including Robert Todd Lincoln's

Robert Todd Lincoln

Robert Todd Lincoln was an American lawyer and Secretary of War, and the first son of President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln...

 estate Hildene

Hildene

Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home located in Manchester in the U.S. state of Vermont, was the summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln and his wife Mary Harlan Lincoln...

, the public lawn of the Vermont State House

Vermont State House

The Vermont State House, located in Montpelier, is the state capitol of Vermont and the seat of the Vermont General Assembly. The current Greek Revival structure is the third building on the same site to be used as the State House...

 at Montpelier

Montpelier, Vermont

Montpelier is a city in the U.S. state of Vermont that serves as the state capital and the shire town of Washington County. As the capital of Vermont, Montpelier is the site of the Vermont State House, seat of the legislative branch of Vermont government. The population was 7,855 at the 2010...

, the Flynn Center in Burlington

Burlington, Vermont

Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....

, Shelburne Farms

Shelburne Farms

Shelburne Farms is a nonprofit environmental education center and National Historic Landmark on the shores of Lake Champlain in Shelburne, Vermont. It is also one of the principal concert sites for the Vermont Mozart Festival....

 on the shore of Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...

 in Shelburne, Vermont

Shelburne, Vermont

Shelburne is a town in southwestern Chittenden County, Vermont, United States, along the shores of Lake Champlain. The population was 7,144 at the 2010 census.-History:...

, Trapp Concert Meadow and many town commons, opera houses and university art centers including Johnson State College

Johnson State College

Johnson State College is a small public liberal arts college, founded in 1828 by John Chesamore at Johnson in the U.S. state of Vermont. Johnson's president is Barbara E. Murphy and its board chair is Gary M. Moore.- History and governance :...

, Middlebury College

Middlebury College

Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...

, Castleton State College

Castleton State College

Castleton State College is a public liberal arts college located in Castleton in the U.S. state of Vermont. Castleton has an enrollment of 2000 students and offers more than 30 undergraduate programs as well as master’s degrees in education...

, Lyndon State College

Lyndon State College

Lyndon State College is a public liberal arts college located at Lyndon Center in Lyndon, Caledonia County in the U.S. state of Vermont. In addition to a range of Bachelor's Degree programs, the college offers a Master's Degree program in Education...

, and the University of Vermont

University of Vermont

The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...

. The VSO has extensive educational outreach with its Musicians-in-the-Schools and Orchestral Youth Concerts programs.

Efraín Guigui Abbo led the orchestra from 1974 to 1989. Jaime Laredo

Jaime Laredo

Jaime Laredo is a violinist and conductor. Currently the conductor and Music Director of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, he began his musical career when he was five years old. In 1948 he came to North America and took lessons from Antonio DeGrass...

 has been music director since 1999. The choral director for the Symphony is Robert DeCormier.