The Greenville Symphony is now in its 77th year of service to the Upstate through music. The orchestra was born in 1948 when volunteer musicians came together to play two concerts in the Women’s Gymnasium on the old Furman University campus. Today, the orchestra has a roster of 67 professional musicians including 11 salaried principals, performs nearly 40 ticketed concerts, and dozens more free community events each year.
This season the Greenville Symphony welcomes Lee Mills, 6th Music Director. He opens the 2024-2025 season conducting Beethoven’s 9th symphony in a historic collaboration with the choruses of Bob Jones, Furman, and North Greenville University. These performances are the first in the six concerts offered on the Concert Hall Series. This series features large-scale symphonic music of living composers alongside names like Beethoven, Mary Lou Williams, Schumann, Amy Beach, Grieg, Tchaikovsky, and Duke Ellington.
The four-concert series in Gunter Theatre includes some of the best-loved music ever written. It begins with Peter and the Wolf with narration by Greenville native and nationally-recognized actor Mimi Wyche. You’ll also find a vibrant collaboration with the award-winning Furman Percussion Ensemble, Mozart’s sparkling opera The Marriage of Figaro, and a creative Bach-inspired program featuring Principal Viola Kathryn Dey.
The Greenville Symphony’s special events begin in December with Holiday at Peace. Greenville’s favorite family Christmas tradition is sponsored by United Community and is offered at Peace Concert Hall for four performances. The wizarding world tradition that began with sold-out houses in 2023 will return with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.TM The performances, sponsored by Kyocera AVX, feature the original movie on a 40-foot screen onstage above the Greenville Symphony, skillfully playing the entire John Williams score live to picture. Stay tuned for more symphonic cinema to be announced later this year!
To see the artists of the Greenville Symphony up close, audiences have the option of two venues offering distinct experiences. Choose a luxe evening out with Music at Hotel Hartness, or fit a casual hour of music into your day with lunch or wine at Music in the Grey Loft. Enjoy intimate small-ensemble programs like Philip Glass’s Dracula Suite with narration by South Carolina native and descendent of the legendary Bram Stoker, Dacre Stoker.
Education and community engagement have been a central tenet of the Greenville Symphony’s mission since its first children’s concert in 1951. Every year, GSO musicians present free education programs appropriate for various age groups, mentor high school musicians, and perform in all 51 elementary schools in the Greenville County School District, providing access to great music for over 25,000 children annually. The musicians of the Greenville Symphony have a strong presence in the county library system as part of our Lollipops music and literacy programs sponsored by BMW.
With events like Pop-Up Music! sponsored by Prisma Health, and our summertime camp visits for kids brought to us by South Carolina Arts Commission, the Greenville Symphony takes pride in bringing the magic of music to unique places and spaces across the Upstate. Symphony musicians are coming to a spot near you!
President: Yoshi Kirsch
Education: Eileen Hofmeister
Orchestra Dinners: Carolyn Beckie
Membership: Lucie Jones & Marianne Moorer
Recording Secretary: Jane Clarke
Treasurer: Jim Reynolds