About The Orchestra

Winner of The American Prize in Orchestral Performance, the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra has served both the cultural life of Valdosta and the regional academic mission of Valdosta State University since 1990. The high standard of performance of the orchestra enables it to attract guest soloists of national and international renown to the Valdosta community.

The orchestra's membership is a unique blend of resident artist-faculty, students studying professional music disciplines, talented community performers, and carefully selected professionals from a five-state region. Supported by an Advisory Board of Directors, the Valdosta Symphony Guild, Valdosta State University, corporate sponsors, and hundreds of individual patrons, the orchestra has become an important part of the cultural life of the entire region.

The South Georgia String Project provides exploratory experience of string instruments to children in Magnet Strings classes. Many children continue to perform and take lessons.

Youth Concert Series are special performances of the orchestra programmed for school children and their teachers. Over 75,000 children have heard the VSO through this series of concerts.

Tunes for Tots introduces the instruments of the orchestra to younger children. This event will be held on January 14, 2023 in Whitehead Auditorium, 10am - 12pm.

Concerto Competition provides outstanding university performers at VSU with audition/competition experience and the opportunity to perform as soloists at a VSO Youth Concert.

VSO Honors Recital features the finalists from each year's concerto competition. This event will be held January 29, 2023 in Powell Hall, 3 p.m.

High School Honors Program provides tickets for selected high school students with the recommendation of their band director.

Family Concerts provide children of the community the opportunity to see and hear the symphony orchestra experience with their family. The program also provides exposure to the symphonic music to college students university-wide.

VSO Graduate Performance Assistantships supported by the VSO Board of Directors, provides for advanced studies in strings and orchestra for a select graduate student. The graduate student also serves a key staff position in the orchestra.

Musician Enrichment Grants of up to $1,000 allow individual students to apply for support to aid their creative endeavors over the course of the year. Primarily, it is the intent of this grant to cover some expenses associated with auditions, performance at significant summer music festivals or other special projects current students have that can enhance their craft and musicianship.