Charleston Symphony Orchestra

OUR VISION IS TO BE A WORLD CLASS ORCHESTRA FOR A WORLD CLASS CITY. OUR MISSION IS TO INSPIRE AND ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH EXCEPTIONAL MUSICAL PERFORMANCES AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. WE WILL EDUCATE, CHALLENGE, AND INSPIRE STUDENTS THROUGH MUSICAL EXPERIENCES.IN FISCAL YEAR 2021, THE CHARLESTON SYMPHONY CONTINUED TO BUILD ON ITS RECENT SUCCESSES BOTH ON AND OFF THE CONCERT STAGE. IT FULFILLED ITS MISSION BY ENGAGING AUDIENCES WITH THE HIGHEST QUALITY ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING AND PERFORMANCES AS WELL AS OFFERING SUBSTANTIAL EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE TRI-COUNTY AREA. ALL OF THIS WAS ACHIEVED WITH AN UNDERPINNING OF STRONG FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT HAVING COMPLETED NINE CONSECUTIVE SEASONS WITH OPERATING SURPLUSES PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC. THE CHARLESTON SYMPHONY CONTINUED TO BE A STRONG STEWARD OF INVESTMENT IN THE ORGANIZATION BY ALLOCATING 84% OF OVERALL EXPENDITURES INTO MISSION RELATED ACTIVITIES.

IN FY21 THE CHARLESTON SYMPHONY, DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF THE PANDEMIC, CONTINUED TO SERVE ITS COMMUNITY AND FULFILL ITS MISSION. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GAILLARD CENTER AND UNDER THE PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE OF MUSC (MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA), WE WERE ABLE TO PERFORM OUR ENTIRE SCHEDULED PROGRAM. THE SYMPHONY WAS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF ORCHESTRAS TO PERFORM LIVE SYMPHONIC CONCERTS FOR LIVE AUDIENCES, INCLUDING 8 OF 9 BEETHOVEN SYMPHONIES IN 8 MASTERWORKS PROGRAMS, FOUR POPS PROGRAMS AND OUR CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES. ALL EVENTS WERE SOCIALLY DISTANCED ONSTAGE TO A SOCIALLY DISTANCED AUDIENCE. IN ADDITION, WE LAUNCHED A LIVESTREAM PLATFORM FOR THOSE PATRONS THAT FELT MORE COMFORTABLE SHARING THE SYMPHONY FROM THEIR HOME. WE MAINTAINED A STRONG COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION. OUR SUBSCRIBERS WERE INCREDIBLY LOYAL TO AND SUPPORTIVE OF THE SYMPHONY, ATTENDING PERFORMANCES BOTH IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY AND CONTINUING TO DONATE GENEROUSLY. ALTHOUGH OUR SINGLE TICKET SALES WERE AFFECTED DRASTICALLY, THE SUBSCRIBERS' GENEROSITY HAS ALLOWED THE SYMPHONY TO COME OUT OF THE PANDEMIC IN A GREAT POSITION TO DO BOLD THINGS IN THE FUTURE AS CHARLESTON'S SYMPHONY. THE YOUTH SYMPHONY AND YOUTH STRINGS CONTINUED TO SAFELY MEET, ALSO WITH THE OVERSIGHT OF MUSC. ADDITIONALLY, WE LAUNCHED A DIGITAL EDUCATION PROGRAM, ALLOWING US TO ACCESS EVEN MORE STUDENTS. OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF FY21 ARE: IN JUNE 2020, THE CSO PRESENTED "CALL AND RESPONSE: A CONCERT FOR EQUALITY" TO LEVERAGE THE POWER OF MUSIC AND SPOKEN WORD TO PROMOTE UNITY, LOVE, AND UNDERSTANDING. THIS CONCERT FEATURED THE MUSIC OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AND AFRO-BRITISH COMPOSERS, INTERSPERSED WITH TESTIMONIALS FROM COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO DELIVERED WORDS OF EXPERIENCE, EMPATHY AND UNITY AND CONCLUDED WITH CHARLESTON'S OWN GRAMMY-AWARD WINNING RANKY TANKY. THIS WAS THE FIRST CONVERSATION OF AN EVER-GROWING AND EXPANDING DISCUSSION ABOUT RACIAL PREJUDICE IN CHARLESTON THAT IS FILLED WITH MEANINGFUL REFLECTION AND EMPATHY FOR OTHERS. THE PROGRAM SIGNIFIED A CRITICAL LAUNCHING POINT FOR OUR NEW FOCUS ON SERVING ALL OF CHARLESTON. AS PART OF THE CHARLESTON SYMPHONY'S COMMITMENT TO ADVANCING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN THE CLASSICAL MUSIC FIELD, A NEW AD HOC COMMITTEE WAS LAUNCHED IN 2020. WHILE THE DEI COMMITTEE'S MISSION IS STILL EVOLVING, THE MOST RECENT VERSION IS: "HELPING THE CHARLESTON SYMPHONY EMBODY AND CHAMPION DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN ALL ITS ENDEAVORS." THIS NEW TASKFORCE IS COMPRISED OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS THAT BETTER REPRESENT CHARLESTON'S DIVERSE POPULATION COMPARED TO OUR TRADITIONAL AUDIENCES. THIS GROUP WILL HELP ADVISE THE CSO IN FUTURE PROGRAMMING AND OUTREACH EFFORTS TO PROMOTE A MORE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT. WE RECENTLY ANNOUNCED OUR NEW CHARLESTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INCLUSION FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM IN PARTNER WITH THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON AND WILL OFFICIALLY WELCOME THE FIRST "CLASS" OF FELLOWS THIS FALL.LAUNCHED A NEW VIRTUAL CONCERT HALL FOR PATRONS, TEACHERS, AND CHILDREN TO ENJOY THE ORCHESTRA'S CONCERTS FROM HOME. AS A GIFT TO THE COMMUNITY, WE PROVIDED FREE ACCESS TO AUDIENCE-FAVORITES HOLIDAY POPS AND BEETHOVEN'S 5TH ON OUR NEW DIGITAL PLATFORM.PRESENTED MORE THAN 35 CONCERTS TO LIVE AUDIENCES INCLUDING OUR ENTIRE MASTERWORKS AND POPS SERIES. MUSC FACILITATED MORE THAN 1,000 COVID-19 TESTS FOR STAFF AND MUSICIANS PRIOR TO EVERY CONCERT OF THE SEASON.THE CSO EVEN COMPLETED ALL BUT ONE OF THE ENTIRE BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY CYCLE IN HONOR OF HIS 250TH BIRTHDAY.CONTINUED THE CHARLESTON SYMPHONY YOUTH ORCHESTRA PROGRAM DURING A DIFFICULT TIME OF ISOLATION FOR THE WORLD'S CHILDREN. YEAR-LONG REHEARSALS WERE HOSTED VIRTUALLY AND EVENTUALLY IN-PERSON FOR STUDENTS, AND THE PROGRAM CULMINATED WITH ALL THREE ENSEMBLES PERFORMING THREE FULL CONCERTS. MORE THAN 140 YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN-PERSON AND VIRTUALLY IN THE PROGRAM.

THE CHARLESTON SYMPHONY SERVED 116 YOUNG MUSICIANS RANGING IN GRADES 4-12 FROM 35 SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE LOWCOUNTRY THROUGH THE CHARLESTON SYMPHONY YOUTH ORCHESTRA (CSYO) PROGRAM. DUE TO COVID-19, STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN A HYBRID SEASON, RECEIVING IN-DEPTH, HIGH-QUALITY MUSICAL INSTRUCTION IN-PERSON AND ONLINE. THE YOUTH ORCHESTRA MEMBERS ATTENDED IN 8 IN-PERSON REHEARSALS LEADING UP TO A CULMINATING PERFORMANCE THAT WAS RECORDED AND LATER LIVESTREAMED FREE TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THE RECORDED CSYO CONCERT RECEIVED OVER 700 VIEWS THROUGH THE CSO VIRTUAL CONCERT HALL. IN ADDITION, STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN MULTIPLE ONLINE SESSIONS, INCLUDING VIRTUAL SECTIONALS WITH CSO MUSICIANS AND MASTERCLASSES WITH RENOWN MUSICIANS SUCH AS NICHOLAS TZAVARAS, CELLIST OF THE SHANGHAI QUARTET AND JOHN KENNEDY, RESIDENT CONDUCTOR AND DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRAS OF SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA. THE CSO ALSO CONTINUED TO SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC EDUCATORS BY CREATING EDUCATIONAL VIDEO CONTENT WHICH WAS MADE AVAILABLE FOR FREE ON OUR VIRTUAL CONCERT HALL AND YOUTUBE PAGE, ALONG WITH ARRANGING VIRTUAL MASTERCLASSES WITH CSO MUSICIANS.