Charleston Symphony Orchestra

The cso remains committed to presenting the highest-quality musical experiences and providing direct access to the arts for our community's children, thereby narrowing the gap of educational opportunity for over 20,000 students across the lowcountry each season. The cso is proud to offer multiple opportunities for educational engagement, with a special emphasis on providing free or low-cost programming to promote access to inspirational education through music. Each year, small ensembles of cso musicians travel directly to schools across the tri-county area to present chamber music concerts and instrumental demonstrations free of charge through the "music in schools" program. During the 2023-24 school year, students also had the opportunity to attend "young people's concerts" at the gaillard center in partnership with carnegie hall for a highly engaging and interactive program of full-scale symphonic music.in addition to these programs, the charleston symphony youth orchestra (csyo) operates year-round as one of the cso's most impactful initiatives in the development of young musicians. This esteemed ensemble provided middle and high school students with rich musical experiences through interactions and intensive coaching with cso musicians throughout the season. The charleston symphony youth sinfonietta (csys) is a string orchestra that integrates wind and brass sections in each concert cycle, preparing younger musicians for the more advanced csyo. This year, the program served over 100 students from grades 3-12, who performed three concerts at the charleston gaillard center and a final concert at the music hall during the piccolo spoleto festival. The csyo and csys were also featured in a symphony masterworks performance, providing students with the life-changing experience of performing alongside professional musicians of the symphony on the gaillard stage, conducted by maestro gerard schwarz.furthermore, the symphony continued its partnership with the college of charleston for the third year of the executive fellowship program and introduced the second season of the orchestral fellowship. This year, five musicians, along with two executive fellows, were selected through a rigorous process to join the symphony. The program offerspersonal and professional development for emerging nonprofit arts leaders and musicians. This season, the fellows participated in a variety of symphony activities, including main series performances, education and community projects, and the fellowship showcase. The symphony remains dedicated to providing culturally relevant programming that resonates with diverse audiences.