How the Symphony Serves the Community and Region

The mission of the williamsport Symphony Orchestra is “to be a cultural asset to the community by providing quality orchestral music, education, and performance opportunities for regional talent to an ever-expanding audience.” Robin Fountain, the WSO’s conductor and music director, has led the WSO since 1992. Under Robin’s leadership, symphony-goers agree that the WSO’s performances have improved dramatically. Among orchestras in its class, the WSO is now widely regarded as one of the best, and audiences have responded enthusiastically.

Performance

The WSO season is anchored by a five-concert subscription series presented at the Community Arts Center. The series generally features three classical concerts, a pops concert, and a holiday concert. The WSO has brought to Williamsport many soloists of international stature.

The series is complemented by free family concerts, youth orchestra concerts, and outdoor concerts—an excellent way to reach children and their families.

For devotees of chamber music, members of the WSO and the Lycoming College faculty are featured in the “Close-Up Concerts” series.

Education and Outreach

As long as the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra exists, the youth of our community will be exposed to high-quality, live classical music. The WSO maintains relationships with many school districts in the region, as well as Lycoming College and Penn College, and has collaborated with the James V. Brown Library in Williamsport.

WSO guest artists frequently hold master classes in area schools. The Williamsport Symphony Youth Orchestra performs two concerts per year. The WSO also sponsors an annual Young Artists’ Competition; the winner performs with the WSO.

For adults, the WSO offers pre-concert talks and program notes by Lycoming College music professor Gary Boerckel. WSO musicians also participate in educational workshops for adults.