List of symphony orchestras in the United States
There were 1,224 symphony orchestras in the United States as of 2014. Some U.S. orchestras maintain a full 52-week performing season, but most are small and have shorter seasons.[1][2] As of 2007, there were 117 U.S. orchestras with annual budgets of $2.5 million or more.[3]
Critics in the 1950s identified five American orchestras as the Big Five, those considered leaders in "musical excellence, calibre of musicianship, total contract weeks, weekly basic wages, recording guarantees, and paid vacations."[4] The five were the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Cleveland Orchestra. But the concept and the list are now outmoded. Music critics today include more orchestras on their lists of "top" American orchestras.[5]
Notable U.S. orchestras are listed here by state. Youth orchestras are listed in a separate list of youth orchestras in the United States. For orchestras in other countries, see list of symphony orchestras.
Alabama
California
- California Symphony
- California Philharmonic Orchestra
- Fremont Symphony Orchestra
- Golden State Pops Orchestra
- Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
- Hollywood Chamber Orchestra
- Hollywood Studio Symphony
- Hollywood Symphony Orchestra
- Long Beach Symphony Orchestra
- Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
- Los Angeles Philharmonic
- Modesto Symphony Orchestra
- New Century Chamber Orchestra
- New West Symphony
- North State Symphony
- Oakland East Bay Symphony
- Pacific Symphony
- Pasadena Symphony
- Peninsula Symphony
- Redwood Symphony
- Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra
- San Bernardino Symphony
- San Diego Symphony
- San Francisco Chamber Orchestra
- San Francisco Symphony
- Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra
- Santa Cruz County Symphony
- Southeast Symphony
- Stockton Symphony
- Symphony Silicon Valley
- Valley Symphony Orchestra (LAVC)
Colorado
- Aspen Chamber Symphony[3]
- Aurora Symphony Orchestra
- Colorado Springs Philharmonic
- Colorado Symphony Orchestra
- Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra
Delaware
District of Columbia
- Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra[3]
- National Symphony Orchestra
Florida
- Florida Orchestra
- Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra
- New World Symphony Orchestra (Miami)
- Ocala Symphony Orchestra (formerly Central Florida Symphony Orchestra)
- Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra
- Orlando Pops Orchestra
- Sarasota Orchestra (formerly Florida West Coast Symphony)
- Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
- Belleville Philharmonic Society
- Champaign Urbana Symphony Orchestra
- Chicago Sinfonietta
- Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- Civic Orchestra of Chicago
- Elgin Symphony Orchestra
- Grant Park Symphony Orchestra
- Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra
- Lyric Opera of Chicago
- Music of the Baroque
- Peoria Symphony Orchestra
- Quad City Symphony Orchestra
- Rockford Symphony Orchestra
- Urbana Pops Orchestra
Indiana
Iowa
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
- Boston Baroque
- Boston Civic Symphony
- Boston Classical Orchestra
- Boston Modern Orchestra Project
- Boston Philharmonic Orchestra
- Boston Pops Orchestra
- Boston Symphony Orchestra
- Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra
- Brockton Symphony Orchestra
- Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra
- Handel and Haydn Society
- Harvard Radcliffe Orchestra
- Lexington Symphony
- Longwood Symphony Orchestra
- Melrose Symphony Orchestra
- New England Philharmonic
- New Philharmonia Orchestra of Massachusetts
- North Shore Philharmonic Orchestra
- Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston
- Springfield Symphony Orchestra
- Waltham Symphony Orchestra
- Wellesley Symphony Orchestra
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
- Mississippi Symphony Orchestra (Jackson)
- North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra (Tupelo)
- Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra (Hattiesburg)
Missouri
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
- Santa Fe Community Orchestra
- Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
New York
- Albany Symphony Orchestra
- American Classical Orchestra
- American Symphony Orchestra
- Astoria Symphony
- Binghamton Philharmonic
- Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra
- Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
- Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, Ithaca
- Chamber Orchestra of New York
- Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra
- The Little Orchestra Society
- Long Island Philharmonic
- NBC Symphony Orchestra
- New York Philharmonic
- New York Pops
- New York Symphony Orchestra
- Orchestra of St. Luke's
- Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
- Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
- Westchester Philharmonic
North Dakota
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
- Allentown Symphony Orchestra
- Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
- Erie Philharmonic
- Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra
- Johnstown Symphony Orchestra
- Lancaster Symphony Orchestra
- Old York Road Symphony
- Orchestra 2001
- Philadelphia Orchestra
- Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra
- Philly Pops
- Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Puerto Rico
South Carolina
South Dakota
- Black Hills Symphony Orchestra, Rapid City
- South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, Sioux Falls
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
References
- Catherine Wichterman, "The Orchestra Forum: A Discussion of Symphony Orchestras in the US", 1998 Annual Report, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, archived from the original on 2012-09-06
- Voss, Zannie Giraud; Voss, Glenn B.; Yair, Karen (2016), Orchestra Facts: 2006-2014 (PDF), League of American Orchestras
- U.S. Symphony Orchestras and Their Music Directors, Information Please Database, 2007, Pearson Education, Inc.
- Robert R. Faulkiner, "Career Concerns and Mobility Motivations of Orchestra Musicians", The Sociological Quarterly, Vol. 14, No. 3 (Summer, 1973), p. 336. Archived at JSTOR. Retrieved 28 March 2012. Subscription required.
- Michael Walsh, Lee Griggs, James Shepherd, "Music: Which U.S. Orchestras Are Best?" Time, April 25, 1983. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
- "Small Orchestra Organizations: Issues and Challenges" (PDF). Harmony. Symphony Orchestra Institute. 2001.
- Jennifer Guerra (August 10, 2010). "Teens rock out at the Jackson Symphony Orchestra". Michigan Radio.
- Zeke Jennings (October 9, 2012). "Once again, Jackson Symphony Orchestra showing willingness to take bold chances". All Michigan. MLive Media Group.