A History of the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra

The Waterbury Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1938 to promote the understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of symphonic and orchestral music.  Over the past seven decades, the Orchestra has followed its original core mission – presenting concerts, courses, lectures and musical events in Waterbury and the surrounding towns in northwestern Connecticut .  The WSO’s mission has grown in vision and artistic merit since its first performance as a community orchestra under the direction of Maestro Mario DiCecco in May 1938.  Incorporated in 1940 as the Waterbury Civic Orchestra, it became the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra in 1956, and by the early 1970’s had become a fully professional symphony orchestra - the only one of its kind in northwestern Connecticut. Leif Bjaland was appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra in 1994.  Over his 13 years with the WSO, Bjaland’s relationship with the community has grown and deepened.  He is a wildly popular favorite with Waterbury audiences.

The Symphony draws from over 200 talented musicians from the New England area to perform in our subscription concert series at the Naugatuck Valley Community College Fine Arts Center and the Palace Theater in Waterbury.  In 2004 and 2005, the WSO had the opportunity to present performances of The Nutcracker with the Nutmeg Ballet at Waterbury’s newly renovated Palace Theater.  The theater’s renovation and reopening has been anticipated and celebrated for some time…and the results have been dramatic.   

The vision for the future includes an expansion of educational programs to include a closer relationship with the Greater Waterbury Youth Symphony, in-school ensemble programs and educational concerts for Waterbury elementary school students and open rehearsals and master classes for area music students.  In the past, the Symphony has partnered with the Cheshire School System and the Cheshire Education Foundation to offer music students (middle and high school) master classes by instrument section, the inclusion of a professional WSO musician as a guest artist at their school Spring Concert, and a special Side-by-Side performance for the community.  In 2006-2007, the WSO Brass Quintet performed an extended residency program at Shepaug School through a partnership with the After School Arts Program (ASAP.)  In 2007-2008, the project was repeated with a Percussion Trio Residency program. Since 2005-2006, the Waterbury Symphony has also partnered with the Palace Theater to be a part of their Educational Series. The concert in October, 2006, Around the World at the Speed of Sound, was a sell-out, with over 2400 students packed into the Palace to hear the orchestra!

Work is currently underway to recruit new members to the Waterbury Symphony League, to develop a core of volunteers who will work on behalf of the orchestra. The League currently has more than 50 members and new members who provide administrative and concert production support, hospitality for musucians and fundraising support. The League Wine Tasting event in 2007 raised more than $10,000 to support the orchestra. Read more about the WSO League >

In May, 2006, the WSO Board of Directors began work on a new strategic plan for the orchestra’s growth and development. WSO was one of ten orchestras nationwide selected through a competitive application process to participate in the American Symphony Orchestra League’s “Developing an Institutional Vision” project. The year-long project, which started in July 2006, addressed the key challenges facing the orchestra. The orchestra was invited along with five of the original orchestras to participate in a second year of the project.

A major priority for the organization is to create a deeper connection with the Waterbury Community. To make this happen, the Waterbury Symphony has made several changes in its programming. In July of 2007, the WSO presented a free concert in Library Park in Downtown Waterbury. The event was a great success, with an attendance of over 900 people!

The orchestra also expanded its concert series in the 2007-2008 season, with the addition of a Symphonic Pops Series at the Palace Theater in Waterbury. Successful concerts included in 2006-2007, Classical Mystery Tour and Cherish the Ladies. In 2007-2008, the series featured Tito Puente, Jr, two rising Broadway stars, and the hugely successful Centennial Celebration of the birth of Woodbury composer Leroy Anderson.

With support from the Woodward Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the WSO has commissioned composer Ysaye Barnwell to write a cantata for orchestra, chorus and soloists, based on Marilyn Nelson's poem about the skeleton found at the Mattatuck Museum, of the 18th century slave, "Fortune." The work will be premiered in May, 2009.