ANN ARBOR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Founded in 1928, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra became fully professional in 1986, first under the baton of Carl St Clair, then under Samuel Wong. Arie Lipsky was the unanimous choice to lead the orchestra in 2000. Under Lipsky’s leadership the orchestra has been favorably compared to the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Boston and the Detroit Symphony Orchestras. A key component of the A2SO’s mission is education and outreach, from the tiny toddler to the most seasoned citizen. The orchestra’s in-school educational programs and annual Youth Concerts currently reach over 47,000 students each year. The orchestra’s many dynamic programs connect the musicians directly to school classrooms, libraries, hospitals and senior centers.  The A2SO was heard over National Public Radio in November 2004, in a performance of Once Upon a Castle, a commission created by Ann Arbor composer Michael Daugherty to celebrate the orchestra’s and Michigan Theater’s joint 75th Anniversaries. Built in 1928, the Michigan Theater is one of America’s last great movie palaces. Saved from the wrecking ball in the 1980s, it is now a vibrant cultural center, and is listed on the American Historical Register. It is the orchestra’s home.

Photo courtesy of Czarnecki-Dempsey