Oakland Symphony

The Oakland Symphony is an orchestra based in Oakland, California. They perform their music at the Paramount Theatre in the city. The group started in 1933, making it a long-standing part of the local music scene.

In 1986, the orchestra faced some money problems and had to close for a while. But the musicians didn’t give up. They came together again in 1988 with a new name, the Oakland East Bay Symphony. After many years, in 2015, they changed their name back to the Oakland Symphony and continued making beautiful music for the community.

History

1933-1986

In 1933, the Oakland Symphony Orchestra started with conductor Orley See as its first music director. They held concerts in the Oakland YMCA lobby. See led until 1957, followed by Piero Bellugi until 1959.

Gerhard Samuel became music director in 1959. The orchestra grew, adding more concerts and creating the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra in 1964 with 75 students. They performed in schools, made recordings, and toured internationally.

In 1972, the orchestra moved into the beautiful Paramount Theatre after fixing it up. But keeping the theatre was expensive, so they gave it to the city in 1975.

Harold Farberman led from 1971 to 1979, expanding concerts and starting programs for young people. Calvin Simmons, the first African-American music director, followed until 1982.

By 1986, money problems grew serious. The orchestra tried to add more shows but still struggled. In August 1986, they had to close down due to financial issues.

1988–2015

After closing, the youth orchestra and chorus kept going. In 1988, some musicians formed a new group called the Oakland East Bay Symphony with Michael Morgan as music director.

2015–present

In 2015, the group returned to its old name, the Oakland Symphony. Michael Morgan led until his death in 2021. In 2022, Kedrick Armstrong began guest conducting and became the new music director in April 2024.

Music directors

The Oakland Symphony has had many music directors over the years. Some of the directors include Orley See, Piero Bellugi, Gerhard Samuel, Harold Farberman, Calvin Simmons, Richard Buckley, Michael Morgan, and Kedrick Armstrong. Each of these directors led the orchestra during different times, bringing their own style and ideas to the music.

Awards

The Oakland Symphony received special awards in 1977, 1978, and 1982 for doing creative and exciting programming. These awards were given by an organization called ASCAP.