San Angelo Symphony Historical Timeline

1949 - July - Initial organization of the San Angelo Symphony Society.
          November - First Concert. Dr. Eric Sorantin of San Antonio was the
          First Conductor.

1955 - San Angelo Symphony Guild was established.

1959 - Eric Sorantin Young Artists Competition established, continued
          annually, and in 1965 the name changed to Hemphill-Wells Sorantin
          Award for Young Artist in cooperation with and funding from the
          Hemphill-Wells Foundation. Read more about the Sorantin Competition.

1967 - Eric Sorantin retires; Charles Blackman, Associate Conductor of the
          Dallas Symphony Orchestra, became conductor.  Blackman
          organized the first San Angelo Symphony Chorale.

1968 - The first Symphony Gala was held.

1973 - Joined with the Abilene Philharmonic to provide and share conductor,
          musicians, and guest artists.  George Yaeger Conducted both the
          San Angelo and Abilene Orchestras.

1978 - Dissolved relationship with Abilene and employed Gene Chartier
          Smith, San Angelo's first resident conductor.  Smith also served as
          orchestra coordinator for the San Angelo Public Schools.

1979 - Subscription concert series increased to 5 concerts.

1980 - Gene Chartier Smith was employed on a full time basis as managing
          Director and Conductor.

1983 - 25th Anniversary of the Hemphill-Wells Sorantin Young Artist
          Competition.  The finals were added to the regular subscription series,
          making a total of 6 events.

1984 - Subscription series increased to 7 events: Six symphony concerts
          plus the H-WS Finals.  SASO plays to its first standing room only
          audience.

1985 - SASO presents its first Kinder Concert(s).  Symphony Guild
          reinstates the Symphony Gala.

1986 - SASO plays to largest audience ever: 3500 at the Texas
          Sesquicentennial Pops Concert at the Coliseum.  SASO presents its
          first pair of concerts - The Christmas Pops Concerts, with a combined
          total audience of 2400.    Board of Directors implements an Endowment
          Fund Campaign, and the first-time solicitation of Corporate
          Sponsorships: Target Stores ($15,000), and GTE ($10,000).

1987 - SASO performs its first July 4th Concert on the New Riverstage to an
          estimated audience of 10,000.

1989 - 1990 - Combined total annual audience reaches 25,000.   Orchestra
          commits to employing 60 strings on concerts featuring symphonic
          literature.

1990 - Town and Country Food Stores support the July 4th Concert with a
          $15,000 Corporate Sponsorship.  14,000 attended this concert.

1991 - Performed the monumental work, Mahler: Symphony No. 2, the
          "Resurrection".   Town & Country Food Stores increase funding for
          July 4th Concert to $20,000.    The Endowment total value:
          $500,000+.

1992 - Orchestra and Chorale perform Berloiz: Requiem.  First season-
          Opening concert pair saw a total audience of 2,000.

1993 - Symphony  receives state-wide and national publicity and recognition
          for its youth programs and the July 4th concert.  Attendance for July
          3rd was an estimated 20,000.

1994 - Orchestra and Chorale perform Beethoven: Missa Solemnis.  Tim
          Forrester is employed as Manager and Marketing Director beginning a
          new era and focus on marketing and promotion.

1996 - Gene Chartier Smith retires - Search for new conductor begins.

1997 -  Ron Spigelman becomes 5th conductor.

1998-1999 - The SASO completes its 50th Anniversary season.

2002 - Hector Guzman is named the 6th music Director and Conductor, in addition to his posts with the Plano Symphony and Irving Symphony Orchestras.

2004 - The San Angelo Symphony performs its first run out concert in Sonora, Texas.

2004 - Maestro Guzman is awarded the post of Music Director of the Orchestra Philharmonic of Jalisco after winning a prestigious conducting competition.

2005 - The San Angelo Symphony Guild celebrates its 50th Anniversary. The San Angelo Symphony hosts the Symphony of Horses, a unique event chronicling the evolution and history of the horse.

2006 - At the February Concert, the San Angelo Symphony hosted the Texas premiere of a new work by living composer Joan Tower as a part of the Ford Made In America Consortium Project. Ms. Tower traveled to San Angelo to conduct her piece, "Made In America."