Walla Walla Symphony


The Walla Walla Symphony is an orchestra based in Walla Walla, Washington, USA. Founded in 1907, the Walla Walla Symphony is the "oldest continuously operating symphony west of the Mississippi". The current Music Director and Conductor is Yaacov Bergman, who has held the position since 1987. The Walla Walla Symphony performs most of its concerts at Cordiner Hall located on Whitman College Campus and provides several different types of concerts throughout the year: Symphony Series, Guest Artist Soirée Series, Special Concerts, and Family/Youth Concerts.

History

The Walla Walla Symphony began with the formation of a "Symphony Club" in June 1907 by a small group who wanted to bring great music to their community. Following the adoption of a constitution and by-laws, the club's board of directors met for the first time on July 1. At a second meeting in September they voted to hire Edgar Fischer to direct an orchestra that would function as a separate entity from the music schools in the community.
The first performance of that 29-member group on December 12, 1907 was one of several activities during that season. The club held a series of meetings to study music, presented two more concerts, and sponsored a local performance by the nationally known New York Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Walter Damrosch. While that initial year was an exhilarating success, those that followed would be challenging as the orchestra's founders struggled with finances and often presented concerts to small audiences in less than ideal circumstances.
Following the unexpected death of Edgar Fischer at age 49 in 1922, and after two years of interim leadership, Fischer's wife, Alice, a talented pianist and singer, assumed direction of the group. At a time when women conductors were rare, she proved to be an effective and inspiring leader and led the orchestra until it celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1932.
Although the Symphony Club, renamed Symphony Society, continued without break as an organization through the Great Depression years, it suspended concerts during the season following the 25th because of financial conditions in the community. After it resumed concerts in 1934, four conductors led the group over the next eleven years, with Walter Wren and Frank Beezhold, both accomplished violinists, each serving 4 years.
The orchestra grew and flourished under Beezhold's leadership during the World War II years, because of the location of an Army air force base and military hospital in the community, and a Naval V-12 training program at Whitman College. As the war ended in 1945, Beezhold left to be concertmaster of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.
Since his departure there have been five conductors. William Bailey, a teacher at Whitman College, followed Beezhold and served for a record 24 years. Jose Rambaldi, his successor, also a Whitman College faculty member, led the orchestra until 1976. Following an interim search year with several conductors, R. Lee Friese became conductor in 1977. With his departure in 1986, Cindy Egolf Sham-Rao conducted during a search year that ended with the selection of Yaacov Bergman, present day conductor, who has conducted more concerts than any previous conductor.
Michael Wenberg, who joined the orchestra as a trombone player in 1998, was the orchestra's CEO from 2006 until his retirement in 2011. He became CEO in 2007.

Concert Series

The Walla Walla Symphony sponsors and supports several free youth music education programs that allow children of all ages and backgrounds to participate in music. These programs include:
A list of the principal Walla Walla Symphony players as of the 2018-2019 Season
, Lucille Beer, Victor Benedetti, Alexander Bernstein, Evangelia Kingsley, Dean Kravig, Adam Lau, Ron Spivak, Sharin Apostolou, Haroutune Bedelian, Marie Birve, Rocky Blumhagen, Beth Madsen Bradford, Daniel Buchanan, Hamilton Cheifetz, Christopher Clayton, Matt Dolphin, Eugene Ballet, Mayumi Fujikawa, Thomas Hampson, Ross Hauck, Jenny Hayden, Molly Holleran, Janeanne Houston, Dick Hyman, Jeremy Irland, Matthew James, Janice Johnson, Jon Klein, David Krakauer, Jodie Langel, Torrey Lawrence, Michael Lewin, Waldemar Malicki, Richard Markson, Robert McPherson, Mid-Columbia Master Singers, Mid-Columbia Ballet, Tai Murray, Angela Niederloh, Sarah Parnicky, Camille Peterson, Dana Peterson, PROJECT Trio, Juliana Rambaldi, Debra Richter, Gerald Robbins, Wesley Rogers, Julia Gish Salerno, Kraig Scott, Peter Soave, Jeffrey Springer, Charles Robert Stephens, Mei-Ting Sun, Anthony Taylor, Brendan Tuohy, Walla Walla Choral Society, Richard Zeller, Jay Zhong, Karen Zizzi

World Premiere Compositions