"We are proud to unite our audiences
through their shared love for the arts."
"We are proud to unite our audiences through their shared love for the arts."
Jefferson Symphony Orchestra
HISTORY
For seventy years, the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra has been making music that thousands of people in and around Jefferson County have enjoyed. Jefferson Symphony is a regional orchestra in Colorado, comprised of eighty volunteer musicians.
What motivates them to play in is the same thing that motivates the thousands of people who attend the concerts — a love of good music. Our symphony series programs repertoire that adds a new dimension of awareness and engagement to our audiences, the symphony has brought a new dimension to the quality of life in Jefferson County.
Dr. J. Arturo González,
Music Director and Conductor
Our History
The Jefferson Symphony Orchestra began as the Mines Chamber Ensemble in 1953, with educators and students desiring to display their passion for great music and its performance. The name soon changed and by 1955 the "Golden Symphony Orchestra" was performing primarily at Golden High School. In 1957, the orchestra was recognized as the largest ensemble, based on community size, in the United States. The Golden Symphony Association received its 501(c)(3) tax status in 1960 as a charitable entity with education the designated primary focus area.
In 1962, T. Gordon Parks became Music Director and Conductor. Maestro Parks is considered to be one of the truly innovative forces in the genre of “volunteer community orchestras.” Over the fifty-plus seasons, the Jefferson Symphony has performed with many nationally acclaimed artists, including: Doc Severinsen, Eugene Fodor, Dick Hyman, Carmen Dragon, Eugenia Zuckerman, Ruth Laredo and Jeffrey Siegel. The Jefferson Symphony also takes great pride in providing exposure to locally renowned musicians as well. The Young Artists Competition began in 1959, attracting and rewarding young contestants from all over the world.
T. Gordon Parks
Music Director & Principal Conductor (1962-1994)
In 1972, the name Jefferson Symphony Orchestra was adopted to reflect the organization's county-wide community outreach and involvement by musicians, audiences, and Board focus. Also in 1972, the orchestra began performing in the Green Center on the Colorado School of Mines campus in Golden as well as providing free Summer Concerts in the parks of Jefferson County. The collaboration with the School of Mines is just one of the decades-long relationships in the community that the JSO relies on for support.
The Green Center at Colorado School of Mines in Golden.
In 1994, Dr. Antonia Joy Wilson was hired as Conductor and in 1999, Dr. William Morse became Music Director and Conductor, a position he held with great esteem for 23 years. The Fiftieth Anniversary Season of the JSO was celebrated in 2002, and in 2003 the Colorado House of Representatives bestowed a certification of recognition to the orchestra and to then Director, Jack Galland, both for distinction in the field of volunteerism.
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Dr. William Morse
Music Director & Conductor Emeritus (1999-2022)
Now entering its 71st season with Music Director Dr. J Arturo González, the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra continues making music that thousands of people in and around Jefferson County have enjoyed. It is a community orchestra, comprised of more than seventy-five volunteer musicians. The members rehearse weekly, and “after work,” to present performances of professional quality. Although a number of our musicians also play professionally in other venues, many of them are not professional musicians; that is, they make their living in areas outside of music. What motivates them to play in the symphony is the same thing that motivates the thousands of people who attend the concerts — a love of good music.
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Many individuals and businesses have supported the symphony because of what it has meant to them and their employees, namely, a great artistic resource. In the same way that good music adds a new dimension of awareness and pleasure to an individual, the symphony has brought a new dimension to the quality of life in Jefferson County.
Dr. J. Arturo González,
Music Director & Conductor (2023-present)
The Jefferson Symphony Orchestra is a nonprofit organization supported by contributions from individuals, corporations, businesses, foundations, such as the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), Colorado Creative Industries, the City of Golden, the Wilmot Trust, and the Golden Civic Foundation.
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The T. Gordon Parks Trust, left to the association following the death of Maestro T. Gordon Parks, also funds the symphony, and of course, our loyal and generous patrons. In addition, ticket sales and fundraising events, as well as the ongoing efforts of the Jefferson Symphony, provide the necessary funding to support the orchestra. The symphony performs five subscription concerts during its season, local 'Symphony Showcase' recitals by orchestra members, and a summer 'Pops in the Park!' concert in Parfet Park, Golden, under the baton of Associate Conductor Steve Mallinson.