Germantown Symphony Orchestra
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History

The Germantown Symphony Orchestra is an all-volunteer symphony orchestra made up of musicians from all over the Mid-South. The membership of the orchestra is a microcosm of the community, as it includes doctors, lawyers, retirees, students, teachers, business professionals, stay at home moms, and everything in between. This diverse membership joins together and donates its time and energy purely for the joy of creating music together to share with Mid-South communities.

The GSO was founded in 1975 by six local musicians interested in forming a community orchestra under the baton of Director Noel Gilbert. Through the leadership of only four Music Directors (Noel Gilbert, John Hodges, Patricia Brumbaugh, and Ronald Vernon), the last forty-two years has seen the orchestra develop from a pops orchestra into the current eighty-five member Germantown Symphony Orchestra, the Community Orchestra in Residence at GPAC. With this development into a full symphony orchestra has come programming expansion, with annual programming including both a complete classical series of four concerts and a summer pops concert series that travels throughout the Mid-South. The GSO has even represented the state of Tennessee at the Festival of the States Music Festival in Washington, D.C, in 2006. This unique history of musical programming led to the City of Germantown proclaiming April 23, 2016, as Germantown Symphony Orchestra Day to honor the GSO’s forty years of musical service to the community.
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One unique aspect of the GSO is the organization’s ability to create community for its members and audiences alike. The GSO has four charter members from forty-two years ago still playing with the orchestra, and many members have been with the orchestra for almost twenty years. The GSO creates a warm family-like environment in which its diverse membership can learn and perform, and new members are welcome to join at any time. Just as it is in the orchestra, community is also created in the GSO’s audience. At a GSO classical concert, it is possible to see a family with school-age children that has come to watch their school music teacher perform. At the summer pops concerts, it is completely normal to see multi-generational families enjoying a picnic dinner with their neighbors while they listen to a live orchestra in their own hometown. The GSO creates community, both for the music makers and the audience members.

Memorable Moments in GSO History

June  30,  1981  –  Concert  at  the  JCC  with  three  young  violin  soloists.  One  was   Alan Gilbert,  now  conductor  of  the  New  York  Philharmonic,  and  one  was  his   sister,  Jennifer, who  has  had  an  international  career  as  a  violinist  and  chamber   music  performer.  The proud  grandfather,  Noel  Gilbert,  was  the  conductor.  
February  15,  1992  –  Our  second  Gala  concert,  dinner  and  auction  at  the   Omni  Hotel,  featuring  Strauss  waltzes  and  red-­haired  soloist  Hildegarde   McCullar  in  a  heartfelt  performance  of  “Vienna,  City  of  My  Dreams”  for  a   rapt  audience.  The  orchestra’s  music  director  was  John  M.  Hodges.
April  7,  1993  –  Opening  of  Cat  Country  at  the  Memphis  Zoo  –  an  outdoor   performance  of  Carnival  of  the  Animals  with  Pam  McKnight  and  Stephen   Field  as  piano  soloists.  Milton  Okeon  was  triangle  soloist  in  The  Pink  Panther.   Also  performed:  an  arrangement  of  Born  Free  by  John  Hodges.
March  22,  1997  –  A  full  house  at  the  GPAC,  with  Edwin  Hubbard  as  guest   conductor.  Pam  McKnight,  in  sparkly  magenta  dress,  waiting  to  play  the   Schumann  Piano  Concerto  after  intermission.  When  Albert  Pertalion  came   onstage,  looking  for  a  doctor,  we  learned  that  Mr.  Hubbard  had  collapsed   backstage,  not  long  after  directing  the  orchestra  and  chorus  in  portions  of  the   Mozart  Requiem.  In  respect,  orchestra  and  audience  went  quietly  home.
September  28,  1997  –  Feathers,  Fins  and  Fangs  concert  at  the  GPAC,  with  lines  of   children  so  long  that  the  concert  started  thirty  minutes  late.  The conductor  was  Pat   Brumbaugh,  who  also  directed  a  concert  of  organ  concertos  at  Evergreen  Presbyterian   Church  later  that  year.
June,  2005  –  We  were  soaked  just  as  we  began  our  concert  on  the  Savannah, TN river bluff, and crowded under flapping canvas party tents in blowing rain,  thunder  and  lightning. After reboarding  the  bus,  cold  and  wet,  we  continued  our   concert  under  the  direction  of Dr.  Ronald  Vernon at  the  nearby  high  school.
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June, 2006  –  Unforgettable  moments  on  our  June,  2006  trip  to  Washington  for   the  Festival  of  the  States  included:    The  excitement  of  playing  on  the  steps  of  the   Lincoln  Memorial  as  thunderclouds  formed  overhead...  The pleasure  of  playing   for  an  appreciative  audience  at  the  National  Veterans’  Home,  including  veterans   from  Mississippi  and  Tennessee... The  privilege  of  performing  in  a  lovely  Lutheran   church  downtown.  The  orchestra  was  augmented  by  three  members  of  member Anne  Motley’s  family,  wind  and  brass  players.

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March  5,  2011 - Under the baton of Dr. Ronald Vernon, our thirty-fifth anniversary concert featured  The  Inventions  Trio  (Bill  Mays,  piano;  Marvin   Stamm, trumpet;  Alisa  Horn,  cello)  in  a  distinctive  combination  of  jazz  and  orchestra arranged specifically for the event by Bill Mays.   Also  on  the  program  were  the  Three  Preludes of Dr.  Don  Freund,  commissioned  for  our  thirtieth  anniversary.
2015-­2016 as the resident orchestra of GPAC,  the  GSO’s  40th  anniversary,  the  15th  under  the  baton  of   Dr. Ronald  Vernon, and the 15th  anniversary  of  its  Young  Artists Concerto  Competition.  Former GSO  conductors  John  Hodges and Patricia  Brumbaugh  joined Ron Vernon and the  GSO along with  special guests, violinist  Daniel  Gilbert who performed Kabalevsky’s Violin Concerto in C Major with Anthony Gilbert conducting, to create an exciting  and memorable evening  of music.   Both Daniel and Anthony are grandchildren of GSO founding conductor, Noel  Gilbert.
~Memorable Moments compiled by Ann Kendall Ray
​The Germantown Symphony Orchestra, with its commitment to contribute to the performing arts community and music education, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, age, national origin, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation, in any of its activities or operations.  The GSO membership is open to any persons desiring an inclusive and welcoming environment to share their music abilities.
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The Germantown Symphony is the Resident Community Orchestra of GPAC
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  • About
    • Music Director
    • The Orchestra
    • Chamber Music
    • Education and Outreach
    • Board of Directors >
      • Meetings
    • History
  • 2022-2023 Season
    • Oct 16 - Young Artists
    • Dec 10- Germantown Holiday Concert
    • Feb 18 - With Randal Rushing
  • Concerto Competition
    • Application
    • Rules and Application
    • 2022 Winners
  • Giving
    • Donations
    • Advertise
    • Supporters
  • Join
  • Contact
  • Members
    • GSO University