Welcome to the page of Ballarat Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra was formed in 1987 and has provided music lovers with a wonderful selection of music ever since. This page provides details on our upcoming concerts and a brief overveiw of our interesting history in the Ballarat community. Ballarat historian, W. B.Withers, writing in 1856, tells of band musicians from Melbourne and Geelong
who brought their instruments with them to the diggings so that "the bugle, and the cornopean, and the flute were often heard at night-fall to echo from tent to tent, from hill to valley; and from the hill beyond again was flung back the refluent melody, while the song, and the laugh, and the merry jest, helped to swell the volume of sonorous harmony." The impetus for reestablishing a community orchestra in Ballarat came from Professor Frank Hurley of he Ballarat College of Advanced Education, now the University of Ballarat. In 1987, Professor Hurley asked Peter Dale, a well-known Ballarat organiser of community events, to reconstitute a community orchestra for Ballarat, pledging support from the College. The present Ballarat Symphony Orchestra was founded under conductor Adrian Thomas. The Orchestra is now a well-established community orchestra. It experienced a long period of stability under long-term conductor Hugh McKelvey, who was also Director of the Ballarat Choral Society, they presented a varied and challenging performance program of three annual concerts, often in conjunction with the Choral Society. Since Hugh McKelvey's retirement in December 2003, the Orchestra and Choir are engaging conductors for projects as required. The Ballarat Symphony Orchestra has plans to release a history of its operation up to date.
© Peter Freund, 2004
