Bringing dynamic live music experiences to Columbus, Georgia
Columbus
Symphony Orchestra
since 1855
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2025-2026 Concert Season
announcing the
Columbus Symphony Orchestra
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The mission of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (GA) is to be recognized as a leading voice that uplifts, educates, and unites our community through music.
We are dedicated to enhancing the cultural and artistic landscape of our community by providing exceptional and versatile musical experiences through:
We strive to inspire, entertain, and educate our audiences while fostering a deep appreciation for the power of music.
live performances
music education
community engagement
Founded in 1855 by Mendelssohn’s student, Herman S. Saroni, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra is notable as the second orchestra formed in the United States (behind only the New York Philharmonic).
The CSO has enjoyed many iterations of a live music ensemble over the past 170 years, and has been delighting audiences as a professional orchestra since the late 1970’s.
Today, we employ as many as 90 of the finest musicians coming to play with us from across the country. Long recognized as one of the southeast’s finest orchestras, the CSO performs at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts.
About the CSO
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What Will YOU Help Us Create?
What started in 1855 as a small, local ensemble has blossomed over time into one of the southeast’s most dynamic, high-quality orchestras.
As with any evolution, our organization has grown with these two foundational questions in mind:
1. How can the CSO best serve the Columbus community?
2. What does the future hold for us as artists?
This season, we’re looking forward to delighting you with a variety of performances spanning the musical spectrum — from Grammy Award winning trio Time For Three, to a glorious evening of all Tchaikovsky, to the wonderous music of much-beloved film composer John Williams.
As we reflect on this year’s exciting offerings, we once again find ourselves asking the question, “What could be next? Where are we going?”
And that's where you come in...
Ticket revenue from performances covers less than one fifth of our concert expenses.
The remainder of our income comes from government agencies (i.e. the National Endowment for the Arts, the Georgia Council for the Arts), from municipal budgets, through grants from numerous foundations, through corporate sponsorships, dedicated fundraising events, and most significantly, donations from people in the community who value what the orchestra does.
And so, the CSO asks for your help.
William Morris once said, “History has remembered the kings and warriors, because they destroyed; art has remembered the people, because they created.”
What will you help us create?
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