About The Symphony

Dissolved relationship with Abilene and employed Gene Chartier Smith, San Angelo’s first resident conductor. Smith also served as orchestra coordinator for the San Angelo Public Schools.

25th Anniversary of the Hemphill-Wells Sorantin Young Artist Competition. The finals were added to the regular subscription series, making a total of 6 events.

Subscription series increased to 7 events: Six symphony concerts plus the H-WS Finals. SASO plays to its first standing room only audience.

SASO presents its first Kinder Concert(s). Symphony Guild reinstates the Symphony Gala.

SASO plays to largest audience ever: 3500 at the Texas Sesquicentennial Pops Concert at the Coliseum. SASO presents its first pair of concerts – The Christmas Pops Concerts, with a combined total audience of 2400. Board of Directors implements an Endowment Fund Campaign, and the first-time solicitation of Corporate Sponsorships: Target Stores ($15,000), and GTE ($10,000).

SASO performs its first July 3rd Pops Concert on the New Riverstage to an estimated audience of 10,000.

Combined total annual audience reaches 25,000. Orchestra commits to employing 60 strings on concerts featuring symphonic literature.

Town and Country Food Stores support the July 3rd Pops Concert with a $15,000 Corporate Sponsorship. 14,000 attended this concert.

Performed the monumental work, Mahler: Symphony No. 2, the “Resurrection”. Town & Country Food Stores increase funding for July 4th Concert to $20,000. The Endowment total value: $500,000+.

Orchestra and Chorale perform Berloiz: Requiem. First season- Opening concert pair saw a total audience of 2,000.

Symphony receives state-wide and national publicity and recognition for its youth programs and the July 3rd Pops concert. Attendance for July 3rd was an estimated 20,000.

Orchestra and Chorale perform Beethoven: Missa Solemnis. Tim Forrester is employed as Manager and Marketing Director beginning a new era and focus on marketing and promotion.

Gene Chartier Smith retires – Search for new conductor begins.

Ron Spigelman becomes 5th conductor.

The SASO completes its 50th Anniversary season.

Hector Guzman is named the 6th music Director and Conductor, in addition to his posts with the Plano Symphony and Irving Symphony Orchestras.

The San Angelo Symphony performs its first run-out concert in Sonora, Texas.

The San Angelo Symphony Guild celebrates its 50th Anniversary. The San Angelo Symphony hosts the Symphony of Horses, a unique event chronicling the evolution and history of the horse.

At the February Concert, the San Angelo Symphony hosted the Texas premiere of a new work by living composer Joan Tower as a part of the Ford Made In America Consortium Project. Ms. Tower traveled to San Angelo to conduct her piece, “Made In America.”

The San Angelo Symphony Society initiates a contest in search of a new logo and selects a design showcasing the connection between the orchestra members and the audience in relation to seating, lighting, and venue. Symphony plays its 25th Anniversary performance of July 3rd Pops concert, sharing the quarter-century mark with the River Stage.

The SASO completes its 65th Anniversary season.

Van Cliburn Silver Winner, Sean Chen, performs with the SASO in March and Gold Van Cliburn winner, Alexander Kobrin, performs with the SASO in October.

The Symphony hosts The Culinary Challenge, a unique event involving community chefs and community partners. The Symphony orchestra plays the 30th Anniversary performance of July 3rd Pops concert at the Riverstage.

The San Angelo Symphony opens its 68th year of live performances in the newly renovated Elta Joyce Murphey Performance Hall and Stage at City Auditorium. The hall will be known as The Murphey.

The Symphony features the San Angelo Symphony Chorus at the Holiday Pops Concert. The Chorus is made up of community volunteers and Symphony Board members.

The Symphony hosts the 2nd annual Culinary Challenge and names Chef Earl Mulley of Halfmann’s Cake Cottage the winner.

The Symphony celebrates its 70th anniversary of live orchestral performance with The Platinum Season.

The Symphony debuts the Gaelic Symphony composed by Amy
Beach at the opening concert, Women In Art & Music. Local artist and Arts
in Uncommon Places co-founder, Julie Raymond, paints live on the stage
alongside the orchestra.

The Symphony celebrates its 75th anniversary of live orchestral performances with The Diamond Season.

The Symphony orchestra performs with Grammy award-winning mariachi ensemble, Mariachi Los Camperos, at the 2026 First Financial Bank Family Pops Concert.

Polo on the Concho celebrates its 5th anniversary with a weekend of exciting polo, live music, and West Texas history. San Angelo natives, Ken Mayer and Courtney Mahaffey, serve as co-chairs of the standalone event and local artist, Joan Mertz, creates an expanded "Walking History of West Texas Polo" exhibit, spotlighting local ranching families who brought the sport to the area. Proceeds benefit the San Angelo Symphony.