A HISTORY OF THE LONGVIEW SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF LONGVIEW, TEXAS FROM 1968-2011

Abstract

The Longview Symphony Orchestra is a regional professional orchestra based in Longview, Texas. The orchestra was founded in 1968 under the direction of James Snowden, a local band director who led the charge to develop a high school orchestra program in a district that lacked such a program. Governed by a board known as the Longview Symphony League, the orchestra initially began as a volunteer ensemble whose original mission was to foster the growth of music education in the public schools while offering an outlet for orchestral playing to its community. After forty-four years, the Longview Symphony Orchestra has become an organization whose members are all paid, professional musicians. This study will focus on the organization's development from an orchestra whose membership began as volunteers to that of paid professionals. Special interest will be devoted to the development of the organization's governing board, the Longview Symphony League and the orchestra's three music directors, James Snowden, Frank Carroll and Tonu Kalam.