Our History
The Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra Association was founded in 1953 on the belief that a special city deserves a special Orchestra. Throughout more than half a century of glorious history, the Symphony has been celebrated for a unique ability to deliver brilliant orchestral concerts while maintaining a strong commitment to education and community engagement.
Since 1960, the Symphony has had five dedicated Music Directors, each bringing the Orchestra to ever greater distinction and accomplishment. During the same period, the Santa Barbara Symphony League has raised funds for and provided crucial volunteer labor to support and carry forth the Symphony's award-winning education programs. The Symphony also embraces the Santa Barbara Youth Orchestra, which was founded in 1974 and has trained talented young musicians in the art of ensemble playing for over 30 years.
The Symphony's first full-time Music Director was the internationally renowned pianist and conductor Erno Daniel (1960-67), who led the orchestra in a five-concert season. Daniel was the first of several music directors to be jointly employed by the Symphony and UCSB. He was succeeded by Ronald Ondrejka (1967-79), who served as music director through twelve seasons of continuous artistic improvement. When Ondrejka departed to become the conductor of the Fort Wayne Symphony in Indiana , Frank Collura (1979-84) took up the conductor's baton in Santa Barbara .
The fourth Music Director of the Santa Barbara Symphony was Varujan Kojian (1985-93), who brought unmatched international experience and winning charm to the podium. Under his charismatic leadership, the Symphony enjoyed a dramatic increase in attendance and began to recruit more musicians from the rich talent pool in Los Angeles . The Orchestra matured into one of the country's most respected regional ensembles.
In 1989 the Santa Barbara Symphony was chosen as one of only three orchestras in the US to receive an Advancement Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. This grant funded the Orchestra's first Strategic Plan (1991), which addressed challenges associated with the expansion of programs. The Plan paved the way to a seven concert subscription series, free Patriotic Fourth of July Concerts in the Sunken Garden , and an annual New Year's Eve Pops Concert that has become a cherished Santa Barbara tradition. Having accomplished so much during a tragically curtailed tenure, Maestro Kojian passed away in 1993 following a battle with cancer, and Santa Barbara lost a “world-class conductor of elegance and grace.”
Gisèle Ben-Dor's triumphant debut concerts in 1994, part of a dramatic year-long search for Maestro Kojian's successor, won her the unanimous support of the musicians, board, audience, and staff. From the beginning, her tenure was marked by an electric energy and a dramatic podium presence. With Ben-Dor conducting, the Orchestra has released several acclaimed recordings, including CDs of works by Silvestre Revueltas, Astor Piazzolla, Luis Bacalov and Heitor Villa-Lobos. The Orchestra's recording of the Villa-Lobos earned international praise, including: “. . .electrifying. . . masterful. . . Gisèle Ben-Dor has transformed the Santa Barbara Symphony into a first-tier ensemble.” Fanfare Magazine
During the 2003-2004 concert season, Maestro Ben-Dor announced that she would be stepping down as Conductor of the Santa Barbara Symphony at the end of the 2005-06 Season to pursue other career opportunities. This provided the Orchestra with a comfortable two-year period during which to search for her successor. Over 300 candidates from all over the world applied for the post, and in the end, eight were invited to perform with the Symphony as part of their audition. During this 2005-06 season, the final four candidates will lead a subscription concert and introduce themselves to the community. On March 11, 2006 , the Search Committee unveiled the next Music Director of the Santa Barbara Symphony, Nir Kabaretti, at a special announcement event at the Montecito Country Club.
Looking forward, the tenure of the next Music Director will be a pivotal era for the Santa Barbara Symphony. In 2004, the Board of Directors made a significant investment in a Stategic Planning Process that identified four Cornerstones of the Santa Barbara Symphony and outlined major goals that will be accomplished during the next five years. The Cornerstones are Artistic Excellence; Audience Development; Education and Community Service; and Financial Stability. Among the most ambitious and critical goals set forth in the 2004 Plan are the selection of a artistically brilliant new Music Director, the seamless move to the beautifully renovated Granada Theatre, increased financial and artistic support of our excellent Santa Barbara Youth Symphony, further expansion of our extensive Education and Community Engagement programs, and the establishment of a successful Symphonic Pops program.
We believe that we live in a special community and that Santa Barbara deserves a special Symphony – the Santa Barbara Symphony.
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