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About Palm Beach Symphony
Who we are
A visionary leader, Mrs. Stone inherited her love of music from her family and generously shared it with the community she loved. During her tenure, a number of well-known musicians served in leadership roles, including Karl Karapetian, John Iuele, Kenneth Schermerhorn, Stewart Kershaw, David Gray, Ulf Bjorlin, and John Covelli.
Palm Beach Symphony is South Florida’s premier orchestra known for its diverse repertoire and commitment to the community. Founded in 1974, this 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization adheres to a mission of engaging, educating, and entertaining the greater community of the Palm Beaches through live performances of inspiring orchestral music. The orchestra is celebrated for delivering spirited performances by first-rate musicians and distinguished guest artists. Recognized by The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County with a 2020 Muse Award for Outstanding Community Engagement, Palm Beach Symphony continues to expand its education and community outreach programs with children’s concerts, student coaching sessions and master classes, instrument donations and free public concerts that have reached more than 56,000 students in recent years.
History
In our earliest days, the orchestra performed only a few concerts a year with a part-time conductor and a volunteer staff. It was not until Mrs. Ethel S. Stone became the Symphony’s board chair, a position she held for 23 years, that the Palm Beach Symphony orchestra began establishing itself as a cultural force in the community
Upon Mrs. Stone’s death on August 6, 1996, John and Joan Tighe stepped in to continue her legacy. They established a stable board of directors, a dedicated administrative staff, and a small endowment fund to ensure the symphony’s continued growth. Musicians who led the orchestra during the Tighes’ tenure were Alan Kogosowski, Vladimir Ponkin, Sergiu Schwartz, Ray Robinson and Donald Oglesby.
Today
From our humble beginnings, Palm Beach Symphony has grown to become a cultural pillar in the Palm Beach community. Now a key cultural force in the area, we attract members who enjoy pairing quality concerts with fine dining experiences and social events, and who value and support the symphony’s music education and community outreach programs.
In 2019, as the symphony entered its 45th season, we moved our operations across the bridge from Palm Beach (where we’d operated since 1974) to West Palm Beach, allowing us space to realize our full potential by expanding our mission and reaching even more corners of the community with orchestral music. By integrating with the rich fabric of the Downtown West Palm Beach business district, we’re able to align with countless economic development and tourism assets to enrich the lives of families, businesses, residents, students, and tourists.
Through important collaborations with our valued community partners – the Palm Beach School District, the Related Group, the Cultural Council, the Downtown Development Authority, and the West Palm Beach Arts and Entertainment District, to name just a few – we’re continuing to grow our mission and expand our reach in Palm Beach County, bringing classical music to people of all ages, backgrounds, and life experiences.
Mission & Vision
The mission of Palm Beach Symphony is to engage, educate, and entertain the greater community of the Palm Beaches through live performances of inspiring orchestral music. As a cultural arts organization committed to enhancing the communities in which we perform, we hold all members of our organization – board, staff, and volunteers – to the highest, ethical, and corporate governance standards by consistently living up to our core values.
Core Values
Excellence
We commit to the highest level of artistic, administrative, board, and volunteer quality and performance.
Community Engagement
We foster meaningful, respectful, and collaborative relationships with patrons and all members of our large, diverse community by offering a variety of enriching programs.
Education and Outreach
We provide learning opportunities for students and audiences of all ages throughout our community.
Partnership and Collaboration
We approach internal and external relationships with a spirit of respect and interconnectedness.
Inclusivity and Diversity
We intentionally embrace and promote diversity across all levels of our organization, including its people, its programs, and its audiences to reflect our community's diverse population.
Relevance
We remain relevant by evolving our offerings with our sights set on the future while remaining true to our mission, vision, and core values.
Development and Sustainability
We invest responsibly in new opportunities for sustainability and growth by striving to meet stakeholder needs and by advancing our orchestra’s artistic abilities.
Stewardship and Impact
We provide compelling stewardship that ensures adherence to our mission, vision,and core values; and we document our impact in reports to stakeholders and supporters.
Fiscal Responsibility
We are committed to fiscal responsibility achieved by practicing long-term planning, careful oversight, and prudent use of debt.
Accountability and Transparency
We hold ourselves to a high standard of transparency and accountability to our donors.
Cultural Behaviors
Work with accountability and responsibility.
Treat everyone with dignity and respect.
Demonstrate loyalty, dependability, and commitment to the organization’s goals.
Communicate with transparency and honesty.
Develop honest and trustworthy relationships with community, donors, and team.
Foster community, teamwork, and professionalism.
Empower team members with information, tools, and support needed to be effective.