We’re thrilled to announce a special partnership between the Georgia Symphony Orchestra and the Marietta Daily Journal! As we celebrate 75 years of music, connection, and community, the MDJ is generously joining us to help share our story. Each month, this collaboration will bring you behind-the-scenes glimpses into the heart of the GSO—highlighting our history, our musicians, our music, and the exciting future ahead. We’re honored to mark this milestone with the support of our hometown paper and the community that has made it all possible.
We hope you enjoy the first installment of this series, published in the June 14 edition of the MDJ.
From Song to Symphony: 75 Years of Music, Community, and Marietta Pride
By: Suzanne Tucker, Executive Director, Georgia Symphony Orchestra
Pinpointing the birthdate of the Georgia Symphony Orchestra is no easy task.
Searching the Marietta Daily Journal archives yields hundreds of articles, reaching as far back as 1940, covering the activities of what began as the Marietta Music Study Club. In November of 1941, the club set its course of study for the year to be “From Song to Symphony;” a fitting caption for the trajectory that eventually birthed the organization we now know as the GSO.
In the forties, the group was comprised of local women, and led by names that will be familiar to anyone acquainted with Marietta History: Mrs. Robert E. Brumby, Sabine Brumby, Emily Moor, Rita Chase, June Dodd, Mrs. Jack Wilson, Mrs. Sam Rambo and Mrs. Adrian Cortelyou, among many others. They gathered to sing hymns, study international music, listen to opera and discuss folk songs. They were an extraordinarily active group and recognized state-wide for their activities within the community.
By 1950, the Marietta Music Club had programming for youth and children, a ladies chorus, frequent meetings to listen to local talent and lectures from musical luminaries. They produced radio programs and concerts and had even decided to allow men to participate! In this atmosphere, the idea to form an orchestra began to percolate. By 1951, in the home of Arthur F. Moor, the Marietta Community Orchestra was officially established. In the beginning, the instrumentation was listed as including pianists and violinists, a clarinetist, cymbalist, saxophonist and drummer to make a modest start.
The symphony has come a long way since then. Under the steadfast leadership of Betty Shipman Bennett from 1955 to 1989, the ensemble grew steadily in both size and artistic quality, evolving into the Marietta Community Symphony and setting the stage for future expansion.
As the GSO matured, it continued to grow under Steven Byess and later Michael Alexander, launching the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra (celebrating its 20th anniversary this year), the Georgia Symphony Chorus, and adopting its current name in 2011 to reflect its broadening regional impact. What began as a small music club has blossomed into a dynamic organization with multiple performing ensembles, innovative programming, and a commitment to community connection.
Music Director Timothy Verville joined the GSO in 2016 after a competitive national search and has continued to broaden artistic horizons, expand GSO’s reach and build bridges into underrepresented communities. The Georgia Symphony Orchestra continues to serve as a cultural pillar of Marietta and Cobb County. Concerts aren’t just performances, they’re community celebrations. From beloved Holiday Pops concerts to rich partnerships with churches like Zion Baptist, First Presbyterian, First Methodist, and St. James Episcopal, the GSO is deeply woven into the life of the city.
The Georgia Symphony Orchestra is proud to be a pioneer in accessibility, launching some of the first Sensory Friendly Concerts in the region, offering welcoming, judgment-free musical experiences for individuals with sensory sensitivities. Through a new Family Concert Series, young children and first-time audiences are introduced to the joy of live classical music, building tomorrow’s music lovers today.
While the exact date may be difficult to pin down, the GSO will celebrate this 2025 – 2026 as our 75th anniversary of bringing exceptional orchestral music to the people of Marietta and surrounding communities. Over the next few months, in partnership with the MDJ, the GSO will be telling the fascinating story of an organization that today includes over 500 musicians, performs for over 11,000 patrons each year and continues to offer the type of wide-ranging, innovative programming that has been its hallmark since the very beginning.
From a Marietta living room to a regional cultural beacon, the GSO continues to thrive—powered by its community and poised for what’s next.
Season Subscriptions for the 75th Season are on-sale now. Individual concerts will go on-sale August 4. For more information, visit georgiasymphony.org. If you have pictures or stories related to the history of the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, we’d love to hear from you. Email [email protected] to be contacted by someone from our staff.
