We hope you enjoy the second installment of our special anniversary series, published in the July 12/13 weekend edition of the MDJ. 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.
By Suzanne Tucker, Executive Director & Kim Ellet, Development Director,
Georgia Symphony Orchestra
In a delightful 1965 article from the Marietta Daily Journal, columnist Mary Kay Murphy shared her astonishment at discovering that Marietta had its very own symphony orchestra. She described it as a “pleasant way-side station” that she had somehow missed entirely for years—despite living in the community, reading the paper, and even walking near the venue.
“Has anyone else lived in Marietta for five years,” she wrote, “and never known we have a Music Club here?”
Nearly 60 years later, I’m amazed at how relevant her words still feel.
This past spring, I had the pleasure of speaking with Susan Tillery, founder and CEO of Paraklete Financial Inc., who told me something almost identical to what Murphy wrote all those years ago. “I knew there was a Georgia Symphony Orchestra,” Susan said, “but I had no idea it was right here in my own backyard.”
She and her husband, Tom, attended our 74th Season Finale concert in May—We the People, a moving celebration of American composers and community spirit. The performance, held at the Bailey Performance Center at Kennesaw State University, featured the full orchestra, our choruses, and guest tenor Timothy Miller. Susan told me, “When we sat down and listened, we knew we wanted to get involved, at a minimum, by purchasing season tickets.”
Their support didn’t stop there. Inspired by the artistry, the professionalism, and the community feeling in the hall that night, the Tillerys also made a generous gift to our 75 for 75 Fund, supporting the GSO’s 75th Anniversary Season. “The community needs to help,” she told me. “Having this cultural jewel right here in Cobb County is something we should support. And the fact that we don’t have to drive downtown to enjoy something this world-class makes it even better.”
This refrain—I had no idea—is one we hear more often than you’d expect. And it echoes the same challenge Mary Kay Murphy identified in 1965: awareness. Despite more than seven decades of concerts, countless educational and outreach programs, and thousands of audience members, there are still many in our region who don’t know that a professional orchestra lives right here in their own community.
“Has anyone else missed making his life more beautiful, more meaningful,” Murphy mused, “because he hasn’t known he could attend live concerts, three blocks from his house, if only he would have known?”
It’s a challenge—but also an opportunity.
The Georgia Symphony Orchestra began in 1951 as the Marietta Music Club—a modest, volunteer-driven group with a passion for classical music and community enrichment. Over the years, we’ve grown into a dynamic organization presenting a full season of orchestral, choral, and jazz performances, as well as special events, sensory-friendly programming, and meaningful outreach across the region.
We are also home to the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestras (GYSO), one of the largest youth orchestra programs in the Southeast. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, GYSO serves hundreds of young musicians annually, helping them grow not just as performers, but as leaders, collaborators, and creative thinkers.
Under the artistic direction of Maestro Timothy Verville, the GSO continues to push boundaries while honoring our roots. Our musicians include top-tier professionals, talented educators, and celebrated guest artists from across the country.
And yet—just like in 1965—many people still don’t know we’re here.
That’s why our 75th Anniversary Season is both a celebration and an invitation. We want the community to rediscover—or discover for the first time—the joy of live symphonic music, performed right here at home.
We kick off the season with Drama and Destiny: Opera Meets Broadway, a spectacular opening concert that blends the majesty of Puccini and Verdi with the unforgettable melodies of West Side Story, Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, and Into the Woods. Whether you’re a lifelong opera fan or a Broadway enthusiast, this evening promises to be as moving as it is memorable.
We hope you’ll join us—and maybe even bring someone who doesn’t yet know what’s right under their nose.
Of course, ticket sales alone don’t sustain an orchestra. Like most arts organizations, we rely on the generosity of individuals, businesses, and foundations to make our work possible—from concert programming and youth education to community engagement and outreach.
To help mark our milestone year, we’ve launched the Diamond Donors: 75 for 75 campaign, inviting 75 donors to give $1,000 or more in honor of our 75th season. It’s a powerful way to invest in the cultural fabric of our region and ensure the GSO continues to inspire audiences for generations to come.
So whether you’re a longtime patron, a new concertgoer like the Tillerys, or someone who just learned today that we even have a symphony—know that you’re welcome. Your presence matters. Your support matters. And your pride in this homegrown, world-class organization is what will carry us forward into our next 75 years.
Because the Georgia Symphony Orchestra is still here. Still performing. Still growing. Still inspiring.
And yes—still right under our noses.
For tickets, subscriptions, and ways to support the GSO’s 75th Anniversary Season, visit georgiasymphony.org.
