Georgia Symphony Orchestra Unveiled

Boundaries stretch for the orchestra formerly known as Cobb

Georgia now has a home-grown namesake orchestra.

The Georgia Symphony Orchestra is the new name for a well-established organization that has been playing music in the state for 60 years. The name change was announced to applause on May 7 at a finale concert by the former Cobb Symphony Orchestra.

The newly named GSO has a reputation for stretching musical boundaries, and is now ready to stretch its geographical boundaries.

In its premier season, the Georgia Symphony Orchestra will continue to push the limits of what is expected from a regional orchestra. Negotiations are ongoing to expand the number of concerts presented outside of Cobb County; and an agreement is in place to establish a residency at Reinhardt University’s Falany Performing Arts Center in North Georgia.

In addition to playing classics, the orchestra champions new works and engages in creative collaborations with other musicians. It recently commissioned a world premier work. In the past six years, the organization has added big-band jazz and a full chorus. It also launched the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the largest of its kind in the Southeast.

“Within the last six years, the organization has taken major leaps forward,” Music Director Michael Alexander said. “Given this growth, we are excited to continue to expand our programs as the Georgia Symphony Orchestra.”

Q&A with Music Director Michael Alexander

Q: How do you plan to live up to the new name?

“We just do the best we can at what we do. People always comment about how clear our passion comes through for our art.  We just want to reach more people with that feeling.”

Q: What will this mean for your current patrons and fans?

“More reason to get excited about the future.  As we continue to grow, hopefully we will be able to increase and vary our offerings even more.”

Q: Where else will you perform across the state?

“We are in negotiations with several places across the state and hope to be able to announce some firm plans soon.”

Q: Did the former name limit your growth?

“It just makes us sound provincial and has made it difficult to convince businesses and people outside of Cobb to support and attend what we do.”

Q: Do you think people outside of Cobb and North Metro will support this move?

“I hope so!  We will continue to seek to collaborate, not compete. The future is in collaboration and combining resources.  We hope to be leaders in that push.”

Q: Have you spoken to the ASO’s Robert Spano about this?

“No, but he is a busy guy!  It would be my dream someday to have him guest conduct the Georgia Symphony.”

Q: Will the public see a real difference?

“Our product will remain creative and edgy. The biggest differences will come in resources and the number of people we can now reach.”