Press Room / Symphony Profile

The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra is one of the premiere arts organization in the North Florida area. Each season, the Symphony plays to more than 30,000 patrons and audience members, and performs more than 17 concerts.

Pensacola Symphony Orchestra -- Quick Facts

• The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1926.
• 2007/2008 season marks the 82nd continuous season of operation for the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra.
• The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra plays to more than 30,000 patrons and audience members each season.
• The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra boasts at least 17 performances each season.
• Peter Rubardt has been the Music Director for the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra since 1997.
• The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra has an annual budget of just over $900,000 making it the largest arts organization in the Greater Pensacola area.
• The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra has five full time staff members:
  • Music Director
  • Executive Director
  • Director of Education/Development Administration
  • Director of Patron Services/Marketing Manager
  • Director of Public Relations and Foundation Officer
• The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra has four part time staff members:
  • Finance Director
  • Orchestra Personnel Manager
  • Librarian
  • Operations Manager
• The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors has 23 members in total, and 4 executive positions.
• The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra typically features just over 60 musicians in each performance. In a given season as many as 80 musicians may appear.
• The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra is a professional symphony that pays its musicians for each service they provide.

Pensacola Symphony Orchestra -- History
The impulse for classical music in Pensacola is a matter of need, not luxury. It began in 1926 with John Borjes' Pensacola Philharmonic Orchestra that provided concerts for the entire community and with Edwin Northrup's small informal group that played for the sheer enjoyment of music. With Borjes, a native of Germany who had studied at the renowned conservatory in Leipzig , the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra has its roots in the great tradition of classical music.

During the Great Depression these dedicated musicians maintained cohesiveness with encouragement from the WPA's Federal Music Project and provided cultural nourishment for the community. While the orchestra assumed various names during the 30's and 40's, the demand for symphonic music in Pensacola remained constant.

"Many developers and industrialists have been asked, 'what makes a city grow?' Most of them answer, 'the presence or lack of the cultural arts.'" -- Marjorie Brown, PSO President 1969-70

The PSO continued to perform in the Pensacola High School auditorium for a relatively small audience for many years. In 1982, with the renovation of the city-owned historical Saenger Theatre, the performances were moved to the Saenger audiences began a steady growth.

The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra knows that the music lovers and cultural citizens of tomorrow are shaped today. The Symphony early recognized the need to fill the gap left by reductions in school-based music education programs. Established in 1983, the Music in Education programs now reach more than 13,000 students across two counties. Nearly every fifth grade student from Escambia and Santa Rosa County Public Schools experiences a live performance of the Symphony each year. In addition, Symphony ensembles visit every third and fourth grade public school student over a two year period.

The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra is at a defining moment in its 78 year history. Audiences have grown to over 30,000 people each year including attendance at Whitney Bank Masterworks, Silver Bullet Pensacola POPS!, Gateway Sunday Matinees, Stained Glass, Music in Education, and other performances at the Saenger Theatre and around the community. In addition, the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra's performances continue to be broadcast regularly on WUWF-FM, reaching 45,000 listeners far beyond the concert hall stage.

"It has been richly rewarding to work in a community that has taken such pride in its musical life, and which has supported its orchestra so tenaciously. With that foundation to rest upon, the future of the Pensacola Symphony is sure to be as exciting as its past." --Peter Rubardt, Music Director 1997-Present

Today, the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra's dedication to its community is evident in the free concerts, church performances, school concerts, and numerous other activities that connect people with the traditions of Bach, Beethoven, and Stravinsky. The Symphony, its programs, and its artists are a critical part of the cultural and economic life of Pensacola and Northwest Florida.