FAYETTEVILLE, NC — The Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra nears the opening of their 53rd season, which will consist of five subscription concerts and numerous special events and performances with the help of a grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. 

This season, the Fayetteville Symphony (FSO) will perform five concerts as a part of its regular subscription season (see below), as well as multiple repeats of the same concerts in surrounding communities.  The subscription concerts will be held at either Methodist University’s Reeves Auditorium or Fayetteville State’s Seabrook Auditorium.  In addition to these concerts, the FSO will continue its education programs to include: the 3rd Grade Concert and classroom visits, Symphony @ Your Library, and will begin actively working on a Fayetteville Symphony Youth Orchestra.  The Operating Support Grant from the Arts Council, as well as other grants and outside funding is essential in continuing our high standard of programming excellence and impacting the cultural life of the community. 

Italian Favorites – Friday, October 23, 8:00 PM
Reeves Auditorium, Methodist University
Dance Spectacular – Saturday, November 21, 8:00 PM
Seabrook Auditorium, Fayetteville State University
Stravinsky’s “Firebird” and Still’s “Afro-American Symphony” - Saturday, February 6, 8:00 PM
Seabrook Auditorium, Fayetteville State University
Classical Masterpieces – Saturday, March 13, 8:00 PM
Reeves Auditorium, Methodist University
Pictures at an Exhibition – Saturday, May 1, 8:00 PM
Reeves Auditorium, Methodist University

“Operating Support Grants are designed to strengthen our community through the arts,” says Deborah Martin Mintz, Executive Director of the Art Council. “We’re proud to support the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra to help provide a strong arts organization that builds a creative community and provides increased quality of life for all of our residents.”

The Arts Council’s Operating Support Grants may be awarded to local arts agencies in Cumberland County whose programs are vital to the cultural life of the community and whose organizations have reached a size and maturity that assure their long-term viability. The purpose of Operating Support Grants shall be to strengthen and stabilize major arts institutions and help them to deliver high quality arts services to the citizens of Cumberland County.

Founded in 1956, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra holds the distinction of being North Carolina’s oldest continuously funded symphony orchestra and has recently expanded its offerings to be considered a regional symphony.  Fifty-three years later, the mission remains: To Educate. To Entertain. To Inspire.

For more information on FSO’s expanded 2009-2010 Season and for tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please visit the website at www.fayettevillesymphony.org.