Waltham Symphony Orchestra

It was created in December 2007 by a group of local individuals who wanted to see a professional-level symphony orchestra serving Waltham, a historical city of 60,000. Patrick Botti, who had been connected with the city of Waltham for many years, became the first Music Director of the Orchestra after a brief tenure as the conductor of the Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra, a community orchestra in the city.

On May 18, 2008, the Boston Globe published a story titled "Classic choice", about the creation of the WSO and the sustenance of two symphony orchestras within the same city.^[1]

The orchestra had its inaugural concert on May 10, 2008, at the Kennedy Middle School Auditorium in Waltham, with a program featuring works by Mozart ("Così fan tutte Overture"), Daniel-Lesur ("Nocturne for Oboe and orchestra"), D'Indy ("Fantaisie on French popular Themes"), Ravel ("Mother Goose Suite") and Brahms ("Symphony No 3 in F Major, Op. 90"). The soloist was the WSO principal oboist, Amy Dinsmore.

The orchestra is composed of professional, semi-professional, amateur and student musicians drawn from Waltham and surrounding communities. The WSO's main performing venue is the Kennedy Middle School Auditorium, a 500 seat facility.