Capital City Symphony

OUR MISSION

Capital City Symphony is a vibrant orchestra that provides a variety of opportunities for talented musicians and diverse audiences to engage with great music in the nation’s capital.

OUR VISION

We envision Washington, D.C., and the broader capital region as a community filled with opportunities to create and access music of all kinds through participation and collaboration for diverse players and audiences. 

OUR VALUES

Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI)

We recognize the importance of fostering an environment that embraces Access, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI). With an unwavering commitment to advancing ADEI principles, we create spaces where every musician, patron, volunteer, and staff member feels valued, respected, and represented.

Excellence

We value excellence, from our performances to our operations, ensuring that we consistently exceed expectations and deliver the highest quality experiences for our patrons, musicians, and stakeholders.

Creativity 

We value creativity in our approach to exploration, empowering our musicians and staff to experiment, innovate and discover new ways to bring our music and organization to the forefront of artistic expression and community engagement.

Interconnection

We forge meaningful partnerships with artists, musical groups, and community partners to expand our artistic horizons, reach new audiences, create meaningful experiences, and promote positive community change. We strive to foster an inclusive and respectful environment based on shared vision. Together, we can inspire and uplift the greater DC community through music.

Approachability

We believe in removing barriers and creating a welcoming environment where classical music can be enjoyed by all. We value our position as the first orchestra exposure for many in our audience and accept the responsibility of creating memorable experiences that will bring them back again and again.

Joy

Joy is an essential element of our performances, community engagement, and operations, bringing a sense of delight and inspiration to our audiences, musicians, and stakeholders.

Stewardship

We responsibly manage our resources, ensuring the long-term sustainability and growth of our organization for the benefit of our patrons and community.

OUR HISTORY

Capital City Symphony (CCS) is a community orchestra based in Washington, D.C. We are one of the founding arts partners of the Atlas Performing Arts Center, located in Northeast DC’s Atlas District. 

We were founded in 1967 as the Georgetown Symphony Orchestra. In 2005 we relocated to H Street NE and took the name Capital City Symphony in order to better reflect our new location and city-wide focus. The 2006-07 concert season marked our first season fully in residence as an Arts Partner at the new Atlas Performing Arts Center, which has been the cornerstone of the H Street NE corridor revitalization project.

Now in her 25th season leading CCS, Artistic Director and Conductor Victoria Gau has been lauded by critics for her “strong sense of style and drama” (Washington Post) and her “enthusiastic and perceptive conducting”, and brings a wide range of musical experience and expertise to her work. She recently left a nine-year tenure as Associate Conductor of National Philharmonic to assume the role of Music Director of Cantate Chamber Singers. Our previous conductors were: Louis Fantasia, Daniel Hornstein, and John Welsh.

We perform standard symphonic repertoire and explore the best of 20th and 21st-century music. Our orchestra consists of approximately 100 volunteer musicians of all ages. We provide engaging and informative introductions to each of our programs to help everyone enjoy the show, and we create a relaxed atmosphere in which classical music is accessible to all. A typical Capital City Symphony season offers six full orchestral programs, three family-friendly programs, and a chamber concert, in addition to community outreach through partners such as Central Union Mission.

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