Now in its 56th season, Queens Symphony Orchestra (QSO) is the borough’s only professional orchestra and the oldest and largest professional arts organization in Queens. QSO’s vision and mission statements reflect the organization’s priority of service to the culturally diverse members of the Queens community. QSO has several programs that enhance the musical offerings to the borough of Queens, presenting 15 to 25 concerts throughout the year. The Masterworks Concert Series presented in our artistic home, Queensborough Community College Performing Arts Center, provides access to outstanding, high quality classical concerts for the Queens residents at discounted and affordable prices. The Concerts on the Green, free summer parks series, offers classical, pops, Broadway and opera selections in beautiful park settings throughout the borough bringing seniors, families and young adults together for a fun and informal event and helping strengthen community ties. The Music On the Move! Chamber Series showcases QSO musicians in various venues such as libraries, senior and community centers and town halls in hour-long performances of different ensembles, free of charge, helping to continue our decentralization efforts. The Arts-In-Education program is QSO’s way of educating the youth of Queens at little expense to the students. Musicians/teaching artists provide in-class workshops, chamber ensembles give in-school presentation performances and the AIE program culminates in Young People’s Concerts. The students are transported to an outside performance hall to experience attending a live, professional symphonic concert with the emphasis placed on orchestral music in an educational format. the QSO's latest outreach program is slated to begin this school year with the Side-by-Side Concerts. Our professional musicians and Music Director will work with junior high and high school students at their respective schools to prepare a concert event. Sectionals/coachings and rehearsals will culminate in a performance in which the students perform side-by-side with the QSO musicians.

Now in its 56th season, the Queens Symphony Orchestra (QSO) is the borough’s only professional orchestra, the oldest and largest professional arts organization and one of the finest regional orchestras in the country. QSO’s vision and mission statements reflect the organization’s priority of service to the culturally diverse members of the Queens community.

The vision of the Queens Symphony Orchestra is to provide programs of musical excellence that celebrate the rich cultural diversity of the borough and New York, and inspire an understanding and appreciation among the culturally diverse people of Queens.

The mission of the Queens Symphony Orchestra is to enrich the daily lives of Queens residents through a broad spectrum of high-quality orchestral and related music programs. Through strategic partnerships with the borough’s highly diverse communities, these music programs address the cultural interests and educational needs of Queens residents, particularly the youth. These programs both celebrate the rich cultural heritage of these diverse communities and become the bridge to bring them together.

- QSO Programs -

Queens Symphony Orchestra presents 15 to 25 performances per year.

Masterworks Concert Series: QSO’s concert series reflect the vastly diverse communities it serves and provides access to outstanding, high quality classical concerts for many Queens residents at discounted and affordable prices, despite the rising cost of hall rentals, artistic fees and expenses. QSO has also initiated a special business sponsorship program that allows QSO to offer free tickets to senior citizen centers, mental and social service community centers and to many low and moderate income families, particularly children who otherwise do not have the opportunity to experience first-rate live classical performances.

Concerts on the Green - Free Summer Parks Series: These free concerts highlight international themes and classical favorites from around the world in beautiful park settings throughout the borough. QSO’s summer concerts have become a tradition over a decade bringing seniors, families and young adults together for a fun and informal event and helping strengthen community ties.

Music On the Move! Chamber Series: Committed to celebrating the diversity that makes Queens unique, this new community outreach initiative will feature a variety of music, free of charge, in venues such as Queens libraries, schools, cultural, senior and community centers. These concerts will present hour-long chamber ensemble performances that will focus on different styles or themes of music, including classical, popular or jazz. These performances will not only showcase the multicultural diversity of Queens, but also present musical themes that communicate the universal language of music.

Arts-In-Education Program: For more than a decade, QSO has been a major provider of music education and appreciation in Queens public schools. Partnering with schools at little cost to students, QSO introduces to young minds rhythm and beat - which is an inception of math; music literacy - which relates to language and reading; creativity - which builds self-esteem and communication skills; and esthetic perception - which allows one to experience the arts in many forms. Classroom workshops and in-school ensemble performances are part of the AIE program offerings to public and private schools.

Young People’s Concerts: QSO Young People’s Concerts act as a culmination for all that has occurred in the Arts-in-Education program throughout the year. Many of the musical concepts and program themes from the in-school program are presented in the context of the symphony orchestra. The concerts present a combination of musical performances, explanations, and student participation. Students are transported to an outside concert hall to experience a live, professional symphonic performance in an educational format. The Young People’s Concerts are one of the most important contributions the Queens Symphony Orchestra can make in bringing music and its wide-ranging value and inspiration to the students of Queens.