The Asheville Symphony, Asheville North Carolina, was established in 1960. At that time, all musicians performed on a volunteer basis and the Symphony was without a resident conductor or manager.
Currently, the Asheville Symphony operates on a budget of approximately $1.2 million, employing an 80-100 member orchestra paid on a per-service basis and presents concerts featuring internationally renowned as well as local guest artists. Funding for the Symphony now is drawn from a wide variety of sources, most notability the North Carolina Arts Council, individual contributions, advertising, Guild fundraising projects, and local government, with about 40% of the budget provided by ticket revenue.
Programs include: Asheville Symphony Chorus, Asheville Symphony Children’s Chorus, Asheville Buncombe Youth Orchestra, Asheville Symphony concert lectures, Music Education in the Schools, and pre-concert lectures.
