Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra Programs and Promotional Materials
Collection
Identifier: MSS-4090
Scope and Contents
The collection contains promotional materials, programs, and invitations to special events of the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra from 1984-1998.
Dates
- 1984-1998
Creator
- Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra (Organization)
Biographical / Historical
The Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra began in 1979 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and consisted of both professional and amateur musicians. Originally known as the Tuscaloosa Area Community Orchestra (known familiarly as TACO), membership was open to "any interested person, aged fourteen and older, who would commit to attending Thursday night rehearsals." Their first concert was on Sunday, November 11, 1979, with Dr. Michael Gattozzi conducting. For the first few years, TACO performed three or four times annually at the Bama Theatre. Children's concerts were later added as part of the Saturday dress rehearsal.
The Board of Directors realized fairly early on that the benefits of having a wholly professional symphony (as a cultural flagship for the community and would aid economic development efforts) would far outweigh the cost of additional administrative staff and professional musicians. Thus, in 1984, the TACO became TSO - the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra. Musicians had to go through a professional audition process to play in the Symphony, and were in return paid for their services.
In 1988, TSO made its home in the newly opened Moody Music Building on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa. Today the Symphony is made up of faculty members and extraordinary students from the University of Alabama's School of Music, members of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra (Birmingham) and professional musicians located within a two hundred fifty mile radius of Tuscaloosa, as well as Atlanta, Nashville, and Memphis.
The Board of Directors realized fairly early on that the benefits of having a wholly professional symphony (as a cultural flagship for the community and would aid economic development efforts) would far outweigh the cost of additional administrative staff and professional musicians. Thus, in 1984, the TACO became TSO - the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra. Musicians had to go through a professional audition process to play in the Symphony, and were in return paid for their services.
In 1988, TSO made its home in the newly opened Moody Music Building on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa. Today the Symphony is made up of faculty members and extraordinary students from the University of Alabama's School of Music, members of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra (Birmingham) and professional musicians located within a two hundred fifty mile radius of Tuscaloosa, as well as Atlanta, Nashville, and Memphis.
Extent
0.1 Linear Feet (materials, publications)
Language of Materials
English
Overview
Promotional materials, programs, and invitations to special events of the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra
Provenance
gift of Dr. Betty Ann Cleino, 2001
General
To provide faster access to our materials, this finding aid was published without formal and final review. Email us at archives@ua.edu if you find mistakes or have suggestions to make this finding aid more useful for your research.
Processed by
Martha Bace, 2015
- Title
- Guide to the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra Programs and Promotional Materials
- Status
- Completed
- Date
- February 2015
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the The University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections Repository