San Bernardino Symphony Association

The San Bernardino Symphony performs its subscription concerts in the beautiful and historic California Theatre.  The Symphony also performs during the Redlands Bowl Summer Music Festival and for special concerts in Lake Arrowhead and Fontana. Each year the Symphony also hosts a free Children's Concert attended by over 1700 schoolchildren, and performs outreach concerts and chamber music performances in non-traditional locations throughout the Inland Empire.

The San Bernardino Symphony believes in the power of music to change lives.  Studies show students involved musically are more successful in school and in life.  In fulfillment of its mission, the Symphony is dedicated to engaging students musically through a variety of dynamic education initiatives.

The Symphony Guild's Music in the Schools Program sends trained docents to all San Bernardino City Unified School District third grade classrooms to present an interactive hands-on program promoting musical awareness.  The docents introduce the sections of an orchestra and tell about the important role of the conductor, concertmaster, and section leaders.  They display a variety of orchestra instruments, showing the students what they look and sound like, and give students the exciting opportunity to try playing the instruments themselves.  Thousands of students are impacted by this program annually, many of them going on to involvement in their school's instrumental music program which begins in the fourth grade.

Musicians in the Schools is an acclaimed Symphony outreach bringing professional string, brass and woodwind ensembles to fourth and fifth grade classrooms for a performance and standards-based music education.  Entertaining and highly engaging performances demonstrate the relevance of classical music in students' lives, raise their cultural literacy, and motivate them to become more musically involved.  Since the program's inception in 2009, the San Bernardino City Unified School District has experienced a 91% increase in elementary instrumental music enrollment.

Prior to concert season, Symphony Maestro Frank Fetta visits middle and high school instrumental music groups conducting rehearsals, coaching and sharing his passion for music.   Maestro in the Schools provides the students with advice as well as encouragement designed to motivate them in the desire to strengthen their musical skills.

Presented in collaboration with community agencies serving at-risk and underserved youth, the Sensational Strings Youth Outreach Project is a dynamic, interactive music program led by a professional string trio.  Young participants and their families enjoy string trio performances designed to highlight connections between contemporary music (including movie and commercial music, popular music, and music from participant groups' own cultural backgrounds) and music from the traditional classical repetoire, as well as showing how these forms of music have influenced one another.  Program participants are engaged musically and are inspired to become more musically involved.  Participants also have the opportunity to learn about free and low-cost music instruction available in their community.

In addition, the Guild also sponsors the Symphony Debs and Red Tie Guys program for area high school students seeking to become more engaged in their community.  Through the program, students usher at Symphony events, assist with Guild functions, and broaden their own musical horizons though attendance at events, rehearsals, and preconcent lectures.

San Bernardino Symphony Trios  are a popular outreach program of the Symphony Association.  Trio ensembles play year-round to audiences at a wide variety of community venues including art and music festivals, parks, book stores, museums, schools, churches and libraries.

The Guild supports a significant portion of the Symphony's annual operating budget through its annual fundraising events which include Musicale concerts featuring Symphony soloists and the annual Bach to Boots Western gala held at the Old Glen Ranch in Lytle Creek.

In addition to its fundraising and community involvement efforts, the Guild hosts the popular Afterglow receptions held directly after each evening concert.  These informal events allow attendees to interact with our Maestro and musicians while enjoying refreshments and each other's company.