History
The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 39th season of presenting classical music concerts throughout the Westmoreland region in 2007-2008.
Founded in 1969 under the direction of Richard Karp, manager and music director of the Pittsburgh Opera, the orchestra was comprised of mostly amateur musicians. Four concerts were presented at the Greensburg Salem High School during the first ten years of its existence.
Thomas Michalak, assistant conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony, became the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra's second music director in 1975 conducting until 1978. The following season was devoted to a conductor search which resulted in the appointment of current music director, Kypros Markou. The Board of Directors and the WSO musicians liked his talents and enthusiasm in taking the orchestra to a higher level.
During his first season in 1979, the orchestra moved to the Palace Theatre and increased the number of concerts to five. He is beginning his 24th season with the orchestra, and during his tenure the quality of performance has steadily improved, reaching critical acclaim in recent years.
Kypros Markou founded the Westmoreland Symphony Youth Orchestra in 1981. He conducted the orchestra in its first years, and his inspiring leadership for young musicians led many to careers in music today. A Young Artists Competition, a concerto competition, was created in the early 1980s, and was changed to a recital format in 2002.
Other education programs sponsored by the Westmoreland Symphony include the Visiting Artists Program (1977), in which small ensembles from the orchestra visit area elementary schools, the Young People's Concerts (1975) for area elementary students to come to Palace Theatre for a one-hour daytime concert, and Schools Night at the Symphony (2002), offering free tickets to area music students to hear the Westmoreland Symphony concerts.
A free Summer Concert is presented at the Robertshaw Amphitheatre in St. Clair Park in Greensburg each July. Summer Concert sponsors are First Commonwealth Bank, City of Greensburg, Westmoreland County Parks Bureau, and the Greensburg Foundation.