Mission & History

59 Years in the Making

For nearly sixty years, the Salisbury Symphony has brought the power of symphonic storytelling to Salisbury and Rowan County. It is relatively rare for a municipality to host its very own professional symphony orchestra, and rarer still that the hosting city is as small as Salisbury. But it is even less common to find such an orchestra which has existed continuously for over 59 years, and yet that is exactly what our community has in the Salisbury Symphony!

The Symphony presents five to seven concerts each season, offering programs that span the full breadth of symphonic music. Audiences delight in our large‑scale Masterworks concerts, which feature revered repertoire alongside fresh discoveries; our Pops concerts, celebrating popular favorites across generations; and more intimate offerings, such as the Serenade Series and Artist Salons, presented in partnership with valued organizations throughout the region. Each season concludes with the free, community-based Pops at the Post. Since 1995, this cherished tradition has celebrated the civic pride that makes Salisbury a cultural touchstone of the Piedmont region.

Our History

The 1960s: Inception

The symphony's story began with Dr. Samuel E. Duncan, the fifth president of Livingstone College, who envisioned a resident orchestra for the community. In the spring of 1966, his dream was embraced by Dr. Donald C. Dearborn, then president of Catawba College, and together they partnered with the Salisbury City School System to establish the Salisbury Symphony. They hired Albert Chaffoo to organize the area's first symphony orchestra. The fledgling orchestra's first concert took place on November 6, 1967, in Keppel Auditorium of Catawba College. Professor Chaffoo continued to serve for fifteen years as a music educator for the community as well as the music director and conductor.

The 1970s: Expansion

In 1972 the board of the Salisbury Symphony and the local board of the North Carolina Symphony merged to become the Salisbury-Rowan Symphony Society, returning to formal incorporation on March 2, 1973. The new board pledged to continue the longstanding tradition of sponsoring an annual "Education Concert" explicitly for school children. The Salisbury-Rowan Symphony Guild was created to support the Symphony in 1977.

The 1980s: Growth

Dr. Douglas Meyer succeeded Professor Chaffoo as music director and conductor in 1982, serving until mid-1984. He is credited with steering the Salisbury Symphony in a professional direction, bringing their first performance of a Mahler symphony, and persuading the Board to hire its first business manager. From 1984 to 1987, Dr. Richard Fiske, a faculty member at the North Carolina School of the Arts served as music director.

1988–2023: The Hagy Era

Following a national search, the board signed a contract with David Hagy in the summer of 1988. He served as the Music Director of the Salisbury Symphony until June 30, 2023, steering the musical direction for 35 monumental years before becoming Music Director Emeritus.

2024 & Beyond: A New Chapter

After a season of exceptional guest conductors, Daniel Wiley was chosen as the new Music Director starting with the 2024-25 Concert Season. Holding previous posts as Assistant Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Pops, and the Jacksonville Symphony, Wiley brings a renowned repertoire and passion for music education into the future of the Salisbury Symphony.