Mission Statement

The mission of the Diablo Symphony Orchestra is to enrich the lives and cultural climate of our community by performing a diverse repertoire of live classical music and making  it accessible  to our region’s diverse population. We foster the next generation of young musicians, provide educational programs and offer performing opportunities to local musicians.

A little background:

Were it not for two Martinez residents—one a tenacious musician, the other a soft-spoken music educator with a sympathetic ear—the Diablo Symphony Orchestra might never have been created. In 1962, Jim Arnold, coordinator of music for the Mt. Diablo School District in Concord, was the perfect person to be persuaded by Thelma Compton, an accomplished violist, to help form an orchestra of community-based musicians. With Arnold taking the lead and Compton tirelessly promoting the idea, the school board authorized the recruitment of musicians and agreed to provide rehearsal facilities and a salary for the conductor. Importantly, the board gave the orchestra its name, establishing the “Diablo” connection. Arnold also recruited Bill Burke, another member of the district music faculty and talented trombonist. Burke became a cornerstone of the orchestra in promotional leadership, serving several terms as president and treasurer while also playing in the trombone section.

In 1966, the Diablo Symphony Association, a non-profit organization separate from the school district, was formed by William Donaldson and several other Rossmoor residents. The DSA subsequently gained support from the old Walnut Creek Civic Arts Association and the community of Walnut Creek. Early performances took place in the “Nut House,” the predecessor to the Lesher Center for the Arts, the primary venue since 1990 for Diablo Symphony performances. The Rossmoor retirement community has continued to be an important supporter of the orchestra, providing venues for regularly scheduled concerts and dress rehearsals. Now in its 63rd year, the Diablo Symphony— the oldest aggregate of volunteer musicians in Contra Costa County—remains a valuable asset in the cultural life of the region. The orchestra’s professionally trained musicians continue to perform for audiences of all ages at nominal prices, providing concerts that feature the world’s great symphonic classics as well as popular music from Broadway and the movies. The DSA also sponsors special full orchestra “in theater” performances that bring area school children to the Lesher Center, as well as Music for the Schools performances by a reduced outreach orchestra of about 20 DSO musicians.

Musical Directors of the Diablo Symphony Orchestra