Welcome to the Association of California Symphony Orchestras

“There is an immeasurable comfort and strength in the knowledge that one is not alone, and time and time again, ACSO leads the charge connecting orchestras and colleague to the news, skills, people, and other resources that breathe new life and energy into our work.”

“Sometimes it feels like I’m working in a silo, but being at the ACSO YO Confab and hearing from peers with similar experiences—like challenges around attendance and recruitment—made me feel seen and reminded me that we’re all in this together. It was also a fantastic opportunity to connect with local colleagues I rarely get to spend time with, despite working so close to one another.”

"Getting together with a smaller, specific subset of your colleagues to exchange ideas, commiserate, and brainstorm is crucial to my ongoing success as a leader.”

"The Youth Orchestra Confab is a significant and crucial event of the year. As a result of meeting colleagues at a YO Confab, I started the BAYOF Hope Festival. It is amazing to meet with others who share the same issues and challenges, and to discover solutions together."

"ACSO's virtual peer forums were my first introduction to all that ACSO offers - connection, camaraderie, to be heard and seen. The network of peers that virtual peer forums provide is a valuable resource in an industry where what we do often feels like we work alone. I was hooked from the start and continue to participate in all the peer forums I can, many years later.”

"In supporting organizations like the Carmel Bach Festival, ACSO has impressed me for its remarkable efficiency. They have done so much to advance the orchestral music scene in the small cities and towns throughout California."

"This was a great conference. I appreciated that the voices of artists, creators, community members, and administrators of color were centered throughout the conference."