New Season. New Beginning. New Maestro.

Welcome to an exciting new season, starting on December 13, 2011.

*Mar. 12, 2012 (Monday)
Special St. Pat's Dinner Gala
Music of Gilbert & Sullivan
Mar. 26, 2012 (Monday)
Concert: There's an R in the Month
Music of Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Rossini and more
Apr. 23, 2012 (Monday)
Concert: Putting It Together
An Evening of Chamber Music

*Not included in the regular season.

History

The Coachella Valley Symphony was originally founded in 1964 as the Desert Symphony by the late Thomas Mancini, as a joint project with College of the Desert. Following the death of his wife Mary in 1971, Tom retreated from the desert community, and the orchestra continued sporadically under a variety of names and guest conductors. Mr. Mancini returned in 1980 and re-established the orchestra under his own name. In 1993, through the tireless efforts of Jeannette Banoczi, the orchestra was re-founded yet again, this time as Coachella Valley Symphony, to reflect a broader representation of the area. 

Thomas Mancini passed the baton to music director and conductor Christian Chalifour in 1995 who then served the orchestra for fifteen years. Our 2010-2011 Season was titled "The Year of the Conductor" and five noted orchestral conductors lead the CVS musicians in a wide array of musical selections as an audition for a permanent position. Of the guest conductors, Wayne Abravanel was chosen to direct our community orchestra. 

With a new conductor, new musicians, new members of our Board of Directors and new sponsorship categories, we have appropriately named the 2011-2012 Season “New Beginnings”. We hope you will enjoy every event!