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For more than 50 years, the Yakima Symphony Orchestra has been the premier source of live, professional orchestral music in Central Washington. Founded in 1971 under Music Director Brooke Creswell, and now led by Maestro Lawrence Golan, the Symphony has grown from a small community ensemble into a fully professional orchestra recognized among the finest in the Pacific Northwest.

Our story reaches back even further, to the 1880s, when local farmer Charles Carpenter gathered friends to play public concerts in the Yakima Valley. Over the decades, dedicated musicians, visionaries, and the Yakima Civic Symphony laid the groundwork for the orchestra you see today.

The Yakima Symphony Orchestra performs its classical, pops, chamber, and special event concerts at the beautifully restored Capitol Theatre, our home since the 1980s. Our 50+ professional musicians come from across the region, bringing artistry and energy to performances that range from masterworks of the symphonic repertoire to exciting world premieres. We also serve as the home orchestra for the 100-voice Yakima Symphony Chorus and nurture the next generation of musicians through our youth orchestras, the Yakima Youth Symphony Orchestra and Yakima Ensemble for Strings.

Beyond the concert hall, we connect with our community through school programs, outreach concerts, and partnerships with local organizations. The Yakima Symphony Orchestra has twice been honored with ASCAP awards for adventurous programming, a testament to our commitment to keeping orchestral music vibrant, relevant, and inspiring.

Music has the power to unite, to lift spirits, and to deepen our shared sense of place. We are proud to be your orchestra, and we look forward to sharing our journey with you.