Historic Downtown
Tucson Symphony Orchestra: 75 and Thriving
by Jaqueline Jackson
ucson boasted a population of only about 30,000 people in 1928, but among those folks were a handful of music lovers with dreams of a symphony orchestra. That dream, hatched in the law offices of Harry Juliani, grew into what is today a flourishing, professional orchestra that, at 75, is the oldest symphony in the Southwest.
Susan Franano, current executive director of the symphony, stressed what milestone the 75th birthday is for any orchestra. "There are not that many orchestras in this country this old. The New York Philharmonic is oldest at over 150. But there is no other orchestra in the Southwest that has celebrated a 75th. In fact, it is the oldest continuing professional performing organization in the state of Arizona," Franano pointed out. That's all the arts and that's very big.
The small group of city leaders and music lovers who met that day in 1928 selected musicians, elected Tucsonan Camil Van Hulse as the first conductor and threw around programming ideas. Just a few months later, on January 13, 1929, the orchestra debuted. That night, Schubert's Rosamunde Overture and Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 elicited an audience response that was described by local papers as full of "surprise, admiration and bursts of enthusiasm." The Tucson Symphony Orchestra (TSO) was born.
That night's performance took place in the Tucson High School Auditorium and was one of only two concerts held the first season. By 1929, Conductor Van Hulse had been replaced by Joseph De Luca, who stayed for five years.
The second season offered three concerts, held on Sunday evenings at 8:30. And the orchestra's first soloist, Mary Margaret Fischer, sang on March 16, 1930, the same year the TSO moved to the Temple of Music and Art.
During those early years, the only source of revenue was ticket sales. With season tickets priced at $5, revenue was lean. According to newspaper reports in 1935, "The symphony came through the year sans debt, but it managed on a starvation diet as to musical library and many other details."
This "starvation diet," led the Tucson Symphony Society's board of directors to try a new arrangement, making the symphony part of the University of Arizona - a shaky union that lasted only about a year. Although the symphony regained its independence, it moved again in 1939 to today's Centennial Hall, which in those days was known as the University of Arizona Auditorium, where it stayed until 1971.
1952 was a big year for the symphony. The Board approved a wage of $15 a concert for the musicians and the first full-time conductor was hired, Hungarian-born Frederic Balazs. From that point on, musicians were paid as professionals.
That same year, the all male Symphony Board formed the Tucson Symphony Women's Association (TSWA), so their wives could participate in symphony affairs. Clyde Kunz, Franano's predecessor as executive director, explained that in the first decade of the 1950's, the women took care of such details as running the box office, but they also had bigger ideas.
In fact, Kunz explained, the group incorporated as a separate nonprofit in the 1970's and has grown into more than 450 members, managing three properties that include a consignment shop, a used clothing store and musical education programs. They also host a large fundraiser each year on the day after Thanksgiving - a coming out party for young Tucsonans.
Also in the 1950's, the Tucson Symphony Youth Orchestra was created. The success of creating a venue for young musicians was made obvious by audience numbers. By the mid-1960's, the youth orchestra was drawing total season audiences of 13,000 in a six-concert season.
1967 was also a big year for the grown-up symphony, which had its first sold-out season - six concerts in the 2,600-seat UA Auditorium. Tickets went for $2 to $4, and you could buy the entire season, best seats in the house, for $20.
By 1968, that small meeting in Harry Juliani's law office had grown into a metropolitan orchestra with a budget of more than $100,000. And in 1971, a gala opening celebrated the symphony's new, permanent home - the City's Music Hall, featuring guest conductor Arthur Fiedler.
Today's Tucson Symphony Orchestra offers a mix of creative programming, children's concerts, special community concerts and memorable evenings of top musical performances. In addition to the TSWA, other support organizations founded during Kunz's tenure include the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Volunteers League and, in Green Valley, FATSO, Friends and Admirers of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.
George Steele, trustee of the Tucson Symphony, former executive officer of the Valley National Corporation of Southern AZ, and a long-time symphony supporter, pointed out that the Symphony, in addition to its cultural significance, plays a big role in attracting new business to Tucson.
"I was very involved in economic development in Tucson and Southern Arizona, " Steele said. "It was very obvious in talking to companies to entice them to Tucson that a rich, cultural climate was important. The symphony is a very important part of that," said Steele, who also served as President of the symphony from 1995 - 1996.
Tucson clearly has a hit on its hands. And Nina Masek, another former president of the Tucson Symphony Board, summed it up. "We are very lucky to have an orchestra of this caliber in Tucson. It has grown over the years and, of its size, is one of the top in the United States. Culturally it is very important to the city. And we draw a diverse audience between the classic and pop performances."
Tucson can be very proud of this gem. And, as Masek also said, in a state that is not that old, the Tucson Symphony should be especially proud of its 75 years of growth and success. 
Greetings from the past...