VISION

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QCSO, Where Access Meets Inspiration

ESSENTIAL GOALS & KEY STRATEGIES

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OPEN

We will OPEN community access to the QCSO

Develop enduring and authentic partnerships with diverse community organizations
Unleash concert potential by creating many entry points and reducing barriers
Increase awareness of our programming

ENGAGE

We will ENGAGE with the entire community

Develop educational programming to meet the community’s needs
Nurture community relationships and strengthen the case for what we do by activating the entire QCSO Family.
Release potential of QCSO musicians.
Develop enhanced digital strategies to wide community networks and increase funding.

LEAD

We will LEAD through artistic & Educational partnerships

Innovate and take risks to achieve greater impact
Create big partnerships and be a convener
Achieve diversity through QCSO governing structure
Be the brand for music education.

CORE VALUES

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Community-focused

Serve all the Quad Cities region

Committed to innovation and risk-taking

Try new things outside of our comfort zone

Collaborative

Use music to start and continue conversations

Diverse, accessible and inclusive

Reflect the community in our organization

Strategy in Action

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QCSO Announces Opera Omar’s Journey as Part of Its 110th Masterworks Season

On February 1 & 2, 2025, the QCSO will present Omar’s Journey, a one-hour concert opera based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Omar by Grammy-Award-winning artist Rhiannon Giddens and composer Michael Abels as part of our 110th Masterworks Season.

QCSO partners with World Relief Quad Cities to Celebrate Music Across Cultures

Through the partnership, WRQC and QCSO aim to bring people together around the power of music, while giving back to refugees in the process by donating 50% of a portion of ticket proceeds to support immigrants and refugees in the local community through the QCSO’s promotional partnership give back program.

QCSO One of Thirty Orchestras Selected to Join League of American Orchestras’ New Consortium

The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) is one of thirty orchestras taking part in the League of American Orchestras’ Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Orchestral Commissions Program. The unprecedented national consortium ensures that new works by women composers, each commissioned by the League, will be infused in orchestra seasons to come, with multiple performances throughout the country. The QCSO will partner with composer Angel Lam for a performance of her new work on its final Masterworks concert of the 2024 season scheduled for April 6-7, 2024.

Youth Ensemble Offerings Expanded for Brass, Woodwind, & Percussion Students

In the 2022-23 season the Youth String Ensemble will be transformed into the Concert Orchestra, which will provide more opportunities for woodwind, brass, and percussion players as well as enhance the experience of string players in the QCSYE. This ensemble is primarily for string players with 3+ years playing experience and winds and percussion with 1+ years playing experience. The QCSYE is also welcoming Wind Specialist Anthony Hernandez into the QCSYE artistic team, who will provide specialized instruction to wind and percussion members of the Concert Orchestra and Youth Philharmonic Orchestra.

ABOUT CONCERT ORCHESTRA | ABOUT ANTHONY HERNANDEZ | ABOUT QCSYE

QCSO Named Professional Orchestra of the Year By Illinois Council Of Orchestras

The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) has been awarded Professional Orchestra of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras (ICO) in recognition of their 2020-21 season. Presented annually, these awards recognize excellence in the field of music performance and for the support of musical organizations. The awards panel of judges are drawn from the Illinois Council of Orchestras Board of Directors and independent professional conductors and musicians. This is the second time the ICO has recognized the QCSO as Professional Orchestra of the Year, having won the award in 2015 for their 100th season.

QCSO Introduces Concert Access Pass

In November of 2021, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) launched the Concert Access Pass (CAP) Program to provide individuals receiving services or assistance from participating CAP Partner Organizations up to four free tickets to all QCSO concerts. Eligible individuals request their CAP Membership Card directly from the partner organization and can request tickets in-person, by phone, or online, beginning 30 days before each concert.

QCSO Partners with United Way’s African American Leadership Society

The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) has partnered with United Way’s African American Leadership Society (AALS) for Masterworks VI: For America. In addition to celebrating the diversity of American Music, $1.00 from every ticket sold to the concert will be donated to the AALS. Prior to the concert, the organizations are holding a digital panel discussion on “The Student Experience in K-12 Music Education”.

QCSO joins the National Alliance for Audition Support

The Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO) Association is a member of the National Alliance for Audition Support (NAAS), a national initiative to increased diversity in American Orchestras. The QCSO joins more than 100 partner orchestras representing every size community and virtually every region throughout the US in supporting this vital work.

QCSO Awarded Arts Experience Grant from the Iowa Arts Council

The Quad City Symphony Orchestra has been awarded a $10,000 Virtual Arts Experience Grant from the Iowa Arts Council. The QCSO was one of only eight arts organizations and schools in the state to receive funding in this first round of this new grant opportunity that addresses the needs of arts organizations to pivot some or all of their programming and services to their communities from in-person to online, digital engagement.

QCCF Capacity Grant Funds Support Musician Teacher Training.

A $6,485 Capacity Grant from the Quad Cities Community Foundation (QCCF) for Teaching Musician training and development will help the QCSO make a more meaningful impact on the students involved in the QCSO’s educational programs, specifically the School and Community Engagements and the Instrumental Music Programs.

Disney/Pixar’s Coco™ in Concert

On January 18, 2020, the QCSO presented two performances of the Academy-Award®-winning film, Disney and Pixar’s Coco™ in Concert Through partnerships with Mercado on Fifth, Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GQCHCC), and the Figge Art Museum, the Adler Theatre/River Center was transformed into the Land of the Dead with special pre-show activities including performances from Ballet Folklorico and Glenview Middle School Mariachi Band.

Living Proof Exhibit Opera: Karkinos

In collaboration with Living Proof Exhibit, the QCSO has commissioned local composer and Augustana Professor Jacob Bancks to create a dramatic oratorio entitled Karkinos that will provide hope and celebration for those with cancer and all who love them.

QCSO Celebrates the Quad Cities with Commission of CitySpeaks by James Stephenson

In April 2019 the QCSO premiered James Stephenson’s CitySpeaks. This multimedia tone poem, inspired by the Quad Cities past and present, combines orchestral music with photos, video, poetry, spoken-word, and a recording by local jazz legend Bix Beiderbecke.

Students @ Symphony

Each season area schools are invited to send groups of music students and their families to attend Masterworks Performances free of charge.

THE QCSO STRATEGY