History
Palm Beach Symphony was founded in 1974 to address the need for a professional orchestra in Palm Beach County. In its earliest years, the orchestra performed only a few concerts a year with a part-time conductor and a volunteer staff. It was not until Mrs. Ethel S. Stone became the Symphony's board chair, a position she held for 23 years, that the orchestra began establishing itself as a cultural force in the community. A visionary leader, Mrs. Stone inherited her love of music from her family and generously shared it with the community she loved. During her tenure, a number of well-known musical figures served in leadership roles, including Karl Karapetian, John Iuele, Kenneth Schermerhorn, Stewart Kershaw, David Gray, Ulf Bjorlin, and John Covelli. When Mrs. Stone died on August 6, 1996, John and Joan Tighe stepped in to continue her legacy. They established a stable board of directors, a dedicated administrative staff, and a small endowment fund to ensure the Symphony's continued
Specialties
To engage, educate, and entertain the greater community of the Palm Beaches through live performances of inspiring orchestral music.