“Make classical music attractive, accessible and affordable.” That is the mission statement of the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and since it was founded in 1992, it has strived to do just that.
Founder and Executive Director J.R. Cassidy said that when he started the orchestra, he wanted to differentiate it from others, “We didn’t want to be CSO [Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra] light and just do basically the same types of things that they do.”
From there, Cassidy started to work on unique programming that would not only make the KSO stand out but could also provide opportunities for both musicians and the public to experience and participate in orchestral music.
“It was all about ‘how do we reach as many people as possible and share this gift of music?’” said Cassidy.
Cassidy said he sees the KSO as a place to start for a lot of young musicians, “In some ways, we’re that farm team, you know? The little fish type of deal that without groups like ours, bigger groups don’t exist.”
Over the years, Cassidy said the orchestra has hired 1,791 musicians, some only playing with the group one time, others playing hundreds. Many of those, he said have gone on to play in major orchestras around the world.
Having started his career as a high school band director in Florida, Cassidy has always been passionate about giving young musicians a place to start. Cassidy said he moved from Florida to attend the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, or CCM, to become a conductor.
After graduating and interviewing for a few positions, to no avail, Cassidy said he realized he should start his own orchestra. A friend of Cassidy’s, who worked in marketing at IAMS Pet Food out of Dayton, Ohio, initially said his idea of an accessible orchestra was crazy but offered to help send out brochures. The friend sent them out to the IAMS Northern Kentucky mailing… a list that turned out to be addressed to pets.
“I got a call to the orchestra line, and he said, ‘Hey, you know, I’m really glad we have our own orchestra right here in Northern Kentucky, but this was sent to my dog,’” said he.
Cassidy said 3,000 brochures were sent to dogs and cats around Northern Kentucky, but people, not pets, still showed up to their first concert, “and that’s how the orchestra started.”
Principal cellist Tom Guth said he likes the uniqueness of KSO, “It’s just a lot of fun to play in, and don’t count us out.”
He has been with the orchestra since soon after it was founded, having known Cassidy at CCM; he said he left for about ten years to play with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra but has returned and has continued to play with KSO ever since.
As the principal, Guth leads his section, which he said is often a revolving door of young and passionate musicians, many of whom are students or recent graduates.
Guth said he shows them the ropes, often helping them learn to blend in with the orchestral sound rather than standing out as soloists, “we kind of have to mold them a little bit to fit in and have a blended sound.”
When it comes to rehearsing, the orchestra doesn’t have a home, which Cassidy said he likes to think of as an advantage.
“We say our home is in your neighborhood,” said Cassidy.
However, this means they constantly rehearse at different places, often at Northern Kentucky University, and sometimes renting space from churches, high schools, universities,and “wherever we can play,” said Cassidy.
Having only three or four rehearsals before a performance, Cassidy said that means they have to hire a “certain caliber of musician.”
For the ‘attractive’ part of the mission statement, general manager and CFO Angela Williamson said that they worked to achieve that with “thematic and relevant programming.” Including introducing things outside of the traditional, like pop music, interacting with the audience and generally not taking themselves too seriously.
Williamson met Cassidy when he came to speak to her class at CCM while she was getting a degree in art administration, which combined her passion for music and her talent for accounting.
She started interning for the orchestra in the summer of 1995 and never left. “When I graduated, the board said, ‘You can’t go anywhere we need you.’ And they offered me a job,” Williamson said. However, they told her she had to raise the money for her salary, so she started writing grants.
For her, part of why she stayed was how fun the KSO was; because the group doesn’t stick to the standard, they get to do more. ” It wasn’t just about sitting and watching musicians on the stage; there were also other things happening.”
A few years ago, Williamson said they held a 4-D concert where they showed videos, brought in scent from a perfumer in California and even had people waiting in the wings to spray audience members.
“I didn’t know how that was gonna go over. And I remember being a little nervous about it, and then at intermission, I actually had people come up to me and say, ‘I haven’t gotten wet yet,’ so I had to radio down and tell them to make sure to spray their row,” said Williamson.
The audience really enjoys having something unique, Williamson said.
“The great thing is the audience looks forward to it. They like the fact that it’s different when they go to the orchestra. It’s like there’s always something that you’re not gonna get anywhere else,” said Williamson.
Another aspect of the group that separates it from the pack is its ability to split into smaller groups. While it does have a full orchestra, it also has a ragtime band, a boogie band, a jazz quartet, and more.
Over the summer, the group performs free outdoor concerts at Devou Park in Covington and Tower Park in Fort Thomas. They also offer educational programming for students and schools throughout the region. 2024 is the 30th year KSO is offering these programs, all with the goal of making classical music attractive, accessible and affordable.