Officially formed on 14 March 1950 and registered as an amateur ensemble, the
Canberra Orchestral Society (
COS), held rehearsals in the ante-room of
Albert Hall. In September 1953, Pieter Kruithof, a Dutch migrant with organ and choral background, was appointed conductor and director. At that time the orchestra had 18 members and shared quarters at the Riverside Cultural Centre. Concerts were also held in school halls and the Childers Street Hall of the
Australian National University. On 8 June 1964, Pieter Kruithof died "after a long illness" and was survived by his wife and their four children. Wilfred Holland from England, with a conducting and performance background, led the orchestra from April 1961. He also guided the
Canberra Choral Society and the two organisations held joint performances of choral masterpieces. In 1965
Ernest Llewellyn, former concertmaster of the
Sydney Symphony Orchestra, became Director of the newly formed
Canberra School of Music. At the end of 1966 the society changed its name to Canberra Symphony Orchestra, with Llewellyn continuing as chief conductor and director. and the new School of Music auditorium was officially named
Llewellyn Hall in his honour. Llewellyn worked with the CSO during 1981 as a guest conductor. The CSO secured
Leonard Dommett as the new Conductor and Musical Director by July 1982. As the former Concertmaster of the
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Dommett brought a network of national and international artists to the CSO. Throughout the 1980s the orchestra continued to expand and artistic achievement was continually evolving. Dommett retired in 1991 and the ensuing decade brought further change to the orchestra, including the implementation of fully professional status in 1994. Large opera gala concerts featured celebrity conductors such as
Richard Bonynge and
Isaiah Jackson. When
Richard Gill joined the CSO as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director in 2001, the organisation was going through difficult times. He brought much needed consistency and stability to the orchestra – and within a couple of years after his arrival, the CSO was back on a solid financial footing.
Nicholas Milton took up the baton as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director in 2007 and his passion, vision and expertise has inspired players and audiences alike. Milton is an Australian conductor now based in Germany who is also a former violinist with the Macquarie Trio. Also in 2007 the CSO received Commonwealth Government funding for the first time, which has allowed for additional rehearsals and larger orchestras on stage. For the Canberra Centenary season of 2013, the
ACT Government enlisted the CSO to perform the world premiere of a commissioned work by
Andrew Schultz,
Symphony No. 3 – Century, as a feature of the official Canberra Day celebrations in March 2013. ==Chief conductors==