Early efforts (1887 to 1920s) , Sep 28, 2007. Orchestral music in San Antonio traces its beginnings to a series of four concerts by a 49-piece orchestra directed by
German immigrant Carl Beck at the state
Sängerfest in 1887. A performance of
Felix Mendelssohn's
Symphony No. 4 in these concerts was the first of a complete symphony in the state of Texas. Beck again conducted a symphony orchestra when the
Sängerfest returned to San Antonio in 1896. He was engaged as the director of the
Beethoven Männerchor in San Antonio, then succeeded in that role by Carl Hahn in about 1904. Hahn worked with
Anna Goodman Hertzberg, a leading local musician and arts patron, to create the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, which gave its first concert on May 18, 1905. The orchestra performed sporadically for the next several years but was revived in 1914 as the "San Antonio Philharmonic" by conductor
Arthur Claassen. By 1916, the ensemble was again called the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra. From 1917 to 1922 the San Antonio Symphony was under the musical direction of
Julien Paul Blitz. The organization appears to have foundered around the time Blitz's tenure ended.
1939 to 2022 The most recent San Antonio Symphony, an organization independent of the aforementioned predecessors, was created in 1939 by
Max Reiter, a
German-
Italian immigrant, who became its first music director. The group's early ambition is evidenced by the fact that the legendary
violinist
Jascha Heifetz was a guest artist during the first season. By 1943, the orchestra employed 75 professional musicians, and in the 1944–45 season its budget topped $100,000, making it one of only 19 "major" orchestras in the country at that time, and the only one in Texas. Unlike many orchestras, the San Antonio Symphony was able to continue operations through
World War II—largely because the city's strong
military presence helped bolster the local economy. Before his death in 1950, Reiter started an
Opera Festival, created an Opera Chorus, and brought nationwide attention to the orchestra, with world premieres by several important composers, guest appearances by world-class artists, and overall high musical quality. Reiter was succeeded by
Victor Alessandro, a native
Texan. The orchestra continued to grow in scope, including the addition of Young People's Concerts. In 1969, it took up residence in the Theater for the Performing Arts (which was later renamed the
Lila Cockrell Theatre). In 1967, the orchestra made its first major-
label recordings, for
Mercury Records. Alessandro died in 1976. Financial difficulties forced the cancellation of much of the 1987–88 season. During this time, the musicians formed and presented a concert series with their own organization, Orchestra San Antonio. The 1990s were highlighted by recognition and acclaim for the San Antonio Symphony's
creative and
culturally diverse programming, culminating in awards from the
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the
American Symphony Orchestra League (ASOL), the
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), and the
Knight Foundation. The 2003–04 season was cancelled due to
bankruptcy. In the early part of the 2006–07 season, the executive board chose not to renew music director Larry Rachleff's contract beyond the following season. The musicians and many San Antonio Symphony supporters opposed this decision. In January 2008,
Christopher Seaman was appointed artistic adviser, a "position . . . similar to that of an interim music director," for one season. From 1939 to 2017 the Symphony Society of San Antonio managed the orchestra's operations. In 2017 these were turned over to Symphonic Music for San Antonio, also a nonprofit organization. But SMSA pulled out of this agreement in December 2017, leaving the organization in a poor position, and in January 2018, the bulk of the symphony's remaining 2017–18 season was canceled. With the help of a fundraising effort spearheaded by Kathleen Weir Vale, the remainder of the 2017–18 season was salvaged, and the Symphony Society returned as the governing body.
Demise In September 2021, the musicians of the San Antonio Symphony called
a strike in response to a contract proposal by the board and management that would have called for them to accept significant reductions in status, salary, and complement. Despite negotiations and arbitration throughout what would have been the 2021–22 season, no agreement was reached, and ultimately the entire season was canceled. During the spring of 2022, the musicians presented a series of orchestral concerts as the Musicians of the San Antonio Symphony (MOSAS). On June 16, 2022, the board of the San Antonio Symphony voted unanimously to initiate
Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings to effect the organization's dissolution.
San Antonio Philharmonic In August 2022, the San Antonio Philharmonic was created; its musicians comprise much of the former San Antonio Symphony membership. For its first two and a half seasons, the orchestra presented its classical subscription concerts in the First Baptist Church of San Antonio. In February 2024,
Jeffrey Kahane was named the San Antonio Philharmonic's first
music director. In October 2024, the Philharmonic signed an agreement to make the
Scottish Rite Cathedral, a structure built in 1924, its permanent home. In 2025, the Philharmonic began performing its subscription concerts in the Scottish Rite Hall. As of 2026, Roberto C. Treviño is the Executive Director, and the board is chaired by Lauren Eberhart. In February 2026, Kahane resigned from his position as music director, and days later Roberto Treviño announced the cancellation of the remainder of the 2025–2026 San Antonio Philharmonic season. ==Performance venues==