ABOUT THE JACKSON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The Jackson Symphony Orchestra has a rich and vibrant history bringing world-class music to its community since 1949. The JSO has performed with many legendary figures including Pascal Rogé, Inon Barnatan, Vanessa Perez, Dizzy Gillespie, Grant Johannesen, Ed Asner, William Warfield, and Ralph Votapek. The orchestra has also toured with Mannheim Steamroller, Ann Murray, and the Manhattan Transfer. Since assuming the Music Director position in 2017, Matthew Aubin has catapulted the JSO to higher levels of artistic excellence. He has launched several innovative initiatives including partnerships with the Gilmore Keyboard Festival, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Ballet Chelsea. In recent years, the JSO has also significantly expanded its community programming including educational programs for children, family programming, and a non-classical series titled ‘Music-on-Tap’ featuring touring musicians from many varied genres. The orchestra has premiered works by such distinguished composers as Jeff Beal, Jeremy Crosmer, Marcus Norris, Lowell Liebermann, and its own composer-in-residence, J. Bruce Brown. Operas including Tosca, La Boheme, Merry Wives of Windsor, and Die Fledermaus have been presented in fully staged productions and eight different collaborations with the Indianapolis Ballet and Grand Rapids Ballet have resulted in magical productions of Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. The JSO’s administrative offices, Community Music School, and 300-person recital hall are located in downtown Jackson and were renovated in 2019.
MISSION
To provide world-class music and music education to the greater Jackson community.
VISION
The JSO is the musical leader in the greater Jackson area. We innovate and collaborate in ways that enrich and elevate our community and beyond.
OUR HISTORY
For more than 75 years, the Jackson Symphony Orchestra has brought people together through music. Since its founding in 1949, the JSO has grown from a community orchestra into a multifaceted musical organization encompassing professional performances, music education, community programming, and more.
The Jackson Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1949 under the leadership of conductor Pedro Paz. Two years later, the JSO presented its inaugural concert at the Jackson High School auditorium. Interest was immediate: 1,800 tickets were sold for the performance, with 1,200 audience members attending despite inclement weather.
Over the following decades, the orchestra established itself as a growing part of Jackson’s cultural community, laying the foundation for the performances, education programs, and community traditions that would follow.
By 1980, the JSO had grown into a robust regional orchestra, presenting subscription and pops concerts, chamber music, jazz performances, and educational concerts for local students. Performances moved from Jackson High School to Jackson Community College, beginning a new chapter for the orchestra.
In 1982, the JSO presented its first Summer Pops concert, beginning a community tradition that continues today. Two years later, legendary jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie joined the JSO for a special performance.
The organization’s educational mission took another major step forward in 1991 with the establishment of the Community Music School, providing high-quality music instruction to the community while creating additional opportunities for JSO musicians.
In 1994, following a successful $1.4 million capital and endowment campaign, the JSO established a permanent home in downtown Jackson, creating dedicated space for rehearsals, lessons, performances, and community activities.
The JSO entered its 50th anniversary season with an ambitious expansion of its education and community programming. New initiatives included Babies in Tune, which provided music and infant development resources to families of newborns throughout Jackson County; JSO Goes to School, reaching approximately 3,000 students annually with music education and concert experiences; and JSO String Team, providing group instruction for beginning string students and becoming one of the organization’s most popular programs.
Other programs introduced during this period expanded opportunities for children and adults through after-school string instruction, youth ensembles, chamber performances, music camps, and other educational experiences.
In 2007, Music Director Stephen Osmond celebrated 30 years with the JSO, while the Community Music School marked 15 years in its downtown facility. That year also brought a major expansion when Comerica Bank donated a building valued at nearly $1 million. The addition provided 16,000 square feet of space and helped launch the $4.5 million Sound Vision Capital and Endowment Campaign.
The JSO celebrated its 60th anniversary during the 2009-10 season while continuing to broaden its community outreach through adult music appreciation courses, chamber concerts, musician visits to schools, and beginner piano classes for adults.
In 2013, the JSO launched Music on Tap, expanding its concert offerings beyond the traditional orchestral experience with nationally and internationally touring artists representing a wide variety of musical genres.
A major leadership transition followed. After nearly four decades with the JSO, Stephen Osmond retired as Music Director at the conclusion of the 2015-16 season. Matthew Aubin was appointed Music Director in 2017, beginning a new chapter in the orchestra’s artistic leadership.
The decade also brought significant changes to the JSO’s downtown home. A major renovation of Weatherwax Hall, made possible by a generous gift from Faith Small, transformed the space for JSO performances, Music on Tap concerts, and community events.
In 2019, the JSO celebrated its 70th anniversary, marking seven decades of music in Jackson.
In 2021, Music Director Matthew Aubin launched the Equal Billing Project, an initiative dedicated to recording and supporting music by deceased composers who did not receive equal recognition during their lifetimes. Beginning with the music of French composer Fernande Decruck, the project has brought underrecognized works to wider audiences through performance, recording, research, and publication, earning international recognition along the way. Two albums devoted to Decruck’s music have been released, and a third recording, featuring works by American composers William Dawson, Ulysses Kay, and Robert Russell Bennett, was completed in 2026.
The JSO introduced its first Sensory-Friendly Chamber Concert in 2023, creating a more accessible concert experience for individuals with sensory sensitivities and their families. During the 2023-24 season, Music on Tap also celebrated its 10th anniversary.
In 2024-25, the JSO celebrated its 75th anniversary. The milestone season included the release of Equal Billing Part 2, while Matthew Aubin returned to the role of Executive Director in addition to serving as Music Director.
In March 2026, three-time Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis performed with the JSO at the Potter Center.
Today, the Jackson Symphony Orchestra continues to build on more than 75 years of history through professional performances, music education, innovative programming, and connections throughout the greater Jackson community.
