The Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is delighted to be a recipient of the 2024 Georgia Council for the Arts (GCA) Bridge Grant. The GCA is a competitive one-year grant which provides general operating support for non-profit arts organizations affected by COVID across the state of Georgia. 

The CSO is also a recipient of the 2024 GCA Arts Education Grant. The grant will serve in support of the CSO’s education program Making Music Matters (M3). This program provides after-school instrumental instruction at Title I schools in Muscogee County, and surrounding areas, at no cost to the students. M3 is designed to instill discipline, powers of concentration, and teamwork skills necessary to be successful, not only in music but in life. 

The CSO is thrilled to play a role in helping schools and child-centered organizations in the Chattahoochee Valley grow their vital music education programs. 

Kern Wadkins, CSO Executive Director comments, "It's an honor to be recognized as a valuable arts education resource in our community. We hope to use this special funding to further expand our music education offerings to serve more students and teachers in Columbus and the surrounding areas."

The Columbus Symphony Orchestra, formed in 1855, is the second orchestra founded in the nation and the first founded in Georgia. The CSO, under the direction of George Del Gobbo, has long been considered one of the Southeast’s premier musical ensembles. The CSO’s performance venue at RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, Bill Heard Theatre, seats 2,000 patrons and provides a state-of-the-art visual and acoustic experience. For more information about the CSO visit our website at csoga.org. 

Be sure to join us for our 2023-2024 Season. Season Ticket Subscriptions are currently on sale and can be purchased online at csoga.org/tickets, by mail, or in-person at the RiverCenter Box Office, Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 5:30 PM (Broadway entrance). Subscribers save up to 17% off the adult single ticket price, get first pick of the best seats, and avoid any online ticketing fees. Individual concert tickets will go on sale in September 2023.