Co-founded by composer Louis Calabro and Christine Graham as a community orchestra with close ties to Bennington College, Sage City Symphony first rehearsed in 1972 and gave its first concert in 1973. At the time, it was one of only a handful of orchestras in the country to commission and premiere new works. Today the Symphony draws players from three states, as well as providing academic credit to Bennington College students who choose to participate. The Symphony endeavors to present programs that are beyond the usual ambition of community orchestras and that offer a challenging playing opportunity to local musicians. We attract a high caliber of amateur as well as professional musicians without the requirement of auditions.

The Symphony performs the traditional repertoire as well as contemporary music, commissioning and premiering new pieces each season. We rent and borrow music as needed, and we also own a library of scores and music parts for traditional overtures, symphonies, and our own commissioned works. 

Sage City Symphony is a registered federal non-profit organization in the State of Vermont, and relies entirely on generous donations, gifts in kind, grants, and volunteer services from individuals, local foundations, businesses, and sponsors. Concerts are always free and open to all. The Symphony is managed by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of longtime community supporters and musicians. 

We are grateful to Bennington College in North Bennington, Vermont, for space for our rehearsals, concerts, and annual dinner.

Mission Statement 

The mission of Sage City Symphony is to offer high-quality orchestral music to the residents of Bennington County and its surrounding areas, to provide an opportunity for musicians of various skill levels to play orchestral music, and to commission new orchestral works to be performed by Sage City Symphony.