Symphony of the Southwest Information

The Symphony of the Southwest (SSW) is a 60-year old organization which serves the East Valley and the greater Phoenix area in the state of Arizona and the Southwest region of the USA. During the past 60 years, we have grown into a regional orchestra employing 70-80 professional musicians on a per service basis. Currently, the full orchestra performs 4 concerts per year and frequently collaborates with choral groups and various instrumental and choral soloists. In 2006, the SSW organization founded the Youth Symphony of the Southwest (YSSW) in order to support and foster quality music education in young musicians between the ages of 15 and 20. The YSSW inspires and nurtures the love of the symphonic repertoire by offering hands-on experience to its members. Symphony of the Southwest has a history of rich cultural growth through community support and educational outreach. With the assistance of grant money from the Neely Foundation, ACES, Act One and Joanie Flatt Family Foundation, the orchestra performs “Peter and the Wolf” each year for 7,000 to 10,000 third-grade children free of charge. The outreach to these concerts spans from the Mesa School District to home-schooled families, private schools and elementary schools both inside and outside the East Valley area. Performing primarily in the stunning Mesa Arts Center, the Symphony of the Southwest and the Youth Symphony of the Southwest enjoy bringing classical and pop music to all the East Valley communities.