Greater Bridgeport Symphony

Specialties

Classical Symphony Orchestra Concerts, Symphony Orchestra Pops Concerts, Musicians for private functions

History

Established in 1945.

Looking back to 1945, we find more than the usual number of significantendings and beginnings that impacted humanity internationally:

World War 11 ends in Europe, and the United Nations Charter is signed;

Soviet troops liberate Auschwitz,

Symphony No. 5 in B-​flat major by Serge Prokofiev is first performed

Locally 50 years ago, lower Fairfield County residents were heraldinganother birth — that of its orchestra, known now as the Greater Bridgeport Symphony.

The process actually began in the 1930s, during the Great Depressionwhen music pulsated from a State Street building next to City Hall, where Frank Foti conducted the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Symphony Orchestra, formed forunemployed musicians who previously played at local theaters. Such a musical outlet gavehope to people in this manufacturing city during economically difficult times.

Greater Bridgeport Symphony Violist Sylvio Risi remembers those days well.

Read more at the GBS website!

Meet the Manager

Gustav M.

Manager

Gustav Meier is known internationally as a teacher of conductors. He has led orchestras around the globe while teaching at the Yale University, the Eastman School of Music, the University of Michigan and the Tanglewood Music Center.

Students of his include Marin Alsop (Music Director Baltimore Symphony and Cabrillo Festival), Antonio Pappano (Music Director Royal Opera Covent Garden and Orchestra Nazionale di Santa Cecilia), Bobby McFerrin, Yakov Kreizberg (First Prize Stokovsky Competition Winner, Music Director Netherlands Philharmonic and Principal Guest Conductor Vienna Symphony Orchestra), Rico Saccani (First Prize Karajan Competition Winner and Music Director Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra), Carl St. Clair (Music Director Komische Oper Berlin and Pacific Symphony Orchestra), Bundit Ungransee (Co-​First Prize Winner Lorin Maazel Conducting competition and Principal Guest Conductor Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra), Mark Gibson (Orchestra and Opera Director of Cincinnati Conservatory)