Culver City Symphony Orchestra / Marina del Rey Summer Symphony

  • CCSO | Explore
    • The Orchestra >
      • History
      • Frank Fetta, Conductor and Music Director
      • SoCal Symphony Society, Board of Directors
  • CALENDAR OF EVENTS
    • Clyde Mitchell Program Notes
    • Maxim Kuzin Program Notes
  • Online Concerts
  • Membership and Donations
  • Previous Seasons
    • MARINA CONCERTS, 2022
    • 2019-20 Season >
      • CONCERT February 16, 2020, 3:00PM • Winter 20 | 20 Years in Culver City
      • CONCERT October 19, 2019, 7:30PM • Autumn 20 | 20 Years in Culver City
    • Marina Concerts/2019 >
      • 1. Marina Concerts. "La Boheme" and "Phantom of the Opera"
      • 2. Marina Concerts. Dance in America.
      • 3. Marina Concerts. "Kiss Me Kate."
  • Parness Concerto Competition
  • Contact
  • Supporters and Sponsors
  • Free-Easy-Donate
Picture
Picture
The  Culver City Symphony Orchestra was founded by George Berres in 1963 in the Los Angeles suburb of

Westchester as a string orchestra. The string orchestra soon evolved into a full symphony orchestra, the Westchester

Symphony. The Parent Corporation is the SoCal Symphony Society, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit corporation.



Through its history the orchestra has performed under various names in the attempts to attract a larger audience base

through a larger geographic range. After the Westchester Symphony, the orchestra became The Marina del Rey-

Westchester Symphony for the burgeoning music devotees in nearby Marina del Rey. After the orchestra was invited

by Culver City to perform there in 2000, the name became The Culver City-Marina-Westchester Symphony, prompting

the Los Angeles Times to call it "the orchestra with the long name." We became The Culver City Symphony Orchestra

in 2005.



Even with the change in locale to Culver City, long time audience members from throughout Southern California

continue to attend concerts. Moreover, over the years our audience has included a growing number of Culver City

residents attesting to our establishing an audience base there.  



​The same as our move the Culver City, we were invited to perform at Burton Chace Park, Marina del Rey as the

Marina del Rey Symphony-same orchestra with Frank Fetta 
Conductor, but a different name. We thank Los Angelels

County Department of Beaches and Harbors for producing these concerts in one of the most beautiful settings in SoCal

to hear Classical Music.



Many of the musicians have remained with the orchestra through the years and through the name changes, giving

stability to an orchestra comprised of local musicians, teachers, freelance artists and studio musicians.



Under the direction of Conductor and Music Director Frank Fetta, the orchestra remains dedicated to providing the

highest artistic standards. 


The orchestra has performed throughout Southern California, and was featured in arts festivals-including The Los

Angeles Street Festival; on radio-live music broadcasts from the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History; and

television -- the short, "The Ice Man Hummeth," created by Michael J. Fox for The David Letterman Show.  


The orchestra has presented concerts dedicated to Black American, Latin American, and American Women composers. 


We recently instituted a series of concert dedicated to American Music titled "American Beat." The initial concert was

January 30, 2010, when we presented a "Music of the Americas" concert featuring music by composers from

North/Central/South America. On January 29, 2011, we presented an historic and unique concert of music composed

by  Women, American composers. “American Beat/African Influences” presented on June 3, 2013, featured music of

Black American Composers with a demonstration and notes on how the music scales of Western Africa made their way

to the U.S. and was the basis for the Blues and Jazz and influenced American Classical Music.



Another endeavor of the orchestra is the annual Parness Concerto Competition for ages from pre-teen to young adult-

age twenty-five. This competition attracts the best and brightest young musical talent in the Los Angeles and greater

Southern California communities. The winners are given the opportunity to perform with the orchestra, and for some

this is their first experience performing as soloist with an orchestra.


The orchestra is also the parent orchestra of The Marina del Rey Summer Symphony, led by Conductor Fetta in a

series of successful concerts at Burton Chace Park.


In cost savings moves, the size of the orchestra has been reduced for some concerts. The orchestra size varies from a

chamber orchestra and, in reverting to its roots, as a string orchestra.



Through the dedication of the musicians, the board of directors and officers, elected officials, community leaders, and

volunteers, the Culver City Symphony Orchestra presents master works of the past and contemporary pieces; exciting

concert performances of operas; and the winners of the Parness Young Artists Concerto Competition.


Contact Us

    Subscribe Today for Orchestra e-mails.

Submit