About The Orchestra > History

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In 1997 Dr. David Osbon founded Philadelphia Sinfonia and served as its first conductor. In the first two years the orchestra performed symphonic and chamber music in Philadelphia and traveled to England, Belgium and the Netherlands in concert tours.
In 1999, Gary D. White became the orchestra’s music director and conductor.  Since then, the orchestra has grown to more than ninety members selected by audition from an ever more talented pool of local young classical musicians.

It has maintained a full symphonic orchestra and a small string chamber orchestra, performing four to five full orchestra concerts and two to three chamber concerts each year.  Performance venues have included the Perelman Theater in Philadelphia’s beautiful Verizon Hall.

In addition, Mr. White has led the orchestra on concert tours and in a variety of special performances.  In the 2006-7 season the orchestra celebrated its tenth anniversary.  This occasion was marked by a year-long collaboration between Sinfonia and the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra.