History

Founded in 1948, the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association (ORCMA) serves as the umbrella organization for the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, Oak Ridge Chorus, Chamber Concert Series, Oak Ridge Youth Symphony Orchestra (ORYSO), and the Isotone Concert Series. A cultural pillar of Oak Ridge for 63 years, ORCMA presents five ORSO and Chorus concerts each season and hosts a world-class, six-concert Chamber Concert series in a comfortable, intimate setting.

Talented and entertaining guest artists perform in both series. ORCMA symphony and chorus concerts are generally held in the renovated auditorium of Oak Ridge High School, called the ORHS Performing Arts Center. The six Chamber Concerts, featuring internationally renowned string, piano, wind, and brass trios, quartets and quintets and some local talent, are presented in the Pollard Auditorium at Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

As an umbrella for the musical artistry of its community, ORCMA also sponsors a series of Coffee Concerts on occasional Sunday evenings in which local performers demonstrate their talents. The free Coffee Concerts, at which refreshments are provided, showcase local musicians, including string quartets and other featured players.

In addition, ORCMA offers a free Family Concert that appeals especially to young children and their parents. The children make instruments before or after the concert. One Family Concert featured animals on the stage, including a dog and talking parrot. In the Family Concert of the 2010-2011 season, Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev was performed.

ORCMA has an outreach program that brings musical activities to area schools. Small groups of instrumentalists, together with the ORSO conductor, an ORSO instrumentalist, or an ORCMA board member, visit area elementary and middle schools to acquaint the youngsters with the orchestra's various instruments, in the hope of instilling in children a lifelong interest in music.