Okanagan Symphony Orchestra

The Okanagan Symphony Orchestra is a Canadian instrumental music ensemble based in Kelowna, British Columbia. From 2006 until December 2023, the orchestra's principal conductor was Rosemary Thomson. The orchestra performs both classical and contemporary orchestral works. The orchestra plays throughout the Okanagan valley, in Kelowna, Penticton and Vernon.

History
The orchestra was founded in 1960 by its first conductor, Willem Bertsch. In 1964, Douglas Talney became the conductor. In 1965, Leonard Camplin took over and remained the conductor for years.

In 1970, the Okanagan Symphony Choir was established. It was directed at first by Jocelyn Pritchard, who was succeeded in 1978 by Imant Raminsh.

In 1974, the orchestra received a Canada Council grant to hire a resident cellist. In 1991, the principal violinist was Imant Raminsh.

In 1981, OSO members organized Sinfonia, a chamber orchestra. In 1988, a youth orchestra was organized by Raminsh.

A performance of the OSO was heard nation-wide on a CBC Radio broadcast in 1989.

The Okanagan Symphony Orchestra performed a series of concerts in 2017 with guest musician Sean Bray to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday.

For many years, the principal horn player for the orchestra was Edmond House; he retired in 2017.

In April 2018, the orchestra performed in concert with singer/songwriter Sarah Slean. A 2018 concert, "Prodigy," featured 12-year-old pianist and composer Kevin Chen performing early works by Mozart.

In 2019, the orchestra presented two Masterworks concerts titled "Themes and Innovations". In December of that year, in anticipation of its 60th anniversary, the symphony, along with the OSO Chorus, presented Handel's Messiah, the first in a series of planned special performances.