The Free State Symphony Orchestra is a professional ad hoc orchestra. Since its establishment in 1974, the professional core of the orchestra has comprised UFS music lecturers, Musicon music teachers and free-lance musicians from the area. For larger concerts, extra musicians from other centres are contracted. The core is supplemented by some of the best young instrumentalists (students and learners) in the province.



The music-educational pipeline provides a unique opportunity to young musicians from all backgrounds to gain invaluable professional experience by playing in the symphony orchestra. It could be argued that no other orchestral music education programme in South Africa has