Maidstone Symphony Orchestra is one of the UK’s leading community orchestras, with a regular membership of over 70, performing an annual series of five concerts in a season from October to May. The orchestra started life in 1911 with the title Maidstone Orchestral Society, but in the 1960s the orchestra’s name was changed to Maidstone Symphony Orchestra (MSO). Today, Maidstone Orchestral Society (MOS) is retained as the title of the orchestra’s promoting body and, unusually, the Society has two types of members – players and audience. MSO’s core of voluntary players pay an annual subscription to become members both of the orchestra and of the Society. Annual season ticket subscribers also become members of the Society, and both player and audience members have equal voting rights at the MOS Annual General Meeting and equal representation on the Management Committee. This MOS/MSO organisation may not be unique in music promotion, but it has particular strength for a community orchestra in bringing together every possible strand of local expertise.

The illustrations of Maidstone Symphony Orchestra in this website are by local artist Emma Abnett.  Please contact her on 01634 865 254 for more details and commissions.