Mission Statement

The West Jordan Symphony exists for a two-fold purpose. For it’s members, it provides opportunities to perform and develop musical talent for players of all ages and abilities. As a group, it creates a venue for participation, education, and appreciation of the performing arts for the community through scheduled concerts and other events. Our belief is that much of music and the arts are what make us civilized people because they appeal to our better nature. The mission of this symphony is to be composed of musicians who have a great love of the fine arts.

History of the Symphony

The West Jordan Symphony began in 1984 under the direction of Dr. Marden Pond. They performed concerts occasionally until the city began sponsoring an annual Messiah Sing-a-Long at Christmas time of 1993, which has continued annually since. This featured the symphony, vocal soloists, and recently the Mountain West Chorale. With an abundance of fine musicians in the community coming together for these performances, it was decided in 2003 to make the symphony a full time performing organization, enabling other concerts throughout the year.

Aside from the city’s annual Art Council Christmas Open House program, and occasional July 4th in the park and Memorial Day presentations at the cemetery, they have performed full Spring and Fall concerts. These concerts have included the best of classical music from the great master composers as well as pops, show tunes, movie soundtracks and patriotic music.

In addition to performing Handel’s Messiah every Christmas, concert repertoire includes symphonies by Beethoven, Hayden and Dvorak. They have also performed different concertos for Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello, Trumpet, and Bassoon with orchestra. Other works have included 1812 Overture, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty Waltzes by Tchaikovsky, works of Strauss, Rimsky-Korsakov, Sibelius, Bach, Borodin, Smetana, Sousa, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Liszt, Copland, Mozart, Elgar, Debussy, Wagner, Rossini, Ravel, Saint-Saëns, etc. Besides Dr. Pond, other musical directors since then have included Don Findlay, Jenna Baumgard, Dana Bentley, Larry White, Shane Mickelsen, Denisse Vallecillos, Robert Bott, and (currently) Brenden McCauley.