In 1987, Monroe DeJarnette, a local musician, dreamed of a home-town volunteer symphony orchestra in Auburn. Scoffers said, “Impossible!” Monroe’s vision never wavered. He was determined to create a community symphony where musicians and audiences together could enjoy live orchestral music.
Today the Auburn Symphony has been hailed as one of the nation’s finest community orchestras, thrilling audiences of all ages. Comprised of 70 talented musicians from the Sacramento Valley and foothills community, the Symphony is led by the prolific and innovative Music Director and Conductor, Maestro Ryan Murray. Together, the Symphony's extensive community outreach programs and collaborations with other local nonprofits spark a love of orchestral music in concert halls and outdoor venues, designed to appeal to community members of all ages.
In addition to traditional Masterworks concerts with thrilling guest artists from around the world, the Auburn Symphony draws crowds at their annual free Symphony & Art In The Park event, fills the house with their beloved Messiah Sing-along for the holiday season and delights younger patrons with a Family Concert and Instrument Petting Zoo. The season finale performance is held on Mother's Day at the acoustically superior Mondavi Center for the Arts at UC Davis. Well-established outreach programs in local schools and senior residential facilities inspire and touch lives through music, and a highly sought-after Young Artists Competition recognizes and celebrates talented young musicians.
Monroe DeJarnette's vision became reality, but it requires community support to continue for generations to come.
The Auburn Symphony Endowment Fund at Placer Community Foundation was established by its Board of Directors in 2024 as a conduit to pool gifts from within the community. Such gifts are carefully invested over time. Earnings from investment are distributed back to support the Auburn Symphony's programming for many years ahead.
Your gift—and all future earnings from your gift—is a permanent source of support for the Auburn Symphony, helping them to "enrich and engage the community, across all generations, through the gift of music.
How you can help
Make a lasting gift to the Auburn Symphony Endowment Fund at Placer Community Foundation. Contact the staff at PCF to learn about making your gift today, or through your estate plan.
Auburn Symphony
985 Lincoln Way, Suite 102
Auburn, California 95603
(530) 823-6683
