In 1970 a small group of classical musicians met in the parlor of Wilma and Charles Lowell's Eckert home, joining the talented Lowell family in their love of making music together. Learn more about the beginnings of the orchestra from Wilma Lowell's daughter, D.Jo.

By October 1971, the group, calling themselves the Delta County Community Orchestra, was under the baton of Walter Birkedahl of Mesa State College. With hand-typed mimeographed programs to offer their patrons, the orchestra performed their first concert on March 2, 1972, at Cedaredge Hunsicker Elementary School.

On March 16, 1978, the nonprofit known as the Valley Symphony Association was formed to sponsor the orchestra. At that time, nearly 50 musicians from Montrose, Delta, Grand Junction, Ouray, Gunnison, Paonia, Hotchkiss, Cedaredge, and Eckert practiced once a week in Delta and performed four annual concerts.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, numerous choirs, like the Grand Mesa Singers and the Christmas in the Valley chorus, were seasonal contributors to the orchestra, mainly at Christmas concerts. In 2002, these choral groups combined and came under the VSA umbrella to create the VSA Chorus.

The VSA continues to grow in membership, musical ability, audience size, and program variety, and is believed to be the only orchestra in Colorado that is not based in a college community. Today, the VSA’s 100+ regional volunteer musicians hail from throughout the Uncompahgre, Grand, Gunnison, and North Fork Valleys.

Since September 1999, VSA musicians have kicked-off their season in September with Pops in the Park, a free outdoor concert and gift to their supporting regional communities. Their annual concert series at the Montrose Pavilion includes both Saturday and Sunday performances in October, December, February, March, and April.

Organizationally, the VSA believes in the transformative power of music to inspire and entertain. Their diverse regional volunteer musicians treasure the opportunity the VSA affords them to perform live to connect Western Slope audiences of all ages. The VSA’s goal and purpose is to ensure that future generations will enjoy the legacy of live orchestral and choral music that so magnificently celebrates the human spirit.

The VSA is proud of our history of bringing classical music to life on the Western Slope.