Looking Back

The following are important dates in the 50-year history of the Spokane Symphony:

October, 1945 - Violinist and conductor Harold Paul Whelan forms the Spokane Philharmonic orchestra.

Dec. 18, 1945 - Spokane Philharmonic plays its first concert, at the Masonic Temple auditorium.

Dec. 3, 1954 - Spokane Philharmonic performs at the new Coliseum for the facility’s dedication ceremony.

March 20, 1961 - Spokane Philharmonic becomes Spokane Symphony.

April, 1962 - Whelan resigns to join the music faculty at California State University at Hayward.

June, 1962 - Donald Thulean is selected to conduct the symphony.

May 1, 1974 - Symphony plays its first concert in the new Opera House during Expo.

1983-84 - Thulean’s last season with the symphony; at the same time he assumes an executive position with the American Symphony Orchestra League in Washington, D.C.

1984-85 season - Gunther Schuller serves as artistic adviser and principal conductor.

1985-91 - Bruce Ferden leads orchestra; resigns to become general music director of the German city of Aachen.

1991-93 - Vakhtang Jordania leads orchestra.

July, 1993 - Fabio Mechetti assumes duties as conductor of Spokane Symphony.