(Courtesy)

The East Texas Symphony Orchestra has been a staple of Tyler’s arts community since its 1936 inception.

The dream of a local orchestra began to take shape after a January 1936 news article directed interested residents to a meeting at the Chamber of Commerce. The orchestra was the vision of Mrs. W.C. Windsor and the Tyler Women’s Forum’s music committee.

Within just two months, the Tyler Symphony Orchestra was born. Its first performance took place on March 16, 1936 at Tyler Commercial College. The concert was a huge success, with more than 750 people in attendance, according to a history of the orchestra written by Jane Judge Greer.

Vernon Stanger headed the orchestra, while also conducting the Shreveport Symphony. Stanger brought in musicians from Shreveport and all over East Texas. The two orchestras would host a joint performance in 1937. This outreach would eventually lead to the organization being renamed the East Texas Symphony Orchestra in 1954.

As was the case with so many other leisure activities, the orchestra was forced to disband during World War II, due to so many of its members being called to serve in the military. The group would finally reassemble in 1950, bringing a much needed past time back to Tyler.

The orchestra returned under the direction of Joseph Kirshbaum, as the 72-piece orchestra played for more than 1,500 attendees on May 14, 1950.

Kirshbaum would spend nearly three decades with the ETSO. He retired in 1978, but his legacy continues to guide the ETSO.

The Kirshbaum Strings program was formed in 2004 to recognize the contributions of Kirshbaum, his wife, Gertrude, a harpist, and his son, acclaimed cellist Ralph Kirshbaum. The program helps young string musicians grow their skill sets.

The ETSO currently is under the guidance of Richard Lee, who took on the role of conductor in 2012. Lee also is the music director for the Korean Canadian Symphony Orchestra in Toronto.

For its contributions to the community, the East Texas Symphony Orchestra is set to be memorialized on the Half Mile of History in downtown Tyler during a ceremony at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Gallery Main Street. Half Mile director Amber Rojas said organizations like the ETSO helped make Tyler what it is today.

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