About the symphony


Mission Statement

Mid-Texas Symphony creates memorable experiences to ignite and sustain lifelong appreciation of symphonic music.

Vision Statement

To embrace and celebrate the joint cultural heritage of our communities through innovative musical partnerships and programs.

History

Mid-Texas Symphony was founded in 1978 by a professor of piano at Texas Lutheran University who engineered what many said was impossible. Professor Anita Windecker, a gifted pianist and passionate educator, believed that the communities of Seguin and New Braunfels could support and needed, a professional orchestra. She knew -- and persuaded others -- that with creativity, energy, careful planning, and organization, two small communities with the help of a small university could bring high-quality classical music and associated educational programming to an area with a small population that was not rich in cultural opportunities.

On June 10, 1978, the orchestra personnel assembled for the inaugural meeting of the Mid-Texas Symphony at Wupperman Little Theater, Texas Lutheran College (now University), in Seguin. On July 13th that year, the Mid-Texas Symphony Society, Inc. -- the non-profit corporation -- was organized and officers and board members for the Society were elected. The mission of the Mid-Texas Symphony, as set forth in its charter, is to “foster, promote and increase musical knowledge and appreciation by the public, including students, through educational activities.”

With characteristic vision, the Mid-Texas Symphony immediately joined the American Symphony Orchestra League, now known as the League of American Orchestras. Texas Lutheran College President, Charles Oestreich, affirmed the permanent support and use of facilities that would be offered to the Mid-Texas Symphony by the university -- a commitment that has been honored through the years. In September 1978, the Seguin chapter of the Mid-Texas Symphony Guild was organized. Shortly thereafter, in February 1979, the New Braunfels Guild Chapter was formed. The Guild chapters have raised funds to support the Symphony.

Having laid a very solid framework that continues to exist today, the premiere concert of the Mid-Texas Symphony Orchestra was presented on November 19, 1978 in the Seguin Coliseum. On April 29, 1979, the Mid-Texas Symphony presented its first concert in New Braunfels at the Civic Center. That autumn, the Mid-Texas Symphony Chorus was established; it sang with the orchestra at the December concert in 1979. In 1983, the first Young Artist Competition was held.

Since 1988, its tenth year, the Mid-Texas Symphony has offered free children’s concerts in New Braunfels and Seguin – two in each city. These well-attended concerts offer perhaps the only opportunity for many of these children. Over the years, more than 100,000 children have experienced a FREE Mid-Texas Symphony Children's Concert.

Mid-Texas Symphony is our area's only professional orchestra. We are inextricably woven into the cultural fabric of the lives in our communities.


As the only professional orchestra in one of the fastest growing areas in Texas, our mission is to advance the tradition of symphonic music through live musical performances with distinguished musicians and to provide focused educational outreach throughout this seven-county region.

Founded in 1978 by a professor at Texas Lutheran University (Seguin) who dreamed of creating a professional orchestra to bring culture and music to rural South Central Texas. Today, Mid-Texas Symphony (MTS) now serves over 10,000 people each year and prepares to celebrate its 42nd Season!

We engage our community by offering the world’s greatest music by composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach. Outstanding artists perform in state-of-the-art, accessible venues at affordable prices. MTS concerts bring community members together for shared experiences, enhancing the quality of life for a growing population who live and work in this area.

Each season MTS presents free children’s concerts for all fourth and fifth grade students in the Seguin, Comal, New Braunfels, Schertz-Cibolo, and Navarro independent school districts as well as students enrolled in home, charter, private and religious schools. Over 4000 students attend each season - 2000 from the Seguin area, and 2000 from the New Braunfels area.

As the only professional orchestra in our area, MTS is woven into the fabric of the communities it serves, featuring extraordinarily talented musicians from around Texas, as well as national and internationally known guest artists like Charles Yang, violin, and Cliburn finalist Sean Chen, piano.

Challenges for MTS are similar to other symphonies across the country and around the world. Traditional audiences are aging. New technologies are providing easily accessible alternatives to live performances in the concert hall. Orchestras everywhere are struggling to prove their relevance to their communities. We endeavor to serve both our longstanding patrons who prefer a traditional approach, while building programs to attract a younger and more diverse population who demand that their Art be more accessible and experiential.