A Brief History of the Napa Valley Symphony

The Napa Valley Symphony (NVS) was founded in 1933 by Luigi Catalano, director of the Napa Conservatory of Music, as a means for students and volunteer musicians to provide symphonic music to the community.  Following a brief period of dormancy during World War II, NVS was reformed as a community orchestra and prospered as such through the 1980s.   The organization was incorporated in 1959 with a part-time volunteer staff and was recognized as a 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation in 1960.  The first professional General Manager was engaged in 1981.

Maestro Asher Raboy joined the NVS from the Hudson Valley Philharmonic in 1990.  In his 19 seasons as Music Director, the orchestra evolved into a fully professional union ensemble of 70+ musicians, and NVS now employs a full professional administrative staff of one full-time and seven part-time employees.

Following three years of playing in a variety of venues, NVS returned to the Lincoln Theater at the California Veterans Home in Yountville in February 2005.  With the three-year, $20 million renovation of the 1,200-seat Lincoln Theater complete, NVS has for the first time in its history, a venue with state-of-the-art technology, acoustics, and amenities.  Programming includes an annual Classical Subscription series and a Pops Concert Subscription series.  Additionally, NVS presents an annual 5th Grade Concert, which is the culmination of an eight-part preparation based on an age-appropriate curriculum that is provided to local educators.

The NVS is unique in our community as the only professional orchestra providing music and education programs in Napa County.   With a 76-year history, the Symphony has developed the reputation, profile, and contacts to continuously expand our service to our constituents.   In addition to the traditional audience for classical music, NVS regularly reaches out to underserved populations that include children and adults with low to moderate incomes.   The Napa County Unified School District identifies 43% of their students as coming from low to moderate income families; and for many students, the free Napa Valley Symphony 5th Grade Concerts are their only exposure to live symphonic music.  The Symphony also provides student and senior center groups with free blocks of seats and the Symphony offers 120 free tickets per performances (10% of hall capacity) to residents of the California Veterans Home for all Lincoln Theater concerts.