History:

The Amarillo Symphony was founded in 1924 as a 12-piece ensemble led by Miss Grace Hamilton. Within just eight years, the volunteer organization had swelled to 56 musicians. No longer could they perform in small homes around the burgeoning city, and no longer could the conductor be paid a meager salary of five dollars per week. Enthusiastic support attests that even at this early stage, the Symphony resonated with the spirit of the Panhandle and had become an important community institution.

The 1930s were a time of tremendous challenges for the Symphony, as financial hardships caused the musical leadership to change six times in one decade. In the world around the musicians, times were fraught with the Depression, dust storms, drought and numerous bankruptcies that choked the entire Panhandle.