The Regina Symphony Orchestra (RSO) was founded by Frank Laubach, in Regina, Saskatchewan

Regina, Saskatchewan

Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...

, as the Regina Orchestral Society in 1908, giving its inaugural concert December 3 of that same year. Becoming the Regina Choral and Orchestral Society in 1919, and merging briefly with the Regina Male Voice Choir as the Regina Philharmonic Association in 1924, it returned to independent status as the Regina Symphony in 1926, presenting its first regular season (1927–1928) under W. Knight Wilson.

For many years an orchestra of 50 players, it grew to 70 in the 1960s. From 1929, its home was Darke Hall on College Avenue until it moved to the Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts in 1970. Prince Charles, Prince of Wales

Charles, Prince of Wales

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...

, granted his patronage

Patronage

Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...

 to the orchestra in September, 2008, making the RSO the fourth orchestra in the world to be granted this honour by the heir to the Canadian throne.

The orchestra has performed with the South Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra (begun in 1977 under the RSO's sponsorship), the Royal Winnipeg Ballet

Royal Winnipeg Ballet

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is Canada's oldest ballet company and the longest continuously operating ballet company in North America....

, the National Ballet

National Ballet of Canada

The National Ballet of Canada is Canada's largest ballet troupe. It was founded by Celia Franca in 1951 and is based in Toronto, Ontario. Based upon the unity of Canadian trained dancers in the tradition and style of England's Royal Ballet, The National is regarded as one of the premier classical...

, the Regina Symphony Philharmonic Chorus (established in 1973) and Alberta Opera

Alberta Opera

Alberta Opera Musical Theatre for Young People, based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is the major touring Theatre for Young Audiences company in Alberta...

. In May 1979, the RSO joined the University of Regina

University of Regina

The University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchewan as a junior college in 1925, and was disaffiliated...

 in a production of Madame Butterfly, presented in Regina

Regina, Saskatchewan

Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...

 and Saskatoon

Saskatoon

Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....

, with Maria Pellegrini in the title role, and Millar as music director. The orchestra has also been broadcast regularly by CBC Radio

CBC Radio

CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...

.

Conductors

Regina Symphony conductors have been:

• Frank Laubach 1908-1922
• Wilson 1923-1941 and 1945–1955
• Arthur Collingwood 1941
• John Thornicroft 1955-1958
• Paul McIntyre 1959-1960
• Howard Leyton-Brown 1960-1971
• Boris Brott 1971-1973
• Ted Kardash 1973-1974
• Timothy Vernon 1975-1976
• guest conductors 1976-1978
• Gregory Millar 1978-1981
• Simon Streatfeild 1981-1984
• Derrick Inouye 1984-1989
• Vladimir Conta 1989-1999
• Victor Sawa 1999-

Concertmasters

Concertmasters have been:

• Marion B. Kinnee 1926-1936
• Thornicroft 1936-1955
• Lloyd Blackman
  Lloyd Blackman (musician)
  Lloyd Edgar Blackman is a Canadian violinist, conductor, composer, and music educator.-Life and career:Born in Winnipeg, Blackman studied the violin in his native city with John Waterhouse and George Bornoff and music theory with W.H. Anderson. He earned a Licenciate from The Royal Conservatory of...
  
  1955-1959 and 1960–1975
• Elizabeth Boychuk 1959-1960
• Malcolm Lowe 1975-1977
• Brian Boychuk 1976-1978
• Howard Leyton-Brown 1978-1989
• Brian Johnson 1989-1990 (current principal 2nd)
• Carmen Constantinescu. 1990-1999
• Eduard Minevich 1999-