Over the past 26 years The Woodlands Symphony Orchestra has undergone several changes, including the shift from relying heavily upon the talent of professional musicians to showcasing more local, undiscovered talent, Artistic Director Darryl Bayer said.
TWSO was founded in 1992 by the late Fredell Lack, a Woodlands-based, world-renowned concert violinist who died in August 2017, Bayer said. The nonprofit orchestra performed regularly in The Woodlands area until the Great Recession hit, and the organization was forced to disband in 2008, Bayer said.
“In 2008 there were a lot of symphony orchestras across the country that had to close their doors or take huge pay cuts,” Bayer said. “So TWSO decided to close their doors—they weren’t bankrupt, but they were close to it. They had to give away their music library and equipment like music stands.”
For five years The Woodlands went without its own symphony orchestra as many residents and business owners were working to recover along with the economy. Bayer said it was not until 2013 that TWSO made its comeback.
