About the

Regina Symphony
Orchestra

Our Mission

To strengthen community through transformative orchestral experiences that reflect and advance the cultural vibrancy of Regina and southern Saskatchewan.

Our Vision

Presenting Musical Experiences
The RSO presents high quality musical experiences that compel audiences and inspire the public to engage and participate.
Promoting Diversity & Awareness
The RSO reflects an increasingly diverse community and promotes awareness, involvement and inclusion in programming choices.
Improving Communities
The RSO is acknowledged & known for improving quality of life and community well-being.
Engaging Children & Youth
The RSO engages children and youth to learn and be inspired by first hand exposure to, and engagement in, live orchestral music.
Financially Strong & Stable
The RSO is financially strong and stable with an expansive and diverse network of partners and supporters who are connected to the orchestra and committed to its importance in the community.

Who We Are

Founded in 1908, the Regina Symphony Orchestra is a registered charity, a cornerstone of Saskatchewan’s cultural community, and one of Canada’s longest-standing orchestras. From classical masterworks and popular film scores to pops, chamber music, and community performances, the RSO brings live orchestral music to audiences at the Conexus Arts Centre, Darke Hall, and throughout the province.

Beyond the concert stage, the RSO is deeply committed to education and community engagement. Through school programs, library concerts, and partnerships with local organizations, we bring music into classrooms, community spaces, and underserved communities throughout Regina and southern Saskatchewan.

The orchestra is made up of a professional core of musicians alongside per-service players, guest artists, and creative collaborators. As the RSO enters an exciting period of creative renewal, strategic growth, and increased community engagement, we are continuing to build on our long history while looking toward the future.

History of the

Regina Symphony
Orchestra

 Our History

Long before Regina had gained its status as a city, the cultural arts were beginning to flourish. As good fortune would have it, many of Regina’s early settlers, including members of the North West Mounted Police, were talented musicians and vocalists. However, that talent needed the stimulation provided by Scottish immigrant Franklin L. Laubach.

In early 1904 Franklin Laubach moved with his family from Edinburgh to a homestead just outside Regina.., Almost immediately, he got involved in musical leadership in the city and by December, 1904 he had organized the Regina Philharmonic Society. In 1906 he conducted Haydn’s Creation at Knox Presbyterian Church with a chorus of 67 voices and an orchestra of 13 musicians. In 1908 Frank and several other musical leaders formed the Regina Orchestral Society and its inaugural concert was presented in the brand new “Gingerbread City Hall” on December 3 of that year. Laubach continued to work tirelessly, organizing many music events until 1916 when, at the age of 59, he joined the Canadian army as the conductor of a military band based in England. After the war ended, and the Spanish Flu had abated, Orchestral Society rehearsals began again in early 1919.The evolution of the orchestra continued when in 1923 the Regina Choral and Orchestral Society became the Regina Symphony Orchestra (under a new conductor, Knight Wilson), the Regina Choral Society and the Regina Male Voice Choir,. However, the orchestra’s concert programs continued to read “Regina Orchestral Society” for over four more decades until the 1970’s. Finally in 1976, 52 years after the motion to change the name was first made, its registered legal name became the “Regina Symphony Orchestra”.

Darke Hall, on College Avenue, opened in 1929 and it became the orchestra’s first permanent home in 1931, after years of playing in various venues throughout the city. The orchestra continued to perform through the 1930’s – the toughest years on the prairies, with musicians performing primarily as volunteers, receiving honorariums only when there was a financial surplus. During WWII, when Maestro Knight Wilson was also recruited to lead a Canadian military band, the Regina Conservatory hosted the orchestra, with many of the same players.

The period between 1959 and 1981 was that of steady growth for the orchestra. This was due to several significant changes during that time. The first was to the status of the Regina College to that of University. The University expanded its Music Department and hired first-rate musicians as instructors. This allowed the orchestra to start building its professional group. As well, public funding increased during the late 1960s to the early 1980s and the orchestra’s home moved to the Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts (now Conexus Arts Centre) in 1970, which allowed the audience to grow from 750 people per concert to more than 2,000.

Today the RSO is a full scale, fully professional orchestra that presents a pre-season outdoor concert, eight Masterworks concerts, five Pops concerts, three kids concerts, six double chamber music concerts, and occasional special concerts. As well, the Regina Symphony Chamber Players present dozens of school concerts each season, perform concerts in southern Saskatchewan communities, and offer free concerts in venues throughout the City of Regina. They also take part in educational activities aimed at students and First Nations youth.

The RSO plays an important role in the cultural fabric of southern Saskatchewan. By continuing to strive for excellence in performance and by remaining relevant to its audiences, the orchestra will continue to grow and to enrich life in southern Saskatchewan. The RSO organization will persist through the dedication, and determination provided by the RSO Music Director, Executive Director, Board of Governors, Musicians and Administration Staff. With the support of the orchestra’s audiences, sponsors, government and corporate partners the RSO will be performing long into the future.

1904
Regina Philharmonic Society Founded
Organized by Franklin Laubach in 1904. Their large choral productions in the following years highlighted the need for a permanent orchestra.
1906
Conducted Haydn’s Creation
Founder Franklin Laubach conducted Haydn’s Creation at Knox Presbyterian Church with a chorus of 67 voices and an orchestra of 13 musicians.
1908
Orchestral Society Formed
The Society’s inaugural concert was presented in the City Hall Auditorium on December 3 of that year.
1915
Laubach Joins the Candadian Army
Placing his role as conductor on hold, Franklin shipped off to serve as a bandmaster during World War I at age 59.
1919
Regina Choral and Orchestral Society
After returning from the war, Laubach resumed his role as conductor and reorganized the Philharmonic and Orchestral Society into the Regina Choral and Orchestral Society.
1923
A Third Reorganization
During this year, the Society was once again reorganized, this time as the “Regina Symphony Orchestra, the Regina Choral Society and the Regina Male Voice Choir”.
1976
Regina Symphony Orchestra Named
52 years after the motion was made to change the name, the RSO finally formally registered the name it holds to this day.