Symphony of the Mountains
Symphony of the Mountains was formed in 1946 as the Kingsport Civic Symphony. Twenty-seven musicians attended the first rehearsal and the number grew rapidly to more than 40. The first concert was free to the public and neither the conductor nor any of the musicians were paid. Today, Symphony of the Mountains serves the entire Northeast Tennessee/Southwest Virginia region. It is a fully professional orchestra of more than 65 musicians, drawn from the Tri-Cities area as well as symphony orchestras in Knoxville, Asheville, Roanoke and beyond.
Symphony of the Mountains is conducted by Maestro Cornelia Laemmli Orth. Laemmli Orth joined the Symphony of the Mountains in 2006, the Symphony’s 60th year. Born in Switzerland, she brings a wealth of experience to Symphony of the Mountains. Cornelia holds three Master’s Degrees: one in piano from the conservatory of Winterthur, one in choral conducting from the University and Conservatory of Zurich and one in Orchestra Conducting from Northwestern University, where she studied under Maestro Victor Yampolsky. Before coming to the United States, Mrs. Laemmli Orth taught music history, theory, choir, orchestra and voice. She has also conducted various choirs, youth and community orchestras, operas and musical productions throughout Europe. You can learn more about the Symphony of the Mountains at www.symphonybythelake.com.