McLean Symphony Celebrating 50-Year Anniversary With Concert

MCLEAN, VA — The McLean Symphony, a volunteer orchestra with over 70 members, will get to mark the milestone of 50 years at a concert celebration Saturday.

McLean Symphony was formed in 1970, becoming one of Northern Virginia's first orchestras comprised of amateur musicians, according to the McLean Symphony's website. The year prior, the directors of the McLean’s Academy of Musical Arts sought conductor Dingwall Fleary to form an orchestra in McLean. The original thought was to give non-professional musicians and students at the academy a chance to perform with an orchestra.

The formation of the McLean Symphony drew support to form a board of directors in 1971. Among the McLean Symphony's supporters were Washington Post editor Robert Ames Alden and his wife, Diane, as well as TV journalist Roger Mudd and his wife, E.J.

The McLean Orchestra's only conductor has been Fleary, an acclaimed musician in the DC region who has conducted around the U.S. and abroad. Aside from conducting the McLean Symphony, Fleary has served as musical director of the Reston Community Orchestra since 1997 and music director at Bethesda's Emmanuel Lutheran Church. He has received numerous local, state and national awards, including from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The original orchestra had a few dozen members but has grown to over 70 members today. Aside from performing at the hometown Alden Theatre, the symphony has performed at places like the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Strathmore, and the George Mason University Center for the Arts.

The symphony's next performance will be the 50th anniversary concert at Capital One Hall on Saturday. Hosted by WETA radio personality Nicole Lacroix, this performance will showcase music from American composers. The orchestra will also have their first performance of an original composition by the winner of the Alma Grayce Miller Competition. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the performance starts at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices start at $50.