Oldham Symphony Orchestra

About Us

Oldham Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1963 by two local musicians, Thomas Whittaker and Peter Scott. Originally named Oldham Amateur Orchestra, in 1968 it became Oldham Symphony Orchestra as the music performed became more adventurous. Tom remained as principal clarinet until his retirement in 2019 and remains an Honorary Patron.Oldham-born composer, Sir William Walton, was an original Patron and his work regularly features in the orchestra’s repertoire.The original objective of the founders was to create a forum for those with a common love of playing music together to rehearse and enjoy performing for their audience. This remains the core of the Orchestra’s mission.

Oldham Symphony Orchestra has always supported local talent and given performing opportunities to recently qualified soloists, notably finalists from the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. Our members are mainly amateur musicians of mixed ages and abilities from all walks of life. The orchestra performs an important function for the community by giving school leavers an opportunity to continue musical performance into adult life.Our repertoire is extensive, with over 350 pieces by 200 composers being performed so far. They range from much-love classics to more adventurous, lesser-known works.We rehearse weekly throughout the school year at Shaw Lifelong Learning Centre. We give concerts three times a year in the Oldham area. The Orchestra is a registered charity.