our story
About the Conroe Symphony Orchestra
Community, music, and 29 seasons of showing up for each other
The Heart of It
A community orchestra,
in the truest sense of the word.
The Conroe Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1997 for a simple reason: our community deserved a symphony of its own.
Today, nearly three decades later, that’s still what we are. We’re a volunteer community orchestra, which means our musicians are your neighbors, your teachers, your doctors, your friends. They rehearse on their own time. They perform without pay. And year after year, they put on concerts that keep surprising audiences with their scale, their heart, and the sheer quality of what a group of people can create when they love something enough.
This is what a community orchestra actually is.
“We are very fortunate to have an orchestra of this caliber in our community. We rarely travel into Houston for entertainment anymore. We have it all right here at home! Outstanding music! We appreciate the opportunity to have this concert in our hometown.
-Suann Hereford
* From a 2025–2026 demographic survey response
Why We Do this
Our Mission
The Conroe Symphony Orchestra exists to enrich the cultural life of the Conroe area, providing our community with the best possible live musical experience, creating music lovers of every age and background, and building connection through the shared, irreplaceable experience of a live orchestra in the room.
We aim to be recognized as one of the outstanding community orchestras in the state of Texas. And every season, we work to earn that.
the story
how we got here
1997
The Conroe Symphony Orchestra is founded.
A small group of local musicians and community leaders who believed Conroe should have its own symphony. The first concert draws a modest but enthusiastic audience.
A tradition begins.
The Early Seasons
The orchestra grows season by season.
Musicians travel from all across town and beyond to rehearse. The community shows up. The community makes each concert possible.
Today
The orchestra is 29 seasons in
Our concerts regularly sell out. Our musicians number in the dozens. Our audience spans generations. And every year, our season grows more ambitious, while staying rooted in the community that has carried us here.
what makes us different
community-run, world-class
There are professional orchestras in Houston. There are community bands throughout Texas. The Conroe Symphony Orchestra is something between and beyond both — a fully volunteer ensemble that, season after season, delivers concerts you’d expect from a much bigger institution.
What makes that possible?
- Musicians who play because they love it — not because they’re paid to
- A music director committed to artistic growth and musical excellence
- A board of directors that serves without compensation, guiding the orchestra’s strategic direction
- The Friends of the Symphony, who raise funds, host events, and welcome every patron at the door
- A community that shows up — season after season, concert after concert
“The symphony is one of Conroe’s greatest attractions!”
– CHARLINE MULLER
*Quote from the 2025-2026 CSO Demographic Survey
our director
Under the baton of Gary Liebst
Music Director Gary Liebst has led the Conroe Symphony Orchestra through a period of significant artistic growth. Under his direction, the orchestra has expanded its repertoire, deepened its community connection, and become the ensemble our audience regularly describes as “better than we ever expected.”
Before joining the CSO, Gary spent 37 years in the Texas community college system and has conducted community concert bands, jazz bands, and orchestras across the region. His warmth, humor, and clear artistic vision have become defining features of what audiences love about a CSO concert.
The People
Meet the community behind the music.
The CSO is more than an orchestra. It’s a network of musicians, leaders, volunteers, and patrons who together make every concert possible.
Our Musicians
From strings to brass to percussion, our players come from every corner of Montgomery County. Some have been with us for decades. Others just joined this season.
Board of Directors
Our board members are volunteer leaders who steward the vision, resources, and future of the CSO. They serve three-year terms and give their time without compensation.
Friends of the Symphony
If you’ve ever been welcomed at a CSO concert with a smile, you’ve met the Friends. They raise funds, run events, staff the door, and are the heartbeat of every concert night.
How We are supported
A community effort, funded by community generosity.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community orchestra, the CSO is funded through a combination of individual donations, corporate sponsorships, chair sponsors, grants, and ticket sales. Ticket revenue covers only a fraction of what it takes to produce a season — the rest is made possible by our supporters.
We are grateful for the ongoing support of:
- The Texas Commission on the Arts
- Grant Programs
- Our chair sponsors, corporate partners, and individual donors
- Every patron who purchases a ticket or renews a season subscription
The music doesn’t happen without our community.
what’s next
The 2026–2027 season and beyond.
Our upcoming season includes five concerts spanning big band swing, holiday classics, Western Americana, Italian favorites, and a patriotic finale honoring America’s 250th birthday. Each concert is a journey — and taken together, they’re the story of the year ahead.
This is your symphony. It has been for 29 seasons.
Come be part of what’s next.