What is a symphony orchestra?
An orchestra is a group of musicians playing diverse instruments together; these instruments are organized in families of strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. The term ‘symphony’ refers to specific type of musical composition, in the same way that ‘sonnet’ refers to a type of poem. A symphony orchestra, therefore, is a group of musicians who play symphonic compositions together, and this is often shortened to ‘symphony.’ [back to top] What does the Honolulu Symphony do for Hawai’i? When the Symphony puts on a concert, there is an economic ‘sound-wave’ felt by businesses through out the city. The flower shops, taxi drivers, baby sitters and restaurants all benefit, as do printers and designers, parking garage companies, dry cleaners, and so on. All of these businesses generate their own economic sound-waves in turn, reaching Realtors, shipping and construction companies, the tourism industry, and so forth.
