About Us

The orchestra was formed in 1975 as the New Orchestra of Manchester.  In 1978 Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council offered a permanent home in the Town Hall and the orchestra became the Stockport Symphony Orchestra. It followed in the tradition of the Stockport Choral & Orchestral Society, formed in 1892 and composed mostly of Hallé players.       

We usually give eight concerts each season in the Stockport Town Hall Ballroom, covering a wide range of music from traditional symphonic repertoire to more adventurous works.  Recent seasons have included Mahler Symphony No 9, Brahms Symphony No 2, Shostakovich Symphony No 10, Bruckner Symphony No 3, Elgar Symphony No 3 (Payne), Haydn Symphony No 88 ‘V’, Liszt Piano Concerto No 1, Rodrigo Concierto de Aranjuez, Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5 ‘Emperor’, Elgar Violin Concerto, Gershwin Piano Concerto in F and Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphoses.

Stockport Symphony Orchestra funds itself through the Box Office and with support from Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council.  We also receive donations for performing with various choral societies.

We are proud to be regularly involved with the Voices for Hospices concerts.

Although most players are relatively local, a significant minority travel from as far as north Lancashire and the Potteries, attracted by the orchestra’s reputation for diversity of repertoire and high standard of performance.