Operated by the Sherman Symphony and hosted by Austin College, the first annual Austin College Summer Music Camp took place June 13-17, 2022. Staffed by area educators, Sherman Symphony musicians, and Austin College faculty, this non-residential program gave 40 students the opportunity to learn and perform chamber and large ensemble music over the course of five days. Sherman ISD was well-represented throughout the student body and the faculty. Many happy campers expressed their eagerness to return in 2023!

We are grateful to our sponsors for supporting this new endeavor:

Saied Music
Dallas Strings
Music & Arts

Austin College Summer Music Camp

See our last broadcast on our YouTube Channel:

A Free Concert Broadcast on KXII Every Month

KXII broadcasts excerpts from our live concerts monthly, usually on KXII-CBS12 and sometimes on KXII-Fox. Watch this space or our Facebook page to find out the date and time of the next broadcast.

The Sherman Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce that they are receiving a grant of $10,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support its educational outreach programs. 

“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support organizations across the country, including the Sherman Symphony Orchestra. The arts help communities to thrive,” said Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD., chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. “Meaningful engagement with the arts can have many benefits, from contributing to collective healing and mutual understanding, to strengthening local economies.”

The Sherman Symphony’s education programs engage developing minds by providing affordable, high quality music education. Since 2002, The 5th grade Children’s Educational Concert has been many students’ first live orchestral experience: 2,000 students learn instrument families, concert etiquette, and various genres of music each year. In addition, as many as 400 students see classical concerts annually through the Free Student Ticket Program. Sherman High School Media students have the unique opportunity to record Classical Series concerts through the Symphony’s Broadcast partnership with local news channel KXII. 

While band programs are common in Grayson County, Sherman hosts the only string orchestra program. Most Sherman orchestra students face economic challenges: 68% of Sherman ISD students are economically disadvantaged, and only 15% of orchestra students receive private lessons. Since 2019, all Sherman orchestra students have benefited from sectionals with Symphony musicians through SSO Scholars. Practice Partners is an after-school peer mentoring program that pairs beginning orchestra students with high school string players for monthly practice sessions. 2nd-4th grade students enjoy chamber music presentations and performances as Musical Chairs brings Sherman Symphony musicians to area schools. A collaboration with the Sherman Symphony and Austin College, Austin College Summer Music Camp is a middle and high school day camp that cultivates musical development through rehearsing and performing chamber music.

“We are thrilled to be able to continue supporting students’ education with a wide variety of musical experiences. The Sherman Symphony Orchestra was founded with the intention of sharing music and educational opportunities with students in the greater Texoma region, and this grant enables us to further our mission in a rapidly growing community.” Leslie Whelan, SSO Education Director

About the National Endowment for the Arts

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more.

Enjoy our summer recital series online! Each month, we will release a recorded performance on our YouTube channel.

On November 4, 2021, Over 2,000 fifth-graders attended the Sherman Symphony’s Children’s Educational Concert.

For twenty years, the SSO has offered this one-hour program free of charge to all Texoma-area fifth graders in conjunction with area music educators. The goal of this program is to engage developing minds in the art of classical music by providing a high-quality live concert experience.

Sherman Independent School District shared the news that violinist and Sherman High School senior Grant Dominick joined the Sherman Symphony Orchestra for the Orchestra’s 2021-2022 season. Read more at SISD’s website.

Sherman High School Orchestra put on their annual Fall concert with a fun Halloween theme. Throughout the year, the young musicians worked with the Sherman Symphony Orchestra as part of our SSO Scholars program.  Read more about this and other SSO educational programs.

Sherman ISD is the only school district in Texoma that offers an orchestra program. Read more about the concert at KTEN’s website.