Yes, Virginia — Troy really does have its very own symphony orchestra.
For the Troy Metro Symphony Orchestra (troymetro.org), classical music has never been about tuxedos, ticket prices or hushed halls. For 20 years, it has been about people, musicians and audiences alike, coming together around music as a shared, communal experience.
“This orchestra really started with a very broad vision,” says Amy Harmon, TMSO’s operations manager and principal flutist. “The original vision was, number one, glorifying God. Our founder saw music as a gift, and it was our responsibility to share it.”
Founded in 2005 by Leonard Holliday, the orchestra began as a small chamber ensemble created to serve both musicians and listeners who wanted more than a performance of glorious music — but wanted context, connection and meaning. Holliday, a self-described “teaching conductor,” made education central from the start.
“During concerts, he would explain the background of the composers and what to listen for,” Harmon says. “It really helped people relate to the music.”
That philosophy remains foundational today. Under Music Director Travis Cook, who joined the orchestra after guest-conducting in 2022, TMSO continues to blur the line between performance and participation.
“We consider ourselves a teaching orchestra, and that extends to the audience,” Cook says. “We’re trying to break down the idea that classical music has to be stuffy or intimidating.”
Cook regularly speaks from the stage, offering brief insights into each piece and inviting audiences to listen actively.
“If there’s a melody that comes from a folk tradition, we’ll demonstrate it first,” he says. “We want people to feel welcomed into the music, not shut out from it.”
That accessibility is intentional — and literal. All TMSO concerts are free. The 50-member orchestra is fully volunteer-run and supported by audience donations and sponsors.
“We survive on community support,” Harmon says. “That goes right back into paying our conductor, commissioning composers, renting venues — everything it takes to keep the orchestra going.”
This spring, TMSO is marking its 20th anniversary with a season themed “A Symphonic Legacy.” The celebration began March 20 with an alumni Legacy Concert that reunited 10 former members alongside current musicians.
“It was important to acknowledge where we came from,” Cook says. “None of this would exist without the people who showed up when it was still a small orchestra.”
The anniversary season also looks forward. Recent years have seen TMSO commission works by living composers, often musicians within its own ranks, and launch a Young Artist Concerto Competition for performers under 18.
“You can write music forever, but if no one plays it, it never lives,” Harmon says. “We want to give composers and young musicians that opportunity.”
Faith continues to shape the orchestra’s identity, but both Harmon and Cook emphasize balance.
“We are faith-based, and we’re open about that,” Cook says. “But we’re also very intentional about being welcoming. We program sacred and secular music, and we want people to feel comfortable, no matter where they’re coming from.”
After two decades, TMSO’s greatest legacy may be its sense of belonging.
“People come to concerts and say, ‘I didn’t even know you existed,’” Harmon says. “And then they come back. That’s what we want — for people to feel like this is their orchestra.”