The Symphony Of New Orleans's goal is to bring exciting and accessible live orchestral music to the audiences of New Orleans, as well as to offer continuing music education through meaningful performance opportunities, intensive clinics with expert conductors and music educators, and mentorships between musicians of varying experience levels. We playfully refer to ourselves as the "After-School Music Program" because of our desire to cater to the wide swath of musicians who find themselves without a musical outlet after graduating from their high school or collegiate musical ensembles. The Symphony Of New Orleans invites the larger community to participate in our open rehearsals every concert cycle, and hold yearly auditions for our core group. Within this group, we will employ professional-level principals in each section who serve as leaders within their section and bolster the overall musical quality of the ensemble. In addition, we are committed to commissioning and programming local composers, with a focus on those from marginalized communities that are underrepresented in the current orchestral repertoire.