Founded in 1936 by the philanthropic endeavors of Maude Winthrop Gibbon and Martha Laurens Patterson, the Charleston Symphony is one of South Carolina's more well respected orchestras. Brought to national acclaim by musical director David Stahl, who studied under the revered conductor Leonard Bernstein, the symphony received laudation for its innovative and fresh approach throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Typically employing around 25 musicians, the Charleston Symphony's sound might not be as sonically rich as some of its national contemporaries, but it is nonetheless just as professional sounding.
