The North State Symphony performs in Laxson Auditorium on the CSU, Chico campus as well as in Redding (Cascade Theatre) and other venues. The Music Director of the orchestra is Kyle Wiley Pickett, a North State resident who also conducts the symphony in Juneau, AK.

The orchestra offers four large concert sets in each orchestra season, which lasts from September to May, with each concert being performed in Chico, Redding and sometimes other cities including Oroville and Red Bluff.

The Symphony also offers smaller concerts including youth concerts. Outside of the concert realm, the symphony's fundraising activities include the annual Mozart Mile (a 5k run-walk in lower Bidwell Park accompanied by live classical music).

Information on all NSS concerts and other activities is online at http://www.northstatesymphony.org. The office telephone number is 898-5984.

Musicians in the North State Symphony hail from a wide geographic area, with some travelling from the SF Bay Area, Sacramento, Ashland, OR and Humboldt County. In addition, there are also paid professionals from the Chico area as well as students and faculty members of California State University, Chico.

The university provides extensive administrative and production support to the Symphony. Financial support also comes from the efforts of the Board of Directors, Board of Regents, and members of the music-loving communities of the region.

History

The origins of the North State Symphony can be traced back to 1905, when the first orchestra formed at what was then the Chico State Normal School. Thus 2005 was celebrated as the 100th anniversary of symphonic music in the North State area.

The NSS was created in 2001 by a merger of the Chico and Redding Symphonies. It functions as a program within the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at California State University, Chico.

The North State Symphony is a member of the League of American Orchestras and the Association of California Symphony Orchestras.

Fundraisers

The Frugal House 2010

Although the community is still strained by the recession, The Frugal House 2010 shows homeowners how they can decorate their homes with style and on a tight budget. Interior design students from Chico State and Butte College are working in teams led by community members to turn an empty house into a frugally decorated home. They’re buying furniture and decor from local thrift stores and retailers and transforming them into creative and inexpensive new pieces.

The public is invited to tour The Frugal House, and purchase the pieces recreated, as well as speak with the aspiring designers. The Grand Opening Preview Party will be 6 to 8 p.m. Thurs., April 15 are $25. Guests can enjoy wine and the first opportunity to tour the home and purchase the furnishings. Tickets to this reception are $25.

General admission tickets for the weekend are $15. The home will be open for touring 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fri., April 16; 10a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat., April 17; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sun., April 18.

The Frugal House is located at 716 Brookwood Way. All proceeds from this event benefit the North State Symphony and the charitable organizations sponsoring the event.

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