John Smoody

Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1941, is comprised of community leaders, professional musicians, and University of Wisconsin Oshkosh students, all who strive to deliver high quality musical experiences while also serving the community. Side-by-side, adult community musicians perform with area professionals, deepening that which connects us. Dr. Dylan T. Chmura-Moore was appointed Music Director in 2023 and is leading the OSO forward in its new civic model, one based on that which made the orchestra such a success decades ago. About the new model, Dylan says: “Community makes us strong. It makes for better music. OSO will, once again, lean into this ideal and I couldn’t be more excited. People make music, and it rings more true when your neighbor, whom you trust and love, is the one who is making it for you or with you. That is the beauty of what OSO will be. The return to this model should help our community listen to each other better and show each other more support and empathy. And the music’s going to be phenomenal!”​