The Jefferson Symphony is another example of Golden’s amazing volunteer base. The group formed in 1953 as the Golden Chamber Ensemble. Their first concert took place in the old Methodist church building, at 14th and Washington.
They quickly found that other musicians wanted to join, and before long they were big enough to change their name from “Golden Ensemble” to “Golden Symphony Orchestra.” Many of the musicians came from outside of Golden, so in 1972 they became the “Jefferson Symphony Orchestra.”
The Symphony performed in the auditorium at the Central School (later Mitchell Elementary) until the “new” Golden High School was built in the mid-1950s. They used the high school’s auditorium until the Green Center was built on the School of Mines Campus in 1972. The 1400-seat Bunker Auditorium in the Green Center has been their home for the past 54 years.
For many years, they gave a free summer concert in Parfet Park. Finally, the cost of renting the stage and risers became too much for the organization. They played their last Parfet Concert in 2019.
The Jefferson Symphony Orchestra is celebrating their 73rd season–an amazing accomplishment for an all-volunteer organization!
