The mission of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) is to inspire and engage a large and diverse audience in the Northern Virginia region and beyond. It accomplishes this through exceptional performances, educational outreach with an emphasis on reaching low-income students in programs that promote learning opportunities and propel academic achievement, and through community activities that enhance the lives of our residents while serving as an invaluable cultural resource and artistic ambassador for our region.

For over 40 years, the FSO has been providing education programs in partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and is a recipient of the FCPS Community Partner of the Year Award for its outstanding educational partnership with the school system.

Since its inception, the FSO has pursued dual passions ⏤ to be a leading artistic voice on the concert stage and to take its knowledge, artistry and commitment to the great art of classical music into the community and to the young people of Fairfax county. Under the inspired direction of music director Christopher Zimmerman, the FSO maintains its reputation as one of the finest regional orchestras in the country and has been hailed by the Washington Post as “a crown jewel of the cultural landscape.”