• about the symphony
• orchestra personnel
• meet lauren green
• symphony hall
The Bartlesville Symphony
The Bartlesville Symphony is a treasured cultural jewel in Northeast Oklahoma.
Under the direction of Maestro Lauren Green for the past 30 seasons, this
community/professional orchestra in a town of 30,000 has created for itself
a unique niche in the cultural offerings of the region and in the symphonic
world beyond. 
Now nearing its 50th anniversary, the Bartlesville Symphony continues
to present a wide range of concerts in a world-famous multi-million dollar
hall, often with world-class soloists, while still retaining its unique
community-centered feel and orientation. The Bartlesville Symphony is
a cordial mix of volunteer and paid musicians, some of whom have been
with the symphony since its very earliest of days, and most of whom have
participated in the symphony for 10 years or more.
The symphony generally rehearses on a weekly basis and presents a season
of five subscription concerts. A variety of soloists are featured on these
concerts, ranging from orchestra members to internationally-acclaimed
artists. The symphony, under Green’s direction, has become well
known for finding ways to break out of the traditional symphony concert
“box” while still maintaining the integrity of the music and
the art.
Additionally, several other non-subscription concerts such as the annual
Young Artists Family Concert are generally presented each year. The symphony
has also recently appeared as part of the OK Mozart International Festival,
held in June.
The symphony’s concert repertoire has run the gamut of eras and
styles. Major works such as Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition,
Stravinsky’s Firebird, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (as well
as 4-8), Orff’s Carmina Burana, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concertos
No. 2 & 3, and countless others have been heard under Green’s
direction. Additionally, the work of more contemporary composers has not
been ignored as the symphony has been involved not only in the performance
of a number of recent works, but also in the commissioning and premiere
of several, most recently including William Bolcolm’s Concerto Grosso
and José Raul Bernardo’s Taliesin Symphony.
The symphony is governed by a Board
of Directors comprised of community leaders, symphony supporters
and several orchestra players. Nan Buhlinger serves as the symphony's
General Manager and Linda Cubbage is the Development Director and Ticket
Manager. In addition to these two paid positions, the symphony employs
its Music Director and its Concertmaster on annual contract. Approximately
two-thirds of the orchestra players are unpaid volunteers from the community
and region, with the remaining players paid on a per-service basis.
The Bartlesville Symphony Society is the educational and fundraising auxiliary
organization of the symphony. The Symphony Society sponsors and presents
the Young Artists Competition and the Young Artists Family Concert each
year. The annual Symphony Ball is a social highlight of the community
and the Society’s major fundraiser. A number of other projects,
including the Symphony of Tastes, round out the Society’s considerable
list of fundraising activities, enabling the Symphony Society to make
a substantial annual contribution to the Symphony's operating budget.
The Bartlesville Symphony
Foundation has been recently formed to enhance the long range
funding of the symphony. Governed by a separate Board of Trustees, the
Foundation is already well on its way to raising its initial funding of
two million dollars.
While not immune from the challenges currently facing the arts world,
and symphonies in particular, the Bartlesville Symphony’s performance
standards have continued to excel and grow while the symphony’s
solid base of community support and enthusiastic response has maintained
the organization. Generous funding from the Oklahoma Arts Council, along
with local funding from businesses and individuals, has insured the continuation
of the tradition of excellence and excitement which is so synonymous with
The Bartlesville Symphony.
