Mission of the Firelands Symphony Orchestra & School of the Arts

Enrich the region’s quality of life by offering access to live, high quality musical performances and educational experiences for diverse audiences of all ages, in a fiscally responsible manner.

History and Description of the Firelands Symphony Orchestra (FSO)

In December 1982, a small group of musicians gathered to present a concert in a local church in Sandusky. Two decades and hundreds of concerts later, that group appears today as the Firelands Symphony Orchestra. We are proud to celebrate our twenty-sixth anniversary of providing the citizens of North Central Ohio with the finest caliber classical and pop music.

The orchestra was at first known as The Fine Arts Chamber Orchestra. It began under the direction of Timothy Claubaugh, the Choir Director at St. Mary’s Church in Sandusky. Blake Walter was the music director from 1985-1990 with several interim conductors following. In 1992, J. Santos Perez became the Music Director and Conductor. In addition, the name was also changed to The Firelands Symphony Orchestra and it incorporated to a nonprofit status. This represented the growth of the organization to a full size symphony and also includes the geographic area that it serves.  Presenting a winter season of four major concerts from September through May, the symphony sells individual tickets as well as season subscription tickets to all major concerts through the Sandusky State Theatre Box Office.  The Box Office can be contacted at 419/626-1950, toll-free, 1-877-626-1950 or online at www.sanduskystate.com. A fun and educational Family Discovery Concert, Tales & Scales, will be held  on January 31 at Adams Junior High School in Sandusky and repeated at the Ernsthausen Performing Arts Center in Norwalk.  Tickets can be purchased by calling the FSO office at 419-621-4800. 

During the 2007-2008 season, the FSO embarked on a Music Director Search.  From a pool of over 100 applicants, four candidates were selected to conduct the season’s concerts.  On May 8, 2008, the FSO announced the appointment of Carl Topilow as Music Director and Conductor.  Maestro Topilow is  the highly acclaimed Music Director and Conductor of the Cleveland Pops as well as Director of Orchestral Activities at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Having conducted with over 80 orchestras, he has established an international reputation as a top conductor for masterworks, opera and pops.   Maestro Topilow’s versatility as a perfoming clarinetist is often featured in programs that include the Classical, Jazz, Dixieland and Swing styles.  We would like to thank the FSO musicians, our communities, the foundations and FSO Board of Directors for their input and support during the search process.  We couldn’t have done it without you!

The orchestra hopes to continue to make classical music accessible to everyone. Financial support from community foundations, grants, private donations and concert sponsors allows the orchestra to maintain low ticket prices and to offer free tickets to schools and other organizations.

The staff of the Firelands Symphony Orchestra and its School of the Arts consists of the Executive Director - Jamie Steinemann, Music Director and Conductor - Carl Topilow, Administrative Assistant - Sherry Risner, Librarian - Jody Chaffee and Personnel Manager, Lanson Wells.

The musicians of the Firelands Symphony Orchestra are professional, free-lance musicians who are contracted for the entire season and also concert by concert. Some are teachers in the local schools who encourage their students to appreciate the easy access to the Firelands Symphony. The FSO Board is a 16 member team that meets monthly to oversee the organization. The musicians, board and staff of the Firelands Symphony Orchestra are looking forward to this exciting season of discovery and fine music.

The Firelands Symphony School of the Arts

The “FSO” opened the Firelands Symphony School of the Arts in the spring of 1996, at 334 E. Washington Street in Sandusky. In addition to serving as the symphony office, the school offers a wide variety of visual arts classes to over 100 students, including Kindermusik, private instruction on all instruments, voice lessons, and courses in basic drawing and origami.

Board of Directors