Long considered the region's premiere performing arts group, the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra has set the standard in North Alabama for artistic quality, community support and service through education. For over five decades, the HSO's acclaimed concerts and award-winning education programs have inspired performers, audiences, children, benefactors and the entire community. The HSO is the oldest, continuously operating professional orchestra in the state of Alabama. The Orchestra's genesis is intricately linked with the arrival of Wernher von Braun and his German rocket team, marking the beginning of an era of sensational growth in our city and creating a unique synthesis between old and new, cherished traditions and unprecedented progress.